St James' Church of England Primary School, Rochdale
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St James' provides a caring, inclusive environment where all children thrive, including those with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils. The school prioritises reading from the very start and has recently strengthened its approach to mathematics to help all pupils succeed. Parents appreciate the new leadership team's positive impact, and pupils describe their school as 'one big, beautiful family' where they feel valued, safe, and enjoy their learning.
Key Strengths
- Reading is taught effectively from early years through Year 6 with a well-designed curriculum
- Strong safeguarding culture where pupils feel safe and concerns are acted upon quickly
- Excellent inclusion and support for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, and those facing barriers to learning
- Warm, welcoming school environment with well-established routines that help pupils settle and behave well
- Caring staff and new leadership team managing change effectively while maintaining staff wellbeing
Areas for Improvement
- Mathematics attainment, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, though recent curriculum improvements are addressing this
- Some older pupils are less assured in forming letters correctly when writing
- Governors could scrutinise attendance of disadvantaged pupils and mathematics attainment more closely
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture where all legal requirements are fulfilled, ensuring pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Eco-councillors, digital leaders, school councillors, buddy system with early years, inter-school spelling bee competition, Saturday morning classes, after-school clubs including breakfast club, early learning club
St James' Church of England Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive primary school where pupils achieve at expected standards and feel safe and valued. The school has a nurturing ethos with strong leadership that has recently introduced improvements to mathematics and attendance strategies.
At a Glance
29.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 86% to 79%. Maths has remained stable at around 68%. Writing has declined from 83% to 79%.
Class Sizes
30.6
Avg class size
30.3
Infant (KS1)
30.8
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Over capacity
210 pupils
210 capacity
0 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Rochdale
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Rochdale
Admissions Demand - Rochdale
Places available
3,187
Applications
2,652
Got 1st preference
91.7%
Got preferred school
98.2%
Primary admissions across Rochdale (2025/26)
Inspection History(104)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.40408%
Overall absence
14.05405%
Persistent absence
185
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St James' Church of England Primary School
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