Upton St James CofE Primary School

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good

St James Road, Upton, Torquay, TQ1 4AZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Upton St James CofE Primary School is a primary school in Torquay for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 45 schools in Torbay. It ranks 17th of 17 primary schools in Torquay. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 22 October 2024, report published 1 December 2024

This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.

Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 October 2024

The new leadership has high aspirations for pupils to succeed academically as well as socially and emotionally. However, the school acknowledges that some pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not learn as effectively as they could. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They have many opportunities at break and lunchtime to participate in the many sports organised in the playground. They relish playing in teams with their friends and reading books in the 'book shed'. As a result, pupils' attendance has increased. Pupils are kind, helpful and friendly towards each other. They have strong, trusting relationships with staff in the school. Pupils are safe and well cared for. They learn how to keep safe when using the internet. Pupils are knowledgeable about democracy and mutual respect. They value the opportunities to hold important roles within the school such as school councillor, house captain and librarian. Pupils are well informed about citizenship in modern Britain. Children in Reception class thrive through a well-structured curriculum. Children learn the routines of school well. Pupils behave well both in the classroom and around the school.

What the school should improve

  • Assessment is not used with sufficient precision in some subjects. Systems for checking what pupils know and do not know are not routinely applied. This means that the gaps in some pupils' knowledge are not addressed effectively. The trust must ensure that changes to the curriculum are supported by the effective use of assessment so that pupils build effectively on their prior knowledge.
  • Some pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not learn the curriculum effectively. Staff do not routinely use what they know about these pupils' learning needs to adapt their teaching of the curriculum. Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not have secure knowledge with which to access more complex learning. The trust must ensure that staff have the expertise to provide suitable support so that pupils with SEND achieve successfully and confidently.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

15 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths36%

36%, 26 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score103

103, 3 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score98

98, 7 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score101

101, 4 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

94 pupils on roll, with places for 105

Eligible for free school meals45.7%

45.7%, 19.2 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language11.7%

11.7%, 9.9 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support33%

33%, 18.2 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan7.4%

7.4%, 1.4 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near Upton St James CofE Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Ellacombe Church of England Academy0.3 milesOfsted: Good71% met the expected standard
Homelands Primary School0.5 milesReport card: Expected standard57% met the expected standard
Torre Church of England Academy0.5 milesReport card: Strong standard84% met the expected standard
St Margaret's Academy0.6 milesOfsted: Good54% met the expected standard
Priory Roman Catholic Primary School, Torquay0.7 milesOfsted: Good44% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
ST CHRISTOPHER'S C OF E (PRIMARY) MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Oliver Jefferies
Address
St James Road, Upton, Torquay, TQ1 4AZ
Local authority
Torbay
URN
142669

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.