St James CofE Primary School

St James’ CofE Primary is a nurturing, happy school where pupils feel safe and are well looked after. Since the previous inspection, leaders have made significant improvements to the quality of education, including developing an ambitious curriculum across the federation and adapting it for each subject. Pupils, including those with SEND, generally achieve well, behaviour is positive, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school’s personal development offer is a particular strength, with a wide range of trips, visitors, responsibilities and character-building opportunities helping pupils to flourish. Early years provision is effective, and reading has been strengthened: although 2024 phonics outcomes were below the national average, the school identified the reasons and made effective changes, so most pupils now become confident and fluent readers. Governance is strong and staff value leaders’ support for workload and well-being. The main area for improvement is that some subject curriculums are newer and not yet fully embedded, so pupils’ knowledge and skills in those subjects are less secure. The school needs to ensure these curriculums are securely established so pupils build and remember a strong body of knowledge over time.

Strengths

• Nurturing and caring culture where pupils feel safe and well looked after
• Very positive pupil behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes
• High ambitions and expectations, with most pupils including those with SEND achieving well
• Ambitious, well-adapted curriculum developed across the federation
• Swift identification and expert support for pupils with SEND
• Effective early years provision across all areas of learning
• Exceptional personal development offer with trips, visitors and wider opportunities
• Strong character development through responsibilities such as reading buddies, eco-warriors and school council
• Effective phonics support so most pupils become confident and fluent readers
• Strong governance and support for staff workload and well-being
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Some subject curriculums are at an earlier stage of development, so pupils’ knowledge and skills in these subjects are less secure

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St James CofE Primary School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.2% of pupils at St James CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St James CofE Primary School had 18.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.6% of pupils at St James CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St James CofE Primary School received £9,487 and spent £8,991 for each of its 184 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £27,000 (£149 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Enfield · Enfield local authority: places and applications

What is St James CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St James CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was St James CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St James CofE Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does St James CofE Primary School have?

St James CofE Primary School has 188 pupils on roll.

What age range does St James CofE Primary School cover?

St James CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St James CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St James CofE Primary School?

St James CofE Primary School is at Frederick Crescent, Enfield, EN3 7HH.