St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth, Birmingham
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St James provides a welcoming, inclusive environment where pupils from diverse backgrounds feel safe and valued. Teaching in the upper years is consistently good, helping pupils make excellent progress in reading and mathematics. The school enriches pupils' learning through many visits and visitors, and creates a positive atmosphere where all children are encouraged to do their best.
Key Strengths
- Pupils in Years 3-6 make good progress in English and mathematics with some outstanding teaching in Years 5-6
- Pupils behave well, are polite and respectful, and get on extremely well together
- Pupils who speak English as an additional language and more able pupils are making good progress
- The school enriches pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through numerous visits and visitors
- Attendance is improving and pupils are punctual to school
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching is not improving quickly enough in younger classes compared to upper Key Stage 2
- Teachers do not always match lesson activities to pupils' different abilities
- Phonics knowledge in Reception and Years 1-2 is not secure for all pupils
- Pupils spend too much time listening to lengthy teacher explanations rather than actively participating
- Progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs varies too much from year to year
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements were examined during the inspection but no specific effectiveness judgment is detailed in the provided report text.
Extracurricular Activities
Breakfast club, visits and visitors
St James Church of England Primary School is larger than average with pupils from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The school requires improvement overall, particularly in teaching quality and achievement in younger classes, though pupils in Years 3-6 make good progress.
At a Glance
53.1%
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 89% to 80%. Maths has improved from 79% to 83%. Writing has remained stable at around 75%.
Class Sizes
29.9
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
30.1
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Train Stations
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
409 pupils
420 capacity
11 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Birmingham
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Birmingham
Admissions Demand - Birmingham
Places available
15,570
Applications
12,541
Got 1st preference
92.4%
Got preferred school
99.0%
Primary admissions across Birmingham (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
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
7.67392%
Overall absence
23.78378%
Persistent absence
370
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, Handsworth
Nearby Schools
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