St James' Church of England Primary School, Cheltenham
St James' Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Cheltenham, part of The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 24th-highest of the 40 schools in Cheltenham with published results, and 6,834th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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 Gloucestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St James' Church of England Primary School in detail
St James' Church of England Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "St. James' Primary Church of England Controlled School has a church foundation and seeks to fulfil the aim of its Trust Deed by offering high quality education with the context of the Christian faith and practice. Christian standards and values are reflected in the life and work of the school and are promoted amongst the children."
Coming up: an admissions event on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Gloucestershire
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at St James' Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Gloucestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (80% in reading, 78% in maths).
Getting a place at St James' Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 49 families put St James' Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 185 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 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 Warden Hill Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 88% reading, 80% maths); Greatfield Park Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 87% maths); Leckhampton Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 87% reading, 93% maths); and Naunton Park Primary School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 90% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St James' Church of England Primary School.
Warden Hill Primary SchoolGreatfield Park Primary SchoolLeckhampton Church of England Primary SchoolNaunton Park Primary School
The trust
St James' Church of England Primary School is one of 25 schools run by The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
6.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 11.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 56 pupils (13.7%) received SEN support and 8 (2%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cheltenham Spa Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Stephen's Road (before), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St James' Church of England Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St James' Church of England Primary School issued 13 suspensions, 3.2 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 Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre (0.3 miles), The High School Leckhampton (0.6 miles) and Pate's Grammar School (1.7 miles).
Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form CentreThe High School LeckhamptonPate's Grammar School
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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
6.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 75% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.1
Avg class size
28.2
Infant (KS1)
29.9
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St James' Church of England Primary School
Term dates
St James' Church of England Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Gloucestershire's term dates for its community schools.
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 Gloucestershire; for families living there:
Apply to Gloucestershire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 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 Gloucestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James' Church of England Primary School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Gloucestershire 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
411 pupils
420 places
9 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Cheltenham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cheltenham
Across Gloucestershire council
Places available
7,250
Applications
6,016
Got 1st preference
91.6%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All primary applications across Gloucestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
56
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
15.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
408
Total Pupils
200
Boys
208
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
17.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,547
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2189k
Total funding
£42k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
8.5%
Persistent absence
363
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, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is St James' Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St James' Church of England Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2008 it was rated Outstanding.
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, Gloucestershire 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 98% 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 29.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St James' Church of England Primary School?
St James' Church of England Primary School has around 408 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James' Church of England Primary School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at St James' Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 8.5% 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 Gloucestershire'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.
How many road collisions happen near St James' Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St James' Church of England Primary School?
St James' Church of England Primary School is at Merestones Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 2RS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)