The James Cambell Primary School

The James Cambell Primary School has made significant strides in its overall performance since its previous inspection, which labeled it as requiring improvement. The school is now rated as good across all key areas, highlighting effective leadership and management, a well-structured curriculum, and positive behaviour among pupils. Students are generally engaged and achieving academic outcomes that align with national averages. The well-being of pupils is prioritized, with strong support systems in place that foster a safe and respectful environment.

Strengths

• Decisive and effective actions taken by leaders to improve education quality
• Pupils typically exhibit calm and attentive behaviour in lessons
• A well-thought-through curriculum that builds knowledge logically
• Strong support and professional development for curriculum leaders
• Robust measures to monitor attendance and support pupils
• Opportunities for pupils to engage in debates and take on responsibilities

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent clarity in adaptations and resources for pupils with more complex SEND needs
• Occasional weaknesses in delivering essential curriculum content, leading to gaps in pupils' understanding

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 The James Cambell Primary School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.6% 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, 0.8% of pupils at The James Cambell 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 The James Cambell Primary School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.2% 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, 12.6% of pupils at The James Cambell Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 The James Cambell Primary School received £7,804 and spent £7,893 for each of its 636 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £848,000 (£1,334 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Partnership Learning, income was £9,377 and spending £9,407 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 Barking And Dagenham · Barking and Dagenham local authority: places and applications

The James Cambell Primary School is part of Partnership Learning, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• The Sydney Russell School Dagenham
• Riverside Bridge School Barking
• Riverside School Barking
• Riverside Primary School Barking
• Eastbury Primary School Barking
• Thames View Junior School Barking
• Oxlow Bridge School Dagenham
• Greatfields School Barking
• Park Primary Academy Rainham
• Greatfields Primary School Barking

What is The James Cambell Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The James Cambell Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was The James Cambell Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The James Cambell Primary School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does The James Cambell Primary School have?

The James Cambell Primary School has 602 pupils on roll.

What age range does The James Cambell Primary School cover?

The James Cambell Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are The James Cambell Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The James Cambell Primary School?

The James Cambell Primary School is at Langley Crescent, Dagenham, Essex, RM9 6TD.