St James Church of England Primary Academy

About St James Church of England Primary Academy

If you're a parent weighing up St James Church of England Primary Academy, the early signals are reassuring. In its most recent admissions round for 2025/26, the school was oversubscribed: it received 25 applications for 18 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.39. All 18 first-preference applicants were offered a spot, which suggests that for families who put it top of their list, the odds are decent. The school is a Church of England state primary in Medway, with a mixed intake of 190 pupils aged 3 to 11, and headteacher Fay Cordingley at the helm. While the data doesn't include a direct parent recommendation percentage, the fact that it's oversubscribed and that every first-preference family got in points to solid local confidence.

Academically, St James performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Medway local authority average of 62%. That places the school 9th out of 55 primary schools in the area, putting it in the top 25% nationally. Individual subject scores are strong too: 84% hit the expected standard in reading, 80% in maths and 80% in writing. At the higher standard, 4% achieved the top tier across all three subjects. Ofsted last inspected in 2023 and confirmed the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently across its previous inspections. The early years provision was also rated Good in the most recent graded inspection in 2018.

On the practical side, St James offers a nursery for three-year-olds, which is a bonus for families looking for continuity from pre-school into Reception. The school has a chapel, a library, art and music rooms, a forest school area, and a gymnasium, plus a range of clubs including gardening, coding, science and choir. Sports on offer include cricket, athletics, rounders, tennis and swimming. The school's SEND provisions cover moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication issues, multi-sensory impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 31.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is diverse. This is a solid, well-regarded local primary that suits families who value a Church of England ethos, strong core results, and a broad enrichment offer.

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