Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a small school with a strong culture of care. Inspectors found safeguarding standards met, with attendance and behaviour and early years provision both at a strong standard. Pupils attend exceptionally well, behave very well, and are well cared for. Reading attainment is particularly impressive, and the school's small size allows leaders and staff to know pupils and families well. The school has an acting headteacher who took up post in November 2025, and it has recently opened a nursery for three-year-old children.

Strengths

• Attendance is well above national averages and has been sustained over time.
• Pupils' behaviour and dedication to learning are excellent, and bullying is rare and swiftly dealt with.
• Early years provision is very strong, with expert staff and a well-crafted curriculum.
• Children leave early years very well prepared for Year 1.
• Pupils attain particularly well in reading, with outcomes often above national averages.
• Pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum adapted logically for mixed-age classes.
• Staff have secure subject knowledge and regularly check pupils' understanding.
• Pupils with barriers to learning or wellbeing are typically well supported and included.
• Leaders have a clear vision and a keen understanding of strengths and areas for refinement.
• Staff are proud to work at the school and benefit from professional development and subject leadership time.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive and feel part of the school community.
• Personal development includes PSHE, safety education, British values, and pupil leadership roles.
• Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe.
• The school has a nurturing culture where older pupils support younger peers.

Areas for Improvement

• In a couple of key stage 1 and 2 subjects, the curriculum lacks clarity about what pupils of different ages should know and be able to do.
• This occasionally limits how well staff design learning for pupils with different starting points to secure and deepen their knowledge.

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 Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School attended 97.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.3% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.1% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School received £10,636 and spent £10,671 for each of its 66 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £37,000 (£568 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 Chorley · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

What is Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have?

Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has 66 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School cover?

Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at Water Street, Brindle, Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 8NH.