Latchford St James CofE Primary School

About Latchford St James CofE Primary School

Latchford St James CofE Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across both its most recent inspections, including the one in October 2022. The school’s strongest academic indicator is its Key Stage 2 maths average score of 105, which sits above the national benchmark of 100. However, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 55%, notably below the Warrington local authority average of 69%. This places the school 46th out of 55 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the bottom half of local rankings. The data suggests that while the school performs well in maths — with 79% of pupils reaching the expected standard and 24% achieving a higher score — reading and writing outcomes are more mixed, with only 62% reaching the expected standard in reading and 66% in writing.

Ofsted’s breakdown from the 2022 inspection rated every category as Good, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school has a relatively small cohort of 192 pupils, with a capacity of 196, and a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 32.4%. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is difficult to assess how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. In the North West region, the school ranks in the 65th percentile among primary schools, and nationally it sits in the 68th percentile. The nearest school rated Outstanding is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, 1.8 km away, which may be a consideration for families prioritising a top-tier Ofsted grade.

Latchford St James is a Church of England primary school with nursery provision, serving children aged 3 to 11. It was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 34 applications for 24 places and 21 first-preference offers made. Facilities include a gymnasium, outdoor playground, dining hall, art studios, music rooms, ICT suite and a chapel. Sports offered include football, athletics, dance, tennis, cricket and swimming, and there are clubs for choir, coding and eco club. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment and other difficulties. This makes it a practical choice for families who value a faith-based setting with strong pastoral and SEND support, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to compare results with higher-ranked local schools.

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