St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham

St James’ CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham is a small, federated Church of England primary school that has improved markedly since its previous inspection. Inspectors found a happy, harmonious and nurturing school where pupils feel safe and valued, behave well and take pride in looking after one another. The curriculum is now fully ordered and sequenced from Reception to Year 6, reading is a clear priority and is taught well, pupils with SEND are carefully identified and supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Governors share leaders’ ambition and staff feel involved in recent changes. The main areas for further development concern consistency. Expectations of what pupils already know and can do are not always consistent, and teaching practice in recapping and building on prior learning varies across the school. Subject leaders do not yet have consistent systems for monitoring the curriculum’s effectiveness, so leaders cannot fully evaluate its impact. In the early years, the outdoor and physical environment is not fully developed, which limits some children’s opportunities for play and active learning. The school has managed staffing and class-structure changes while securing considerable improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, safe and well cared for in a harmonious community.
• Older pupils act as positive role models and pupils look after each other.
• The curriculum is fully ordered and sequenced from Reception to Year 6.
• Pupils with SEND are carefully identified and well supported.
• Reading is a high priority and is taught well, with effective phonics and catch-up support.
• Pupils develop a love of reading and extensive vocabularies.
• School values are embedded in pupils’ everyday words and actions.
• Behaviour is good, relationships are warm and playtimes are harmonious.
• Personal development is broadened through clubs, visits and outdoor learning.
• Governors share leaders’ ambition and staff feel involved and supported.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Most pupils attend regularly, and the school works well with families where absence is a concern.

Areas for Improvement

• Expectations of pupils’ prior knowledge are inconsistent, so some pupils do not attain as well as they could.
• Teaching practice in recapping and building on prior learning is not consistent across the school.
• Subject leaders do not yet have consistent systems to monitor the curriculum’s effectiveness.
• The early years outdoor and physical environment is not fully developed, limiting play and active learning opportunities.

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, Coldwaltham attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.6% 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, 3.8% of pupils at St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham 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, Coldwaltham had 11.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.3% 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, 20.5% of pupils at St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham 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 St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham received £13,080 and spent £14,753 for each of its 44 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £16,000 (£369 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 Pulborough · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

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

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

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

St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham have?

St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham has 44 pupils on roll.

What age range does St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham cover?

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

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

In 2025, 20% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham?

St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham is at Church Lane, Coldwaltham, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 1LW.