St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale, Skelmersdale
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Skelmersdale. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 18 schools in Skelmersdale with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below 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
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale in detail
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale in its own words
In its own words: "Belong - At St. James', we are one big, happy family together with Jesus. We are a place of love and acceptance. We are proud of being an integral part of our local community and wider world. Through a range of enriching experiences and with strong values instilled, we are able to grow personally, developing a deep-rooted sense of belonging."
The school runs a breakfast club, from £4.50 per day.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (81% in reading, 93% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale as their first choice and 80 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 9 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale are Dalton St Michael's Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good); Cobbs Brow School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 84% maths); Woodland Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 89% reading, 78% maths); and St John's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale (0.9 miles, Good, 84% reading, 80% maths).
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Dalton St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolCobbs Brow SchoolWoodland Community Primary SchoolSt John's Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale
Who goes there
16.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 12.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 18 pupils (7.9%) received SEN support and 6 (2.6%) 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 Parbold Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Northfield (by), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale issued 8 suspensions, 3.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale are Maharishi Free School (0.6 miles), Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High School (0.8 miles) and Lathom High School : A Technology College (0.8 miles).
Maharishi Free SchoolOur Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High SchoolLathom High School : A Technology College
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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
16.6%
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 improved from 81% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 93% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 81% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.7
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
25.3
KS2
6
Total classes
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, Skelmersdale
Before and after school care
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Lancashire
Term dates
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 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 St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale
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What the report includes for St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale 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
88%
Available places
185 pupils
210 places
25 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Skelmersdale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Skelmersdale
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
18
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
10.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
229
Total Pupils
104
Boys
125
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
22.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,987
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,753
Per pupil
£1171k
Total funding
£52k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
19.5%
Persistent absence
164
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, Skelmersdale
Questions parents ask about St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale
What are SATs results like at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale?
Of the pupils at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale's Ofsted rating?
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023.
What is the catchment area for St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale?
No fixed boundary. When St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale is oversubscribed, Lancashire 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, Skelmersdale?
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale?
Classes at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale average 26.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale?
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale has around 229 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale?
6.6% of sessions were missed at St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale in 2024/25. 19.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale 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 St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 3 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 St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale?
St James' Catholic Primary School, Skelmersdale is at Ashurst Road, Ashurst, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 6TN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)