Classpot

St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School

Croydon, CR7 8HJPrimaryAges 3–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Outstanding
Nov 2023
KS2 Results
74%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.2×
Oversubscribed
71 1st-choice / 60 places
Ranking
🏆Top 25%
#2962 of 13,686 nationally

About St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School

Parents considering St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School will find strong signals of satisfaction. In its most recent admissions round for 2025/26, the school received 173 applications for just 60 places, making it heavily oversubscribed with a ratio of 2.88 applicants per place. Of those, 71 families listed it as their first preference, and 57 first-preference offers were made. This level of demand suggests a school that local families actively choose. The school is a Roman Catholic state primary in Croydon, serving children from age 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. It currently has 448 pupils on roll, slightly above its official capacity of 420, which reflects its popularity. The headteacher is Christopher Andrew, and the school is graded Outstanding by Ofsted across all categories in its most recent inspection in 2023, a rating it has held consistently since at least its previous inspection in 2012.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range3 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressSt. James the Great School, Thornton Heath, Croydon, CR7 8HJ
HeadteacherChristopher Andrew
Local AuthorityCroydon
Number of Pupils448
Free School Meals (FSM)17.5%
School Capacity448 / 420 (107% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

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

1 Nov 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
Early Years Provision
Outstanding

Source: Ofsted, 5 Dec 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

9
Sports HallGymnasiumICT SuiteDining HallForest SchoolOutdoor PlaygroundPlaying FieldsMusic RoomsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

7

Sports

SwimmingGymnasticsAthleticsTennis

Clubs & Activities

DramaChoirChess

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

SEND Support

AutismMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVision

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

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:15

Breakfast club

07:30-08:45

Source: stjamesthegreat.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School

St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School has been rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. This means the school provides an exceptional quality of education, and pupils thrive both academically and personally.