Southbroom St James Academy

Southbroom St James Academy continues to uphold the standards identified in its previous inspection, demonstrating effective leadership and a clear commitment to the educational and personal development of its pupils. The school's values foster a supportive environment where pupils feel safe and are encouraged to embrace diversity. Staff maintain high expectations for behavior and learning, creating an atmosphere of positivity that enables pupils to thrive academically and socially. The school effectively collaborates with the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, benefiting from strong support and guidance.

Strengths

• Strong team dynamics among staff fostering a nurturing environment.
• High expectations for pupils' learning and behavior.
• Effective provision for pupils' wider development including arts and sports.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum leading to good achievements.
• Prompt support for pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged.
• Strong focus on promoting mental health and well-being.
• Pupils engage in leadership roles and community support initiatives.

Areas for Improvement

• Specific knowledge targets in some subjects of the wider curriculum are not precise enough.
• Safeguarding records sometimes lack sufficient detail.

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 Southbroom St James Academy attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Southbroom St James 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 Southbroom St James Academy had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.3% 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, 21.3% of pupils at Southbroom St James Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.4% 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 Southbroom St James Academy received £9,536 and spent £9,438 for each of its 127 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £7,000 (£59 per pupil).

Across all 28 schools of Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, income was £7,549 and spending £7,556 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

All schools in Devizes · Wiltshire local authority: places and applications

Southbroom St James Academy is part of Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, which runs 28 schools. The nearest others:

• The Trinity Church of England Primary Academy Devizes
• Marden Vale CofE Academy Calne
• Shrewton CofE Primary School Salisbury
• St Bartholomew's Primary Academy Royal Wootton Bassett
• St. Peter's CE Primary Academy Salisbury
• St Nicholas Church of England Primary School Salisbury
• Wilton CofE Primary School Salisbury
• St Martin's CofE Primary School Salisbury
• Broad Chalke CofE Primary School Salisbury
• Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy Warminster

What is Southbroom St James Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Southbroom St James Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Southbroom St James Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Southbroom St James Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Southbroom St James Academy have?

Southbroom St James Academy has 108 pupils on roll.

What age range does Southbroom St James Academy cover?

Southbroom St James Academy for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Southbroom St James Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Southbroom St James Academy?

Southbroom St James Academy is at Nursteed Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 3AH.