Secondary applications close 31 October – compare your shortlist now

St James and St John CofE Primary School

Primary Ages 4-11 144 pupils Buckingham
Ofsted: Good
All schools in Buckingham

St James and St John CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled school in Buckingham for pupils aged 4 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 144 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St James and St John CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024. In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Ofsted inspection: June 2024. KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Voluntary controlled school
Age Range 4-11
Religion Church of England
Address Main Street
Chackmore
Buckingham
Buckinghamshire
MK18 5JE
Phone 01280812291
Reference Number 110410

General Makeup

Number of pupils 144
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 53.47%
Girls: 46.53%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 11.8%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 2.1%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 20.6
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 14.7
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 25

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 5 14 19
2 6 6 12
3 15 6 21
4 13 16 29
5 14 11 25
6 15 10 25

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 81.9%
Mixed, Other 3.5%
White, Other 2.8%
White & Black (Caribbean) 2.8%
White & Asian 2.8%
White & Black (African) 2.8%
Indian 1.4%
Unclassified 0.7%
African 0.7%
Irish 0.7%

St James and St John CofE Primary School is performing well, achieving a 'Good' grade across all areas of inspection except for early years provision, which is rated as 'Outstanding'. Pupils are happy and demonstrate strong values such as courage, kindness, and respect, contributing to a positive learning environment. The school has shown significant improvements in education quality, particularly in reading and writing, and supports pupils' personal development effectively. However, there are some gaps in knowledge retention in a few subjects, preventing pupils from achieving their full potential in those areas.

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
 >  Quality of education Good
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Good
  >  Personal Development Good
  >  Leadership & Management Good
  >  Early Years Provision Outstanding
Last Report Date 30 Apr 2024
Date Report
30 Apr 2024 School inspection:
28 Sep 2022 School inspection
02 Mar 2017 Short inspection
13 Dec 2012 Full inspection:
07 Jan 2011 Interim assessment
25 Sep 2007 Full inspection:
03 Oct 2005 Full inspection:
13 Mar 2000 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Strong focus on pupils' personal development and behaviour.
  • High-quality early years provision.
  • Effective reading curriculum leading to high phonics achievement.
  • Strong relationships among pupils, promoting a nurturing environment.
  • Teachers exhibit strong subject knowledge and deliver curriculum effectively.

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent checking of knowledge retention across some subjects.

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 69%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 19%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 108
Maths 106

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 0.7
Writing -6.6
Maths -2.1

How many students meet the standards

Sample

Unlock

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Sample

Unlock

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Sample

Unlock
Unlock Premium

See how St James and St John CofE Primary School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.

£9.99 one-off payment. Lifetime access, no subscription.

Unlock for £9.99

Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 12 1
Third Preference 8 0
From another Local Authority 4 1

Previous years

Sample

Unlock

Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 St James and St John CofE Primary School had 139 pupils for 184 places. 45 places (24.5%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Buckingham Primary” planning area

Buckinghamshire counted 215 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 213 in 2029–30, down 1%.

201020112012201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 142157157157157169166166166166166166184184184
Pupils 134130132130133123123158157153156166151146139
Unfilled 5.6%17.2%15.9%17.2%15.3%27.2%25.9%4.8%5.4%7.8%6.0%0.0%17.9%20.7%24.5%

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 and St John CofE Primary School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.3%2.9%3.4%2.9%3.1%3.0%3.2%6.3%3.8%4.1%3.6%
Unauthorised absence 0.4%0.8%0.7%0.8%0.7%0.7%0.3%0.7%1.1%1.6%0.7%
Severely absent pupils 0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.7%0.7%2.8%0.8%

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, 0.7% of pupils at St James and St John CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.00.00.00.00.01.60.80.70.00.00.01.20.00.00.00.7
Permanent exclusions 0000000000000000

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 and St John CofE Primary School had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 11.28.27.68.48.48.912.913.212.510.510.412.411.912.19.310.0
Teachers who left state teaching 0.0%0.0%19.8%5.5%6.2%0.0%13.5%2.7%0.0%6.9%16.2%23.5%19.5%11.4%12.5%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 0.0%27.3%33.3%18.2%70.0%30.0%50.0%40.0%40.0%–16.7%38.5%27.3%54.5%60.0%–
Sick days per teacher 0.01.10.80.41.50.92.30.92.1–0.33.20.81.84.3–

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, 19.4% of pupils at St James and St John CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Social, emotional and mental health 9 0
Speech, language and communication needs 7 2
Autistic spectrum disorder 2 2
No specialist assessment of need 4 0
Moderate learning difficulty 3 0
Specific learning difficulty 2 0
Other difficulty or disability 1 0
Physical disability 0 1

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 and St John CofE Primary School received £6,747 and spent £7,038 for each of its 144 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £31,000 (£216 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

20192020202120222023202420252026
Revenue reserve £21,000£20,000£11,000-£3,000£25,000£3,000£73,000£31,000
per pupil £134£123£67-£16£167£19£546£216
In-year balance £15,000-£1,000-£9,000-£13,000£27,000-£22,000£70,000-£42,000
per pupil £94-£8-£54-£82£184-£143£524-£291

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

Name Distance
Maids Moreton Church of England School
Avenue Road, Maids Moreton, Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, MK18 1QA
1.19 miles
Buckingham Primary School
Foscott Way, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 1TT
1.21 miles
George Grenville Academy
Chandos Road, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 1AP
1.6 miles
Bourton Meadow Academy
Burleigh Piece, Linden Village, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 7HX
1.9 miles
Lace Hill Academy
Catchpin Street, Lace Hill, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 7RR
2.39 miles
Roundwood Primary School
Church Street, Gawcott, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 4HY
2.49 miles
Finmere Church of England Primary School
Mere Road, Finmere, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 4AR
3.55 miles
Thornborough Infant School
High Street, Thornborough, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 2DF
3.79 miles
Akeley Wood Junior School
Wicken Park Road, Wicken, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, MK19 6DA
3.9 miles
Padbury Church of England School
Main Road, Padbury, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 2AP
3.94 miles
Beachborough School
Westbury, Brackley, NN13 5LB
4.01 miles
Whittlebury Church of England Primary School
High Street, Whittlebury, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 8XH
4.91 miles
Syresham St James CofE Primary School and Nursery
High Street, Syresham, Brackley, Northamptonshire, NN13 5HL
4.94 miles
Name Distance
Akeley Wood Senior School
Akeley Wood Senior School, Bycell Road, Akeley, MK18 5AE
1.08 miles
Stowe School
Stowe, Buckingham, MK18 5EH
1.23 miles
Buckingham School
London Road, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 1AT
1.68 miles
Royal Latin School
Chandos Road, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 1AX
1.72 miles
Thornton College
Convent of Jesus and Mary, Milton Keynes, MK17 0HJ
4.06 miles
Silverstone UTC
Silverstone Circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 8TL
4.14 miles

All schools in Buckingham · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St James and St John CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

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

St James and St John CofE Primary School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does St James and St John CofE Primary School have?

St James and St John CofE Primary School has 144 pupils on roll.

What age range does St James and St John CofE Primary School cover?

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

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

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St James and St John CofE Primary School?

St James and St John CofE Primary School is at Main Street, Chackmore, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 5JE.

Filters

Basics

Age Range

Special Schools

Independent Schools

Faith Schools

Key Stage 2 Attainment

Students Meeting expected standard

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99

Students Meeting higher standard

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99

GCSE Attainment

Attainment 8 score percentile

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99

Students getting 5 or more GCSE's at grade 9-4 (A-C)

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99