St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School, Thornton Heath
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Thornton Heath, part of St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 11 schools in Thornton Heath with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Croydon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School in detail
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 80% and 80% in Croydon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 89% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 69 families put St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School as their first choice and 172 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 12 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School are Beulah Junior School (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 74% reading, 74% maths); Beulah Infants' School (0.3 miles, Good); St Cyprian's Greek Orthodox Primary Academy (0.3 miles, Requires improvement, 73% reading, 68% maths); and David Livingstone Academy (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 92% maths).
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Beulah Junior SchoolBeulah Infants' SchoolSt Cyprian's Greek Orthodox Primary AcademyDavid Livingstone Academy
The trust
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School is one of 10 schools run by St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
35.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (36%), Mixed (13%) and White British (9%).
In 2026, 45 pupils (10.1%) received SEN support and 17 (3.8%) 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 Thornton Heath Rail Station, about 910 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is County Road (->s), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School issued 2 suspensions, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School are Norbury High School for Girls (0.5 miles), Harris Academy Beulah Hill (0.7 miles) and St Joseph's College (1 mile).
Norbury High School for GirlsHarris Academy Beulah HillSt Joseph's College
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
19.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 89% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 76% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
29.7
KS2
13
Total classes
3 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 the Great RC Primary and Nursery School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School.
- St James The Great After School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- Globe Fit Kids Clubs - Thornton HeathAt the school · Not yet graded
- KAPZ Kids Club Ltd680m away · Not yet graded
- Kumon Thornton Heath770m away · Not yet graded
- Holiplay Kids Club Downsview950m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Croydon's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School is in Croydon; for families living there:
Apply to Croydon for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 81
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 19
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 81 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 19 serious and 62 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
16 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 Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 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 the Great RC Primary and Nursery School
Will you get a place at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School.
- Croydon publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Croydon 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
98%
Near capacity
413 pupils
420 places
7 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Thornton Heath
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Thornton Heath
Across Croydon council
Places available
4,828
Applications
4,082
Got 1st preference
89.6%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Croydon council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
45
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
13.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
447
Total Pupils
218
Boys
229
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
23.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,222
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,633
Per pupil
£2542k
Total funding
£112k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
4.2%
Persistent absence
358
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 the Great RC Primary and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School
What are SATs results like at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School?
Of the pupils at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School is oversubscribed, Croydon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School?
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School?
Classes at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School average 29.6 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School?
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School has around 447 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School?
3.7% of sessions were missed at St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School in 2024/25. 4.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School?
Apply through Croydon's coordinated admissions process, naming St James the Great RC Primary 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 the Great RC Primary and Nursery School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: St James The Great After School Club (registered, not yet graded) and Globe Fit Kids Clubs - Thornton Heath (registered, not yet graded). There are 3 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 81 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 19 serious and 62 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 16 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 Croydon is 54.5 (the median across 156 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School?
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School is at St. James the Great School, Windsor Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey, CR7 8HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)