Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School, Oxford
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Oxford. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 31st-highest of the 46 schools in Oxford with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Oxfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Oxfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (74% in reading, 76% in maths).
Getting a place at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 70 families put Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 125 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 10 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School are St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore (0.3 miles, Good, 77% reading, 65% maths); Our Lady's Roman Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 91% maths); St Christopher's Church of England School, Cowley (0.6 miles, Good, 63% reading, 68% maths); and Orchard Meadow Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 64% reading, 64% maths).
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, LittlemoreOur Lady's Roman Catholic Primary SchoolSt Christopher's Church of England School, CowleyOrchard Meadow Primary School
Who goes there
55.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (33%), White British (28%) and Mixed (12%).
In 2026, 76 pupils (16.6%) received SEN support and 13 (2.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Oxford Rail Station, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bartholomew Road East (ne-bound), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 415 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Oxfordshire (52), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 1.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School are The Oxford Academy (0.4 miles), Greyfriars Catholic School (0.9 miles) and Oxford Spires Academy (1.1 miles).
The Oxford AcademyGreyfriars Catholic SchoolOxford Spires Academy
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 agoThis judgement is from March 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
24.4%
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 remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.6
Avg class size
27.8
Infant (KS1)
27.6
KS2
13
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School
Term dates
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Oxfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School is in Oxfordshire; for families living there:
- Oxfordshire's school travel policy: Free home to school travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 16 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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 Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 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 Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Oxfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Oxfordshire 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
98%
Near capacity
411 pupils
420 places
9 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Oxford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Oxford
Across Oxfordshire council
Places available
8,615
Applications
6,903
Got 1st preference
94.0%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Oxfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
76
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
19.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
459
Total Pupils
233
Boys
226
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
22.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,171
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,754
Per pupil
£2645k
Total funding
£179k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.7%
Overall absence
22.4%
Persistent absence
371
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
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Oxfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School?
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School average 28.6 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School?
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School has around 459 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School?
7.7% of sessions were missed at Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 22.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Church Cowley 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.
What are Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School's term dates?
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Oxfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 16 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School?
Church Cowley St James Church of England Primary School is at Bartholomew Road, Cowley, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 3QH.
Sources: Oxfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)