Classpot

St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth

Birmingham, B21 8NHPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Jul 2024
KS2 Results
67%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.9×
Not oversubscribed
42 1st-choice / 45 places
Ranking
#5,551
of 13,686 nationally

About St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth

St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth, sits comfortably above the Birmingham local authority average for Key Stage 2 outcomes. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 63%, St James achieves 67%. That four-point gap is modest but consistent, and it places the school 96th out of 292 primary schools in Birmingham, putting it in the top third of its local authority. The school’s ranking score of 67 also places it in the top 50% nationally, at the 40th percentile. For a school with a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (47.8%), these results suggest solid, above-average performance relative to its local context. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in July 2024, confirmed it remains Good, with leadership and management, early years provision and overall effectiveness all rated Good. This continues a clear upward trajectory from its previous graded inspection in 2015, when the school was judged to require improvement.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressSandwell Road, Birmingham, Birmingham, B21 8NH
HeadteacherSarah Smith
Local AuthorityBirmingham
Number of Pupils418
Free School Meals (FSM)47.8%
School Capacity418 / 420 (100% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

10 Jul 2024
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

Latest monitoring visit (10 Jul 2024): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 15 May 2015. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
LibraryPlaying FieldsForest SchoolSports HallICT SuiteMusic RoomsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

12

Sports

SwimmingCricketDanceGymnasticsCross CountryNetballAthletics

Clubs & Activities

CodingBook ClubArt ClubChoirChess

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguagePhysicalLearning Difficulty

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth

St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.