St James Church of England Primary School, Harlow
St James Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Harlow, part of The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine 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 October 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 27th-highest of the 30 schools in Harlow with published results, and 12,028th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% 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 Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St James Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils at St James Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 66% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 59% in reading and 81% 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 School
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put St James Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 21 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 St James Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James Church of England Primary School are Longwood Primary Academy (0.2 miles, Good, 82% reading, 82% maths); Kingsmoor Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 83% reading, 87% maths); Milwards Primary School and Nursery (0.4 miles, Good, 87% reading, 90% maths); and Abbotsweld Primary Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St James Church of England Primary School.
Longwood Primary AcademyKingsmoor AcademyMilwards Primary School and NurseryAbbotsweld Primary Academy
The trust
St James Church of England Primary School is one of 21 schools run by The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 21 schools in The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust
Who goes there
26.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (44%), Black (24%) and Mixed (12%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Harlow Town Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Jame's School (outside), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 263 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St James Church of England Primary School issued 13 suspensions, 6.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St James Church of England Primary School are Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow (0.2 miles); and Sir Frederick Gibberd College (0.9 miles).
Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, HarlowSir Frederick Gibberd College
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; 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
23.7%
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 59% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 81% to 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 66% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.1
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
30.8
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes 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 School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St James Church of England Primary School.
- Panda ChildcareAt the school · Not yet graded
- Longwood SSS Sports Camp400m away · Not yet graded
- Rosedan Breakfast and Afterschool Club680m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James Church of England Primary School is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 7 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
5 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 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 School
Will you get a place at St James Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James Church of England Primary School for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex 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
99%
Near capacity
207 pupils
210 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Harlow
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Harlow
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
35
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
20.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
211
Total Pupils
112
Boys
99
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
19.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,524
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,754
Per pupil
£1337k
Total funding
£73k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
12.8%
Persistent absence
195
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 Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about St James Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St James Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St James Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 63% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is St James Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St James Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 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 School?
No fixed boundary. When St James Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Essex 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 School?
St James Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St James Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St James Church of England Primary School average 30.1 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have 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 School?
St James Church of England Primary School has around 211 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James Church of England Primary School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at St James Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 12.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming St James Church of England 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 St James Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Panda Childcare (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St James Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 7 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 5 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St James Church of England Primary School?
St James Church of England Primary School is at Paringdon Road, Harlow, Essex, CM18 7RH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)