Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy, Wakefield
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Wakefield, part of Crigglestone St James CE Primary Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 36th-highest of the 51 schools in Wakefield with published results, and 9,801st of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Wakefield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy in detail
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy in its own words
In its own words: "We provide a happy and safe environment where everyone is valued and cared for. Guided by the parable of the Good Samaritan, we live out our Christian values:"
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, basketball, dance and coding.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 75% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Wakefield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (76% in reading, 70% in maths).
Getting a place at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 40 families put Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy as their first choice and 105 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy are Crigglestone Mackie Hill Junior and Infant School (0.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 83% maths); Hendal Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 70% reading, 66% maths); Crigglestone Dane Royd Junior and Infant School (1.1 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 93% maths); and Horbury Primary Academy (1.3 miles, Good, 88% reading, 83% maths).
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Crigglestone Mackie Hill Junior and Infant SchoolHendal Primary SchoolCrigglestone Dane Royd Junior and Infant SchoolHorbury Primary Academy
The trust
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Who goes there
9.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (89%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 22 pupils (7.4%) received SEN support and 5 (1.7%) 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 Sandal & Agbrigg Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St James Way (adjacent), 90 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy issued 6 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy are Kettlethorpe High School (1.1 miles) and Horbury Academy (1.5 miles).
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); 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 Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
9.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 76% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 70% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy.
- St James PlaycareAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy is in Wakefield; for families living there:
- Wakefield's school travel policy: Home To School Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 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 Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Wakefield, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Wakefield 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
97%
Near capacity
305 pupils
315 places
10 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Wakefield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wakefield
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,391
Applications
3,654
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
9.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
296
Total Pupils
161
Boys
135
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,358
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1654k
Total funding
£41k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
6.9%
Persistent absence
274
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
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 68% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Wakefield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?
Classes at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy average 29.7 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 Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy has around 296 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy in 2024/25. 6.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy 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.
Does Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: St James Playcare (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?
Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy is at Durkar Lane, Wakefield, WF4 3HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)