St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe, CLITHEROE
St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Clitheroe. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 12 schools in CLITHEROE with published results, and 10,901st of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than 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' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe in detail
St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe in its own words
The school week is 32.5 hours a week.
Coming up: an open day on Monday 9 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Lancashire
The school day (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe reached the expected standard in reading and 64% 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 (70% in reading, 64% in maths).
Getting a place at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe
For September 2026 entry, 13 families put St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe as their first choice and 58 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 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, Clitheroe
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe are St Michael and St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.2 miles); Edisford Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths); Clitheroe Brookside Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 63% reading, 60% maths); and Clitheroe Pendle Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 90% reading, 80% maths).
St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
St Michael and St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyEdisford Primary SchoolClitheroe Brookside Primary SchoolClitheroe Pendle Primary School
What parents say
60 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe (as of September 2025): 73% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 58% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (58%).
Who goes there
14.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 12.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Asian (8%).
In 2026, 41 pupils (15.6%) received SEN support and 7 (2.7%) 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 Clitheroe Rail Station, about 700 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St James Street (opposite), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe issued 13 suspensions, 4.7 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, Clitheroe are Ribblesdale School (0.2 miles) and Clitheroe Royal Grammar School (0.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St James' creates a happy, nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and are well cared for by staff. The school has high expectations for all pupils' achievement, with particularly strong teaching of reading and excellent support for pupils with SEND. Pupils develop positive attitudes to learning and enjoy many opportunities for leadership, sports, clubs, trips, and music lessons.
Key Strengths
- Reading is a strength - pupils enjoy carefully chosen texts, staff deliver phonics effectively, and most pupils read with fluency and confidence
- Strong support for pupils with SEND - teachers adapt learning well and work closely with parents to help these pupils achieve
- Positive behaviour and attitudes - pupils move calmly around school, respond well to staff, and develop leadership skills through school council and buddy roles
- Well-designed ambitious curriculum that helps pupils build knowledge and skills from Reception to Year 6
- Effective safeguarding arrangements and strong focus on pupils' personal development, including online safety and healthy living
Areas for Improvement
- Writing skills need stronger focus - some pupils in Reception and Key Stage 1 do not develop writing fluency because staff don't always spot and correct errors in their work
- Teachers sometimes don't match learning activities well enough to the curriculum knowledge pupils should learn, meaning some pupils miss key content
- More emphasis needed on teaching writing skills and knowledge at each stage so pupils are well prepared for future education
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, residential experiences, musical instrument lessons for all pupils, trips, school council, buddy and playleader roles
St James' Church of England Primary School in Clitheroe has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. Pupils are happy, well-cared for, and achieve well across the school.
At a Glance
14.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
60 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 64% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 68% to 64% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.2
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
27.7
KS2
10
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe
Autumn 1 Week 6 16.10.26
16 Oct 2026
Autumn 1 Week 5 9.10.26
9 Oct 2026
Autumn 1 Week 3 25.9.26
3 Oct 2026
Autumn 1 Week 4 02.10.26
3 Oct 2026
Autumn 1 Week 2 18.9.26
18 Sep 2026
Autumn 1 Week 1 11.9.26
11 Sep 2026
From St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe.
- Pro Sport Coaching380m away · Not yet graded
- Progressive Kids380m away · Not yet graded
- Brookside Out of School Care Club880m away · Ofsted: Good
Term dates
St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe 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
- 26
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 16 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe
Will you get a place at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe? Get the admissions report
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What the report includes for St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe.
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- Applications, first choices and offers at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe 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
92%
Near capacity
277 pupils
300 places
23 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - CLITHEROE
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for CLITHEROE
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
41
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
18.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
262
Total Pupils
143
Boys
119
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
20.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,585
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,258
Per pupil
£1606k
Total funding
£74k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
7.7%
Persistent absence
247
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, Clitheroe
Questions parents ask about St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe
What are SATs results like at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe?
Of the pupils at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 64% did so in maths.
What is St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe's Ofsted rating?
St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe?
No fixed boundary. When St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe 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' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe?
St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 300 places.
How big are the classes at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe?
Classes at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe average 26.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe?
St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe has around 262 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe in 2024/25. 7.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe 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, Clitheroe have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe: Pro Sport Coaching (380m away, registered, not yet graded), Progressive Kids (380m away, registered, not yet graded) and Brookside Out of School Care Club (880m away, rated Good by Ofsted). 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, Clitheroe?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 16 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe?
St James' Church of England Primary School, Clitheroe is at Greenacre Street, CLITHEROE, Lancashire, BB7 1ED.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)