St James' CofE Primary School Gorton
109%
Capacity
457
Pupils
2.5x
Demand
About St James' CofE Primary School Gorton
St James' CofE Primary School Gorton is a popular choice among local families, with 144 applications for just 57 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.53. Of those applicants, 54 put the school as their first preference, and all of them received an offer. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good overall, a significant improvement from its previous Inadequate rating in 2014. Leadership and management were judged Outstanding, as was early years provision. The ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. With 60.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage, yet it continues to attract strong demand from parents.
At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 49% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, below the Manchester local authority average of 57%. The school ranks 89th out of 122 primary schools in the local authority, placing it in the bottom 50 nationally. Individual subject scores were mixed: 63% reached the expected standard in reading, 60% in maths, and 56% in writing. Average scaled scores were 103 in reading and 102 in maths. No pupils achieved the higher standard in writing, and only 9% did so in maths, with 16% reaching that level in reading. Progress measures are not available for this cohort, so it is unclear how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, forest school, sensory room, and a chapel. Clubs include book club, choir, film club, coding, and drama, while sports on offer are football, cricket, tennis, rounders, netball, gymnastics, and dance. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, and a resourced provision. With nursery provision on site, the school caters for children from age three. St James' is a Church of England school, so it may particularly suit families seeking a faith-based primary with strong early years and leadership, though its academic results are below the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Stelling Street, Manchester, Manchester, M18 8LW |
| Headteacher | Kenneth Corrall |
| Local Authority | Manchester |
| Number of Pupils | 457 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 60.9% |
| School Capacity | 457 / 420 (109% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 May 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (5 May 2023): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 10 May 2018. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (49%)
10979th of 13,686
Nationally
1615th of 2,065
In North West
89th of 122
In Manchester
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
49%
Expected Standard
0%
Higher Standard
'22/23
47%
'23/24
49%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed57
144
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
54 families put this school as their 1st choice (38% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British25.2%
- Asian16.9%
- Mixed9.7%
- White (other)7.7%
- Black5.5%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
18
Total schools
17
Oversubscribed
13
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About St James' CofE Primary School Gorton
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Stelling Street, Manchester
Manchester, M18 8LW
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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