St James' Church of England Primary Academy
Pokesdown Hill, Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, BH7 6DW
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST
- Principal
- Mr Alastair Brown
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winchester
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Bournemouth East
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 420
- Pupils on roll
- 404
- URN
- 140760
- Local authority
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01202426696
About this school
St James' Church of England Primary Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Bournemouth. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 404 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 25 January 2023, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 60 | 60 | 59 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 67% | 68% | 68% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 8% | 10% | 17% |
| Expected standard in reading | 80% | 77% | 81% |
| Expected standard in maths | 88% | 82% | 80% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 80% | 78% | 80% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 106.0 | 108.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 107.0 | 105.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.30 | - | - |
| Writing progress | 0.00 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +2.50 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How St James' Church of England Primary Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 67% | 56.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 68% | 58.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 68% | 59% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.3% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 409 |
| 2023/24 | 399 |
| 2024/25 | 404 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St James' Church of England Primary Academy compares
St James' Church of England Primary Academy ranked 18th of 52 primary schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 61% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 64% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 68% | 4.8% | 15.1% | 404 | — |
| Pokesdown Community Primary School | 58% | 4.6% | 20.1% | 417 | 0.3 miles |
| Avonwood Primary School | 84% | 3.2% | 10.8% | 456 | 0.5 miles |
| Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School | 67% | 5.5% | 16% | 459 | 0.5 miles |
| Stourfield Junior School | 73% | 4.6% | 18.8% | 445 | 0.6 miles |
| Stourfield Infant School | — | 3.8% | 10.9% | 200 | 0.6 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 15.1%
- English as an additional language
- 29.7%
- Overall absence
- 4.84%
- Persistent absence
- 10.34%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Pokesdown Community Primary School0.3 miles
Primary · Bournemouth
-
Avonwood Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Bournemouth
-
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Bournemouth
-
Stourfield Junior School0.6 miles
Primary · Bournemouth
-
Stourfield Infant School0.6 miles
Primary · Bournemouth
Other schools in Bournemouth
St James' Church of England Primary Academy ranks 11th of the 27 ranked primary schools in Bournemouth.
- Avonwood Primary School Primary
- Bearwood Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Bethany Church of England Junior School Primary
- Christ The King Catholic Primary School Primary
- Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School Primary
- Elm Academy Primary
- Heathlands Primary Academy Primary
- Hill View Primary Academy Primary
- Jewell Academy Bournemouth Primary
- King's Park Academy Primary
- Kingsleigh Primary School Primary
- Kinson Academy Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does St James' Church of England Primary Academy teach?
- St James' Church of England Primary Academy teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Bournemouth.
- Who is the principal of St James' Church of England Primary Academy?
- The principal of St James' Church of England Primary Academy is Mr Alastair Brown, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was St James' Church of England Primary Academy last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St James' Church of England Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is St James' Church of England Primary Academy?
- St James' Church of England Primary Academy has 404 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is St James' Church of England Primary Academy full?
- St James' Church of England Primary Academy has capacity for 420 pupils and 404 on roll (96%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St James' Church of England Primary Academy a faith school?
- Yes. St James' Church of England Primary Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Winchester.
- Is St James' Church of England Primary Academy a selective school?
- No. St James' Church of England Primary Academy is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Does St James' Church of England Primary Academy have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St James' Church of England Primary Academy as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs St James' Church of England Primary Academy?
- St James' Church of England Primary Academy is part of DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have St James' Church of England Primary Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 67% in 2022/23 and 68% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does St James' Church of England Primary Academy rank locally?
- St James' Church of England Primary Academy ranked 18th of 52 primary schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 61% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 64% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is St James' Church of England Primary Academy's absence rate?
- St James' Church of England Primary Academy's overall absence rate is 4.8% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St James' Church of England Primary Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St James' Church of England Primary Academy's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 1 July 2026.