St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School, Whitehaven
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Whitehaven. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade. It was 68% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- 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 Cumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School in detail
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We would like to welcome you and your family to our school. St James C of E Infant and Nursery School is a wonderful, vibrant school where children sit at the forefront of everything we do. We offer a memorable, magical and meaningful curriculum in a nurturing, caring and fun environment."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 27 families put St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School as their first choice and 60 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School are St James' CofE Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 82% reading, 85% maths); St Begh's Catholic Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 66% maths); Bransty Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 63% reading, 52% maths); and Monkwray Junior School (0.9 miles, Good, 74% reading, 67% maths).
St James' CofE Junior SchoolSt Begh's Catholic Junior SchoolBransty Primary SchoolMonkwray Junior School
Who goes there
9.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 12% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 13 pupils (9.8%) received SEN support and 3 (2.3%) 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 autism.
Staffing
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Whitehaven Rail Station, about 310 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tangier Street (outside), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 114 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School are St Benedict's Catholic High School (1.1 miles) and The Whitehaven Academy (1.3 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 March 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
25.0
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School.
- Whitehaven Sports Centre Holiday Playscheme660m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Cumberland. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 16 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Thursday 20 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School is in Cumberland; for families living there:
- Cumberland's school travel policy: Step by step guide of the Home to School Travel Assistance Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 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' CofE Infant and Nursery School
Will you get a place at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cumberland 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
68%
Available places
92 pupils
135 places
43 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Whitehaven
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Whitehaven
Across Cumberland council
Places available
3,537
Applications
2,352
Got 1st preference
98.2%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Cumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
12.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
133
Total Pupils
72
Boys
61
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
19.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,974
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,319
Per pupil
£639k
Total funding
£17k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
2.7%
Persistent absence
73
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' CofE Infant and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School
What is St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School?
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School was not full in 2025: it ran at 68% of its 135 places.
How big are the classes at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School?
Classes at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School average 25 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School?
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School has around 133 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School in 2024/25. 2.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming St James' CofE Infant and Nursery 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' CofE Infant and Nursery School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School: Whitehaven Sports Centre Holiday Playscheme (660m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School's term dates?
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Cumberland. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 16 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Thursday 20 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School?
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School is at High Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 7PZ.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)