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St James' Church of England Primary School

Primary Ages 3-11 161 pupils St Helens
Ofsted: Good
All schools in St Helens

St James' Church of England Primary School is an academy converter in St Helens for pupils aged 3 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 161 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St James' Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2017 of its predecessor, St James' Church of England Primary School. In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Ofsted inspection: March 2023. KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Academy converter
Age Range 3-11
Religion Church of England
Address Lyme Street
Haydock
St Helens
Merseyside
WA11 0NL
Phone 01744678545
Reference Number 146429

General Makeup

Number of pupils 161
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 56.52%
Girls: 43.48%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 43.5%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 11.8%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 23
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 22.3
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 23.5

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 5 6 11
2 17 9 26
3 8 13 21
4 18 11 29
5 12 11 23
6 15 6 21

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 78.3%
African 6.2%
Asian, Other 5.6%
White, Other 4.3%
Mixed, Other 2.5%
White & Black (African) 1.9%

This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, St James' Church of England Primary School, inspected in February 2017.

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
Last Report Date 02 Feb 2023 – no overall grade published for this inspection
Date Report
02 Feb 2023 School inspection
11 Oct 2018 Academy conversion letter
21 Feb 2017 Short inspection
Previously as St James' Church of England Primary School
01 Feb 2012 Full inspection:
21 Oct 2009 Full inspection:
29 Jun 2009 Monitoring visit
23 Mar 2009 Monitoring visit
13 Nov 2008 Monitoring visit
25 Jun 2008 Monitoring visit
20 Feb 2008 Full inspection:
14 Sep 2006 Curriculum and development visit
04 May 2004 Full inspection

Ofsted Parent View

The latest published parent view scores are from 2019. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know Total Responses
1. My child is happy at this school. 2 7 2 0 0 11
2. My child feels safe at this school. 2 5 2 2 0 11
3. The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved. 2 4 2 2 1 11
4. My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively. 4 1 2 2 2 0
5. The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year. 4 6 0 1 0 11
6. When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly. 2 1 2 1 4 1
7. My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.
8. The school has high expectations for my child. 1 4 2 4 0 11
9. My child does well at this school. 3 7 1 0 0 11
10. The school lets me know how my child is doing. 3 4 3 1 0 11
11. There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school. 1 6 2 1 1 11
12. My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school. 2 5 3 1 0 11
13. The school supports my child’s wider personal development. 1 2 4 3 1 11
14. I would recommend this school to another parent. 5 6

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 65%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 5%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 105
Maths 107

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading -1.8
Writing -0.7
Maths -1.4

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 12 6
Third Preference 7 0
From another Local Authority 0 0

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 St James' Church of England Primary School had 161 pupils for 210 places. 49 places (23.3%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Haydock Primary” planning area

St. Helens counted 119 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 146 in 2029–30, up 23%.

201920212022202320242025
Places 210210210210210210
Pupils 180158161161171161
Unfilled 14.3%24.8%23.3%23.3%18.6%23.3%

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' Church of England Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.0%4.9%4.2%3.7%3.7%2.9%
Unauthorised absence 2.0%0.9%1.5%2.2%2.2%1.5%
Severely absent pupils 0.6%0.7%0.0%0.0%1.3%3.2%

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, 1.2% of pupils at St James' Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 1.60.03.11.20.04.01.2
Permanent exclusions 0100000

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' Church of England Primary School had 20.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

20192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 8.87.27.89.610.011.29.710.5
Teachers who left state teaching 9.1%22.8%29.1%18.9%11.6%0.0%18.6%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 69.2%–38.5%45.5%22.2%22.2%20.0%–
Sick days per teacher 5.0–1.41.90.60.90.9–

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, 9.3% of pupils at St James' Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Social, emotional and mental health 7 4
Speech, language and communication needs 6 5
Autistic spectrum disorder 1 1
Hearing impairment 0 1
Specific learning difficulty 1 0

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 St James' Church of England Primary School received £8,741 and spent £8,802 for each of its 161 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £55,000 (-£341 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Liverpool Diocesan Schools Trust, income was £7,382 and spending £7,357 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

202020212022202320242025
Revenue reserve £194,000£159,000£97,000£54,000£1,000-£55,000
per pupil £1,150£1,001£597£337£6-£341
In-year balance -£39,000-£27,000-£20,000-£34,000-£55,000-£10,000
per pupil -£232-£172-£123-£214-£314-£60

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.

Name Distance
Haydock English Martyrs' Primary School
Piele Road, Haydock, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA11 0JY
0.14 miles
Grange Valley Primary School
Heyes Avenue, Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 0XQ
0.42 miles
Lyme Community Primary School
Lyme Street, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 9HD
0.77 miles
Legh Vale Primary School
Legh Road, Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 0ER
0.96 miles
The District CofE Primary School
Patterson Street, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 9PZ
1.24 miles
St Mary's Catholic Junior Academy
Barn Way, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 9QQ
1.35 miles
St Mary's Catholic Infant Academy
Victoria Road, Newton-le-Willows, St Helens, Merseyside, WA12 9RX
1.39 miles
Broad Oak Community Primary School
Brunswick Street, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 2JE
1.61 miles
Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School
Brunswick Street, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 2JE
1.62 miles
Newton-le-Willows Primary School
Sanderling Road, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 9UF
1.68 miles
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School
Council Avenue, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 9AZ
1.69 miles
Garswood Primary and Nursery School
Hamilton Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 0SF
1.72 miles
R L Hughes Primary School
Mayfield Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 9QL
1.74 miles
St. Mary's Blackbrook Catholic Primary School
Chain Lane, Blackbrook, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 9QY
1.82 miles
Wargrave CofE Primary School
Bradlegh Road, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 8QL
1.9 miles
Ashurst Primary School
New Glade Hill, Off Chain Lane, Blackbrook, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 9QJ
1.94 miles
St Peter's CofE Primary School
Birley Street, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 9UR
1.97 miles
St Thomas CofE Primary School
Hodnet Drive, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 8PQ
2.01 miles
Burtonwood Community Primary School
Green Lane, Burtonwood, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 4AQ
2.16 miles
Rectory CofE Primary School
Rectory Road, North Ashton, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 0QF
2.21 miles
Name Distance
Outwood Academy Haydock
Clipsley Lane, Haydock, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA11 0JG
0.66 miles
Willow Bank School
Winwick Road, St Helens, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 8DE
1.19 miles
The Byrchall High School
Warrington Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 9PQ
1.34 miles
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton-in-Makerfield
Rookery Avenue, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 9PF
1.42 miles
Hope Academy
Ashton Road, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 0AQ
1.56 miles
St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy
Boardmans Lane, Blackbrook, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA11 9BB
1.92 miles
Cansfield High School
Old Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 9TP
1.99 miles
Lansbury Bridge School
Lansbury Avenue, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 1TB
2.01 miles
Mill Green School
Lansbury Avenue, Parr, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 1BU
2.04 miles
Wargrave House School
449 Wargrave Road, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, WA12 8RS
2.11 miles
Learn 4 Life School
64a Rectory Road, Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN4 0QD
2.18 miles
St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy
Berrys Lane, Sutton, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 3HE
2.25 miles
Martha H School
Downall Green Road, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN4 0LZ
2.41 miles
Progress Arc Billinge School
Carr Mill Road, Billinge, Wigan, Lancashire, WN5 7TT
2.64 miles
Landgate School, Bryn
Landgate Lane, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Bryn, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN4 0EP
2.84 miles
This Is My Education - TIME
Logic House, Central Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1UD
3.1 miles
Golborne High School
Lowton Road, Golborne, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 3EL
3.23 miles
St Helens College
Water Street, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 1PP
3.41 miles
Cowley International College
Hard Lane, St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 6PN
3.64 miles
Hope School
Kelvin Grove, Marus Bridge, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN3 6SP
3.72 miles

All schools in St Helens · St. Helens local authority: places and applications

What is St James' Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St James' Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2017 of its predecessor, St James' Church of England Primary School.

When was St James' Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St James' Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does St James' Church of England Primary School have?

St James' Church of England Primary School has 161 pupils on roll.

What age range does St James' Church of England Primary School cover?

St James' Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St James' Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St James' Church of England Primary School?

St James' Church of England Primary School is at Lyme Street, Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 0NL.

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