St James and St John CofE Primary School

About St James and St John CofE Primary School

St James and St John CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary in Buckinghamshire, a local authority with 184 primary schools and ten rated Outstanding by Ofsted. The school sits at 105th in the LA rankings, placing it in the bottom half of its peers on the key stage two expected standard measure. For context, the top-performing local schools include Ickford School, Frieth Church of England Combined School, and Elangeni School, all of which scored higher on the same metric. With 134 pupils on roll against a capacity of 166, the school is undersubscribed in terms of physical space, yet it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 admissions: 24 families applied for 11 places, and all 11 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. That suggests a tight local catchment and strong demand from families who prioritise it. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Maids Moreton Church of England School, 1.9 km away, giving parents a clear comparator within a short drive.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated it Good overall, with an Outstanding mark for early years provision. The previous inspection, back in 2012, also rated it Good, so the school has held a consistent standard over time. At key stage two, 54% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Buckinghamshire LA average of 64%. The school’s ranking reflects this: it sits at 105th out of 137 in the LA and in the bottom 50 nationally on this metric. Individual subject scores tell a more mixed story: 61% reached the expected standard in reading and in maths, while 68% did so in writing. Higher-attaining pupils were less common, with 14% achieving the higher standard across all three subjects, though 32% hit the higher bar in reading alone. Average scaled scores of 103 in both reading and maths are in line with national norms, but progress measures are not available in the data.

The school offers a practical, well-equipped environment for its size, with facilities including a dining hall, music rooms, a forest school, a sensory room, a gymnasium and a chapel. Sports provision covers tennis, netball, cricket, swimming, football, dance and cross country, and there are clubs such as eco club, coding, gardening, chess and film club. SEND support is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. For families considering this school, the key takeaway is that it is a small, faith-based primary with a Good Ofsted record and strong early years provision, but with academic outcomes below the LA average. It suits families who value its Church of England character, its range of facilities and clubs, and its ability to offer a place to first-preference applicants despite being oversubscribed.

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