St James CofE Primary School, Enfield
St James CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Enfield. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 31 schools in Enfield with published results, and 5,291st of 14,452 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Enfield (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St James CofE Primary School in detail
St James CofE Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "St James' CE Primary School is a one-form entry school in Enfield closely linked to St James' Church, this link enables our children to flourish and learn from Christian values which are so important to us. Our biggest asset without a doubt are our fantastic children who are friendly, happy and keen to learn."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at St James CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 81% in Enfield and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 92% in reading and 96% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St James CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put St James CofE Primary School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 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 Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James CofE Primary School are Kingfisher Hall Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 86% reading, 86% maths); Suffolks Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 55% reading, 59% maths); Enfield Heights Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 93% reading, 96% maths); and Brimsdown Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 76% reading, 78% maths).
St James CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Kingfisher Hall Primary AcademySuffolks Primary SchoolEnfield Heights AcademyBrimsdown Primary School
What parents say
32 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St James CofE Primary School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 85% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (85%).
Who goes there
44.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 84% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (50%), Mixed (9%) and other ethnic groups (9%).
In 2026, 33 pupils (17.6%) received SEN support and 13 (6.9%) 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.
Staffing
St James CofE Primary School had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brimsdown Station, about 1030 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ashley Road (EN3), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St James CofE Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St James CofE Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St James CofE Primary School are Bishop Stopford's School (0.4 miles), Ark John Keats Academy (0.7 miles), Kingsmead School (0.8 miles) and Heron Hall Academy (0.8 miles).
Bishop Stopford's SchoolArk John Keats AcademyKingsmead SchoolHeron Hall Academy
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; 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a warm, welcoming school where children are genuinely happy and feel cared for. The school excels at supporting children's character development, teaching them kindness, cooperation and resilience alongside academic learning. Parents highly value the school's commitment to their families' wellbeing, and children clearly benefit from the many enriching experiences and high expectations for learning.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding personal development programme with a wide range of enriching trips and activities linked to learning
- Caring, nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and well looked after
- Strong improvements to phonics teaching with effective support for pupils who fall behind
- Effective support for pupils with SEND to achieve their individual targets
- Positive behaviour and improving attendance
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects are at an earlier stage of curriculum development, meaning pupils' learning in these areas is less secure
- Need to embed newer subject curriculums so pupils develop stronger knowledge and understanding over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong safeguarding culture in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Reading buddies, eco-warriors, school council, inter-school sporting events, multi-skills events, mini-London Marathon, trips to museums and galleries including National Portrait Gallery, breakfast club, PE activities
St James' CofE Primary School is a nurturing school where pupils thrive in a happy, calm environment with strong values of kindness and care. The school has made significant improvements since its previous inspection and now provides good quality education across most areas.
At a Glance
44.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
32 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 declined from 92% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 96% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 83% to 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.5
Avg class size
19.7
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St James CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
St James CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Enfield
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St James CofE Primary School.
- Blue Bears PlayschemeAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James CofE Primary School is in Enfield; for families living there:
Apply to Enfield for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 100
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 15
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 100 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 88 slight.
15 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
21 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 Enfield is 60 (the median across 108 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 Primary School
Will you get a place at St James CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James CofE Primary School.
- Enfield publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St James CofE Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James CofE Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Enfield 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
84%
Available places
176 pupils
210 places
34 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Enfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Enfield
Across Enfield council
Places available
3,962
Applications
3,263
Got 1st preference
93.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Enfield council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
24.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
188
Total Pupils
102
Boys
86
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
14.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£59,831
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,274
Per pupil
£1488k
Total funding
£130k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
16.6%
Persistent absence
175
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
Questions parents ask about St James CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St James CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St James CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is St James CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St James CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St James CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St James CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Enfield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St James CofE Primary School?
St James CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St James CofE Primary School?
Classes at St James CofE Primary School average 23.5 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St James CofE Primary School?
St James CofE Primary School has around 188 pupils on roll. 45% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James CofE Primary School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at St James CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 16.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James CofE Primary School?
Apply through Enfield's coordinated admissions process, naming St James CofE 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.
Does St James CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St James CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Blue Bears Playscheme (registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near St James CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 100 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 88 slight. 15 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 9 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 21 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 Enfield is 60 (the median across 108 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St James CofE Primary School?
St James CofE Primary School is at Frederick Crescent, Enfield, EN3 7HH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)