James Watt Primary School, Birmingham
James Watt Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Birmingham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 218th-highest of the 275 schools in Birmingham with published results, and 10,901st of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Birmingham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
James Watt Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at James Watt Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 66% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Birmingham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (68% in reading, 68% in maths).
Getting a place at James Watt Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put James Watt Primary School as their first choice and 94 named it as one of their preferences, for 38 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at James Watt Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to James Watt Primary School are Oasis Academy Boulton (0.1 miles, Good, 85% reading, 81% maths); Oasis Academy Benson (0.4 miles); Oasis Academy Foundry (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 72% reading, 69% maths); and Grove School (0.5 miles, Good, 70% reading, 67% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than James Watt Primary School.
Oasis Academy BoultonOasis Academy BensonOasis Academy FoundryGrove School
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about James Watt Primary School (as of September 2025): 69% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (39%).
Who goes there
51.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 64.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (61%), Black (18%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 66 pupils (15.6%) received SEN support and 3 (0.7%) 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 tram or metro stop is Winson Green Outer Circle (West Midlands Metro), about 150 metres away (roughly a 2-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tew Park Road (opposite), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood James Watt Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 777 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, James Watt Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to James Watt Primary School are Windsor Olympus Academy (0.2 miles), King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys (0.4 miles), Holyhead School (0.5 miles) and King Edward VI Handsworth School (0.7 miles).
Windsor Olympus AcademyKing Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for BoysHolyhead SchoolKing Edward VI Handsworth School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Some aspects are not as strong as at the last graded inspection.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are polite and friendly. They befriend and include pupils from all backgrounds, especially those who learn English as an additional language. This helps newly arrived pupils feel welcome and settle quickly.
The school has high expectations of pupils. It has raised the profile of reading and placed it front and centre of the curriculum. As a result, more pupils now meet the expected standard in phonics in Year 1 and in reading in Year 6. Pupils also achieve well in mathematics. However, pupils' writing is less developed. There is also variation in how well some subjects in the wider curriculum are delivered.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has developed a broad and generally ambitious curriculum. In many subjects it is well structured and learning builds sequentially from the early years to Year 6. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn alongside their peers. Exciting topics inspire and ignite pupils' interest. However, in a few subjects, some teachers do not make clear what they want pupils to know and learn during lessons. The tasks set do not help pupils acquire the skills and knowledge identified in the curriculum. This leads to gaps in pupils' learning.
Most pupils acquire the essential skills needed in early reading and mathematics, including pupils with SEND. This is because the school identifies pupils' needs early and provides the right level of tailored support. For example, tasks are adapted or additional adult help is provided. However, weaknesses in the writing curriculum hamper pupils' development of writing in most year groups. Pupils have limited opportunities to write at length using their own ideas.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
51.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 68% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.9
Avg class size
25.7
Infant (KS1)
28.9
KS2
17
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 James Watt Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near James Watt Primary School.
- Seven Up Play840m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
James Watt Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Birmingham. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 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)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to James Watt Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. James Watt Primary School is in Birmingham; for families living there:
- How to apply: Travel passes for 5 to 16 year olds
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 69
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 15
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 69 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 54 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
17 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 Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 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 James Watt Primary School
Will you get a place at James Watt Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against James Watt Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for James Watt Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to James Watt Primary School.
- Birmingham publishes last distance offered figures, but none for James Watt Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at James Watt Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Birmingham 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
406 pupils
420 places
14 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Birmingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Birmingham
Across Birmingham council
Places available
15,375
Applications
12,117
Got 1st preference
92.1%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Birmingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
66
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
423
Total Pupils
223
Boys
200
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,035
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,340
Per pupil
£2901k
Total funding
£300k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
19.6%
Persistent absence
368
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
Questions parents ask about James Watt Primary School
What are SATs results like at James Watt Primary School?
Of the pupils at James Watt Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is James Watt Primary School's Ofsted rating?
James Watt Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for James Watt Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When James Watt Primary School is oversubscribed, Birmingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at James Watt Primary School?
James Watt Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at James Watt Primary School?
Classes at James Watt Primary School average 24.9 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 James Watt Primary School?
James Watt Primary School has around 423 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at James Watt Primary School?
6.5% of sessions were missed at James Watt Primary School in 2024/25. 19.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to James Watt Primary School?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming James Watt 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.
Does James Watt Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of James Watt Primary School: Seven Up Play (840m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are James Watt Primary School's term dates?
James Watt Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Birmingham. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 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). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near James Watt Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 69 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 54 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 17 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 Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 schools, same distance and years).
Where is James Watt Primary School?
James Watt Primary School is at Boulton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0RE.
Sources: Birmingham term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)