St James's CofE Primary School

About St James's CofE Primary School

St James's CofE Primary School sits squarely in the middle of the pack in Dudley when it comes to its headline Key Stage 2 results. Its proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is exactly 59%, which matches the local authority average for primary schools. That places it 37th out of 69 primaries in the borough, a solidly mid-table position. The school's ranking within the West Midlands region is similarly unremarkable, falling in the 59th percentile nationally. What stands out more is the gap between its combined figure and individual subject scores: 74% of pupils met the expected standard in maths and 74% in writing, while 72% did so in reading. That suggests the school's overall headline is being pulled down by a smaller group of children who struggle across all three subjects simultaneously, rather than any single subject being a particular weakness.

At the higher standard, the picture is more mixed. Only 5% of pupils achieved the higher standard in all three subjects, which is low, but individual subject figures are more encouraging: 29% reached the higher standard in reading, 22% in maths and 17% in writing. Average scaled scores sit at 105 for reading and 104 for maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023 rated it Good across every category, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2014, with the inspection noting no areas requiring improvement. With 13.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a slightly below-average proportion of disadvantaged children compared with the national primary average.

The school is oversubscribed for Reception entry in 2025/26, receiving 90 applications for 54 places, with 48 first-preference offers made. That oversubscription ratio of 1.67 suggests strong local demand. Facilities include an outdoor playground, sports hall, sensory room, art studios, ICT suite and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports provision covers cricket, tennis, athletics, rounders and cross country, while after-school clubs range from science and art to chess, book club and film club. SEND support is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. This is a well-resourced, mid-performing primary that suits families who value a broad curriculum and strong pastoral support over exceptional academic outcomes.

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