Thornham St. James CofE Primary School, Oldham
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Oldham, part of Crompton House Church of England Multi Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was 94% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Oldham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School in detail
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "At Thornham St James , we are a happy, welcoming and successful school and we are rightly proud of our achievements. We have a strong history of educational excellence, rooted in firmly embedded Christian values , which are lived out by every member of our community."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, as Thornham St James CofE Primary School (URN 105692), 97% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
Getting a place at Thornham St. James CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Thornham St. James CofE Primary School as their first choice and 68 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Thornham St. James CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thornham St. James CofE Primary School are Fir Bank Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 93% reading, 97% maths); St Mary's CofE Primary School High Crompton (0.8 miles, Good, 93% reading, 83% maths); Thorp Primary School (1 mile, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); and Crompton Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 90% reading, 100% maths).
Fir Bank Primary SchoolSt Mary's CofE Primary School High CromptonThorp Primary SchoolCrompton Primary School
The trust
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School is one of 7 schools run by Crompton House Church of England Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 7 schools in Crompton House Church of England Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%), Asian (6%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 30 pupils (15.2%) received SEN support and 6 (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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Shaw and Crompton (Manchester Metrolink), about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Turks Head (outside), 50 metres away.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Thornham St. James CofE Primary School are St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy (0.6 miles); and The Crompton House Church of England Academy (0.9 miles).
St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary AcademyThe Crompton House Church of England Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in February 2025. Before that, as Thornham St James CofE Primary School (URN 105692), it was rated Good in October 2018.
At a Glance
16.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.1
Avg class size
27.7
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
Results at Thornham St James CofE Primary School before it took its current form in 2025 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published for Thornham St James CofE Primary School (URN 105692), the school Thornham St. James CofE Primary School replaced. There are no figures for Thornham St. James CofE Primary School yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 83% to 97% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 80% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thornham St. James CofE Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thornham St. James CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thornham St. James CofE Primary School is in Oldham; for families living there:
Apply to Oldham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
1 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 Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 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 Thornham St. James CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Thornham St. James CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thornham St. James CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thornham St. James CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thornham St. James CofE Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Oldham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Thornham St. James CofE Primary School for 2026 entry.
- How many families in Oldham 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
94%
Near capacity
197 pupils
210 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Oldham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Oldham
Across Oldham council
Places available
3,927
Applications
2,814
Got 1st preference
92.0%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Oldham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
18.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
197
Total Pupils
96
Boys
101
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
19.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,964
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,228
Per pupil
£1110k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Absence at Thornham St James CofE Primary School before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published for Thornham St James CofE Primary School (URN 105692), the school Thornham St. James CofE Primary School replaced. There are no figures for Thornham St. James CofE Primary School yet, so these are shown separately.
3.7%
Overall absence
5.8%
Persistent absence
171
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
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about Thornham St. James CofE Primary School
Are there exam results for Thornham St. James CofE Primary School?
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, as Thornham St James CofE Primary School (URN 105692), 97% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is Thornham St. James CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in February 2025. Before that, as Thornham St James CofE Primary School (URN 105692), it was rated Good in October 2018.
What is the catchment area for Thornham St. James CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Thornham St. James CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Oldham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thornham St. James CofE Primary School?
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Thornham St. James CofE Primary School?
Classes at Thornham St. James CofE Primary School average 28.1 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 Thornham St. James CofE Primary School?
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School has around 197 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Thornham St. James CofE Primary School?
Apply through Oldham's coordinated admissions process, naming Thornham 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.
How many road collisions happen near Thornham St. James CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 1 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 Oldham is 14 (the median across 129 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thornham St. James CofE Primary School?
Thornham St. James CofE Primary School is at Castleton Road, Thornham, Oldham, Lancashire, OL2 6XT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)