St James' Catholic Primary School, millom
St James' Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in millom. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 5 schools in millom with published results, and 7,353rd of 14,452 across England. It was 85% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St James' Catholic Primary School in detail
St James' Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Here at St James', we are proud to be a Church school and our Gospel values can be seen in everything that we do, both in school and within our community in Millom. Our May Procession 2023 - Our May Queen this year was Eden, and Giles was our Crown Bearer."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama, choir, Lego, cooking and art.
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at St James' Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 77% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St James' Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put St James' Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 41 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St James' Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James' Catholic Primary School are Millom Infant School (0.2 miles, Inadequate); Millom Infant School (0.2 miles); Black Combe Junior School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 78% reading, 89% maths); and Haverigg Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 85% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St James' Catholic Primary School.
Millom Infant SchoolMillom Infant SchoolBlack Combe Junior SchoolHaverigg Primary School
Who goes there
2.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 31 pupils (16.7%) received SEN support and 14 (7.5%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
St James' Catholic Primary School has a resourced provision for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs: 9 places, 9 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 390 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Devonshire Road (at), 380 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St James' Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St James' Catholic Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 3.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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 January 2014, 12 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 January 2014 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
17.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism, SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 87% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.6
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
27.5
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 St James' Catholic Primary School
Term dates
St James' Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cumberland's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James' Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James' Catholic Primary School is in Cumberland; for families living there:
- Cumberland's school travel policy: Step by step guide of the Home to School Travel Assistance Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
0 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 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 St James' Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St James' Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James' Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James' Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James' Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James' Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cumberland 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
85%
Available places
179 pupils
210 places
31 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - millom
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for millom
Across Cumberland council
Places available
3,537
Applications
2,352
Got 1st preference
98.2%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Cumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
24.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St James' Catholic Primary School has a resourced provision for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs: 9 places, 9 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
186
Total Pupils
91
Boys
95
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
16.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,089
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,613
Per pupil
£1142k
Total funding
£55k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
9.7%
Persistent absence
154
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
St James' Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St James' Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St James' Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St James' Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is St James' Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St James' Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St James' Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St James' Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St James' Catholic Primary School?
St James' Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St James' Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St James' Catholic Primary School average 26.6 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 St James' Catholic Primary School?
St James' Catholic Primary School has around 186 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St James' Catholic Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
St James' Catholic Primary School has a resourced provision for autism and social, emotional and mental health needs: 9 places, 9 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at St James' Catholic Primary School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at St James' Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James' Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming St James' Catholic 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 St James' Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 0 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St James' Catholic Primary School?
St James' Catholic Primary School is at Lonsdale Road, millom, Cumbria, LA18 4AS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)