St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School, London
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in London. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 518th-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 4,824th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Southwark (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School in detail
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "St. James the Great is a Catholic primary school. In partnership with the home and parish we aim to develop and strengthen the faith of each individual by living according to Christian values."
Coming up: an open day on Saturday 1 May 2027, an open day on Saturday 8 May 2027, an open day on Saturday 22 May 2027 and an open day on Sunday 13 June 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Southwark
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 80% in Southwark and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 97% in reading and 93% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 63 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School are Oliver Goldsmith Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 73% reading, 63% maths); Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park (0.4 miles, Good, 81% reading, 79% maths); St Francis RC Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 72% reading, 66% maths); and Angel Oak Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 95% maths).
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Oliver Goldsmith Primary SchoolHarris Primary Academy Peckham ParkSt Francis RC Primary SchoolAngel Oak Academy
Who goes there
43% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 34.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (68%), other ethnic groups (18%) and Asian (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Peckham Rye Station, about 540 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Harris Academy / Peckham, 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School are Harris Academy Peckham (0.1 miles) and The St Thomas the Apostle College (0.8 miles).
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from March 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's October 2022 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at creating a caring environment where every child is known and supported. Reading is a real strength - all children become fluent readers by Year 2 with excellent phonics teaching. The school goes beyond academics to develop well-rounded, kind pupils through enriching experiences like sailing trips, performances, and community service.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics programme with early reading support - all pupils read fluently by end of Year 2
- Well-designed curriculum with clear progression in knowledge and skills
- Excellent behaviour and conduct - pupils are kind, polite, and helpful
- Strong SEND support with effective adapted teaching and additional adult deployment
- Rich enrichment activities including sailing trips, performances at venues like the Southbank Centre, and community engagement
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects lack focus on the most important knowledge pupils need to remember for future learning
- Subject-specific vocabulary development is inconsistent across curriculum subjects
- Teachers need clearer guidance on identifying which key knowledge to emphasise in some curriculum areas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - leaders ensure pupils' health, safety and welfare are prioritised, staff receive comprehensive training and identify at-risk pupils quickly, and pupils learn to keep themselves safe online.
Extracurricular Activities
Sailing trips (Isle of Wight for Year 6), performances at Southbank Centre, visits to homes for older people, school council, Catholic Life committee, prayers and assemblies
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school with a caring, nurturing environment where pupils are well looked after and happy. Leaders have high expectations and provide pupils with enriching experiences beyond the academic curriculum.
At a Glance
43.0%
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 97% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 93% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
20.6
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School
Year 5 visit Southbank Centre
13 Jun 2026
We meet author Winnifred Reid
22 May 2026
Fabulous Brass Day!
8 May 2026
May is the month of Mary
1 May 2026
Summer Term begins!
18 Apr 2026
He is Risen!
18 Apr 2026
From St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School.
- Ultimate Sports Club LtdAt the school · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Peckham SE15180m away · Not yet graded
- Angels Breakfast and Afterschool club230m away · Not yet graded
- Kumon Peckham470m away · Not yet graded
- Bananarama Daycare550m away · Not yet graded
- Magna Extended Schools at St Francis Primary school820m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Southwark's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School is in Southwark; for families living there:
- Southwark's school travel policy: travel assistance policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 270
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 51
- Children hurt
- 26
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 270 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 51 serious and 218 slight.
26 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 11 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 12 in a vehicle or otherwise.
56 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 Southwark is 154.5 (the median across 122 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 Roman Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School.
- Southwark publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Southwark 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
101%
Over capacity
211 pupils
210 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Southwark council
Places available
3,137
Applications
2,248
Got 1st preference
84.3%
Got preferred school
98.0%
All primary applications across Southwark council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(9)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
38
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
21.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
228
Total Pupils
123
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
19.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,483
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,424
Per pupil
£1741k
Total funding
£133k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
7.6%
Persistent absence
185
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 Roman Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Southwark 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 Roman Catholic Primary School?
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School average 20.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School?
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School has around 228 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School?
3.5% of sessions were missed at St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 7.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Southwark's coordinated admissions process, naming St James the Great Roman Catholic 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 the Great Roman Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Ultimate Sports Club Ltd (registered, not yet graded). There are 5 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 Roman Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 270 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 51 serious and 218 slight. 26 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 11 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 12 in a vehicle or otherwise. 56 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 Southwark is 154.5 (the median across 122 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School?
St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School is at Peckham Road, London, SE15 5LP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)