Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy

Crigglestone St James C of E Primary Academy has demonstrated overall good performance across all inspected areas. The school, which has not previously been inspected under the standard framework, has made effective improvements to its curriculum, helping pupils to achieve well despite past assessment outcomes. Pupils feel happy and safe, and the high expectations for behavior, along with an array of extracurricular activities, contribute positively to their development and engagement. However, some older pupils experience delays in addressing gaps in comprehension skills, indicating areas for further growth.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and safe at the school.
• The school has made effective improvements to the curriculum.
• High aspirations for pupil learning and achievement.
• Good subject knowledge among staff supports effective teaching.
• Strong governance with well-trained governors.
• Pupils engage in a variety of clubs that develop their talents.

Areas for Improvement

• Older pupils have gaps in reading comprehension skills that are not being addressed quickly.
• Some assessment processes in the wider curriculum are not strong enough.
• Key knowledge in some wider curriculum subjects is not clearly defined.
• Communication with parents needs improvement to enhance collaboration.

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 Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.9% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy 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 Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy had 19.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.8% 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, 7.4% of pupils at Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 2024–25 Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy received £5,913 and spent £6,279 for each of its 312 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £287,000 (£920 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in February 2024.

When was Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy was last inspected in February 2024.

How many pupils does Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy have?

Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy has 296 pupils on roll.

What age range does Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy cover?

Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy?

Crigglestone St James CofE Primary Academy is at Durkar Lane, Wakefield, WF4 3HY.