St James Academy
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | St James's Road Dudley West Midlands DY1 3JE |
| Phone | 01384685200 |
| Reference Number | 144657 |
St James Academy has made significant strides in improving its overall effectiveness since its last inspection, where it was deemed to require improvement. The school is now rated as good across all domains, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. It provides a welcoming and inclusive environment where pupils are well-prepared for their future, particularly through a strong careers programme. However, despite these strengths, there remains work to be done to enhance attendance and student engagement in extracurricular activities.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 859 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 51.11%
Girls: 48.89% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 49.9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 37.3% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 25.4 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 95 | 78 | 173 |
| 8 | 95 | 87 | 182 |
| 9 | 85 | 87 | 172 |
| 10 | 88 | 89 | 177 |
| 11 | 76 | 79 | 155 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 35.6% |
| Pakistani | 14.8% |
| African | 11.5% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 6.1% |
| White, Other | 5.8% |
| Indian | 5.4% |
| Unclassified | 3.4% |
| Caribbean | 3.4% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.9% |
| Asian, Other | 1.7% |
| White & Asian | 1.3% |
| White & Black (African) | 1% |
| Chinese | 0.2% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| Last Report Date | 04 Jun 2024 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 04 Jun 2024 | School inspection: |
| 01 Mar 2022 | School inspection: |
| 06 Sep 2017 | Academy conversion letter |
| 09 Feb 2016 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as Castle High School and Visual Arts College | |
| 09 Feb 2016 | Full inspection: |
| 16 Oct 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 16 Oct 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 18 Jan 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 18 Jan 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 23 Mar 2011 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 23 Mar 2011 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 19 Nov 2009 | Monitoring visit |
| 19 Nov 2009 | Monitoring visit |
| 24 Sep 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 24 Sep 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 06 May 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 06 May 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 04 Feb 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 04 Feb 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 23 Nov 2005 | Full inspection: |
| 23 Nov 2005 | Full inspection: |
| 27 Sep 1999 | Full inspection |
| 27 Sep 1999 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Strong careers programme preparing pupils for life after Year 11.
- Inclusive and welcoming environment fostering good manners and respect.
- Effective strategies for promoting a love of reading.
- Teachers adapt lessons to help pupils remember previous learning.
- High expectations of pupil behaviour resulting in calm and orderly classrooms.
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils do not attend school regularly, creating gaps in learning.
- Occasional low-level disruption due to tasks not being well-adapted to pupils' needs.
- Limited pupil engagement in extracurricular activities.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 36.8 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 37.3% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 41.8% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 99 | 26 |
| Third Preference | 42 | 7 |
| From another Local Authority | 25 | 10 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
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