St James CofE Primary School

About St James CofE Primary School

St James CofE Primary School in Elmbridge is a state primary for children aged 4 to 11, and it is a school in high demand. With 418 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, it is effectively full, and the 2025/26 admissions data tells a clear story of popularity: the school received 189 applications for just 60 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.15 to one. Of those, 57 were first-preference applications, meaning most families who wanted a place put it at the top of their list. The school serves a community where 17.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure that sits above the national average for primary schools and suggests a genuinely mixed intake. As a Church of England school, it has a religious character, but the data does not specify whether this affects admissions criteria. What is clear is that St James is a school that local families are actively competing to get into, and its near-full roll reflects that sustained interest.

Academically, St James performs solidly against local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, just below the Surrey local authority average of 66%. However, the school’s strengths are more visible in individual subjects: 83% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, and 73% did so in writing, while 72% achieved the expected level in maths. At the higher standard, 43% of pupils scored highly in reading, 35% in maths, and 13% in writing. Average scaled scores of 107 in reading and 106 in maths are both above the national benchmark of 100. Nationally, the school ranks in the 45th percentile for its combined expected standard, and within Elmbridge it sits 16th out of 21 primary schools. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in June 2025, confirmed that standards are being maintained, with the school holding a Good rating across leadership, early years provision and overall effectiveness.

The school offers a strong set of facilities for a primary, including an ICT suite, library, playing fields, a sensory room, art studios, music rooms, a chapel and a Forest School. Sports provision covers football, cricket, tennis, dance, athletics and gymnastics, while clubs include choir, science club, gardening, drama and eco club. For families with children who have special educational needs, St James lists support for a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. That said, the parent view data shows some mixed feedback: while 83% of the 174 respondents would recommend the school, and 90% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, only 65% agreed that SEND children get the support they need, with 22% strongly disagreeing. This is a school that suits families who value a Church of England ethos, a broad range of enrichment activities, and a full, popular school environment, but it is worth noting that it is not the highest-performing primary in the area and that SEND provision has drawn some criticism from parents.

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