St James Church of England Primary Academy, Rochester
St James Church of England Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Rochester, part of Medway Anglican Schools Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 25th-highest of the 25 schools in Rochester with published results, and 14,057th of 14,452 across England. It was 82% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Medway (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St James Church of England Primary Academy in detail
St James Church of England Primary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The Governors and all staff thank you for spending a few moments of your time to peruse this site in order to view all the exciting aspects of our wonderful school. Our school has established a happy, warm and welcoming environment where pupils are encouraged to aim high and be the very best they can be."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 41% of Year 6 pupils at St James Church of England Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 55% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 72% in Medway and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 84% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St James Church of England Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put St James Church of England Primary Academy as their first choice and 18 named it as one of their preferences, for 12 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 Church of England Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James Church of England Primary Academy are St Edward's Catholic Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 57% reading, 50% maths); Rose Street Primary School (2.3 miles, Requires improvement, 63% reading, 63% maths); West Minster Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 81% maths); and Richmond Primary School (2.9 miles, Good, 70% reading, 63% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St James Church of England Primary Academy.
St Edward's Catholic Primary SchoolRose Street Primary SchoolWest Minster Primary SchoolRichmond Primary School
The trust
St James Church of England Primary Academy is one of 4 schools run by Medway Anglican Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
St James Church of England Primary Academy had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sheerness-on-Sea Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High Street (sw-bound), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other crime and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Medway (250).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St James Church of England Primary Academy issued 1 suspension, 0.5 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 multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 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 January 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
28.4%
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 declined from 84% to 41% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 80% to 55% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 66% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.8
Avg class size
19.0
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
4
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 St James Church of England Primary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James Church of England Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James Church of England Primary Academy is in Medway; for families living there:
Apply to Medway for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 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 Church of England Primary Academy
Will you get a place at St James Church of England Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James Church of England Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James Church of England Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James Church of England Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Medway, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James Church of England Primary Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Medway 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
82%
Available places
172 pupils
210 places
38 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rochester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochester
Across Medway council
Places available
3,675
Applications
3,130
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
21.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
176
Total Pupils
76
Boys
100
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
16.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,617
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,829
Per pupil
£1120k
Total funding
£79k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
8.9%
Persistent absence
158
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St James Church of England Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at St James Church of England Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at St James Church of England Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 41% reached the expected standard in reading and 55% did so in maths.
What is St James Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St James Church of England Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St James Church of England Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St James Church of England Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Medway allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St James Church of England Primary Academy?
St James Church of England Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 82% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St James Church of England Primary Academy?
Classes at St James Church of England Primary Academy average 25.8 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 Church of England Primary Academy?
St James Church of England Primary Academy has around 176 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James Church of England Primary Academy?
5% of sessions were missed at St James Church of England Primary Academy in 2024/25. 8.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James Church of England Primary Academy?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming St James Church of England 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.
How many road collisions happen near St James Church of England Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St James Church of England Primary Academy?
St James Church of England Primary Academy is at High Street, Isle of Grain, Rochester, Kent, ME3 0BS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)