Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School, Chorley
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Chorley. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 30th-highest of the 40 schools in Chorley with published results, and 9,982nd of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 92 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School are Highfield Community Primary School (0.2 miles, 71% reading, 68% maths); Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Chorley (0.3 miles, Good, 81% reading, 89% maths); St Peter's CofE Primary School Chorley (0.6 miles, Good, 73% reading, 80% maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley (0.7 miles, Good, 94% reading, 87% maths).
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Highfield Community Primary SchoolSacred Heart Catholic Primary School, ChorleySt Peter's CofE Primary School ChorleySt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley
Who goes there
13.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 11.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%), Mixed (10%) and Asian (8%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chorley Rail Station, about 660 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Seymour Street (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 253 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School are Albany Academy (0.7 miles), St Michael's Church of England High School (1 mile), Holy Cross Catholic High School (1.2 miles) and Parklands High School (1.2 miles).
Albany AcademySt Michael's Church of England High SchoolHoly Cross Catholic High SchoolParklands High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
13.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 83% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 80% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 65% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.9
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
28.8
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School
Term dates
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lancashire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 9 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lancashire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
206 pupils
209 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chorley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chorley
Across Lancashire council
Places available
15,442
Applications
12,122
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
39
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
21.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
229
Total Pupils
114
Boys
115
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
22.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,186
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,454
Per pupil
£1261k
Total funding
£55k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.6%
Overall absence
8.4%
Persistent absence
179
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 68% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2011 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School?
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School average 26.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School?
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School has around 229 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School?
3.6% of sessions were missed at Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 8.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 9 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School?
Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School is at Devonport Way, Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 0TE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)