St James' Church of England Primary School
Merestones Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2RS
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE DIOCESE OF GLOUCESTER ACADEMIES TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Caryn Smith
- Diocese
- Diocese of Gloucester
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust
- Constituency
- Cheltenham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 420
- Pupils on roll
- 408
- URN
- 144089
- Local authority
- Gloucestershire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01242516836
About this school
St James' Church of England Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Cheltenham. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 408 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. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
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 | 61 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 62% | 65% | 59% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 12% | 7% | 11% |
| Expected standard in reading | 80% | 80% | 79% |
| Expected standard in maths | 70% | 78% | 77% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 78% | 78% | 77% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 105.0 | 105.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.30 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -1.30 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.50 | - | - |
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 School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Gloucestershire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 62% | 58.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 65% | 56.6% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 59% | 59.1% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.3% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 417 |
| 2023/24 | 419 |
| 2024/25 | 409 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St James' Church of England Primary School compares
St James' Church of England Primary School ranked 125th of 209 primary schools in Gloucestershire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 38% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 74% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 59% | 4.4% | 7.1% | 408 | — |
| Warden Hill Primary School | 73% | 2.8% | 13.1% | 415 | 0.4 miles |
| Greatfield Park Primary School | 67% | 4.3% | 15.8% | 183 | 0.7 miles |
| Leckhampton Church of England Primary School | 81% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 630 | 0.8 miles |
| Naunton Park Primary School | 76% | 3.6% | 7% | 402 | 0.8 miles |
| Lakeside Primary School | 52% | 4.5% | 15.1% | 511 | 1.0 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)
- 7.09%
- English as an additional language
- 11.2%
- Overall absence
- 4.41%
- Persistent absence
- 8.54%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Warden Hill Primary School0.4 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
-
Greatfield Park Primary School0.7 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
-
Leckhampton Church of England Primary School0.8 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
-
Naunton Park Primary School0.8 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
-
Lakeside Primary School1.0 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
Other schools in Cheltenham
St James' Church of England Primary School ranks 25th of the 40 ranked primary schools in Cheltenham.
- Andoversford Primary School Primary
- Benhall Infant School Primary
- Bishops Cleeve Primary Academy Primary
- Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School Primary
- Charlton Kings Infants' School Primary
- Charlton Kings Junior School Primary
- Christ Church CofE Primary School Primary
- Coberley Church of England Primary School Primary
- Cold Aston Church of England Primary School Primary
- Dunalley Primary School Primary
- Gardners Lane Primary School Primary
- Glenfall Community Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does St James' Church of England Primary School teach?
- St James' Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Cheltenham.
- Who is the headteacher of St James' Church of England Primary School?
- The headteacher of St James' Church of England Primary School is Mrs Caryn Smith, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was St James' Church of England Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St James' Church of England Primary School, 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 School?
- St James' Church of England Primary School has 408 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is St James' Church of England Primary School full?
- St James' Church of England Primary School has capacity for 420 pupils and 408 on roll (97%), 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 School a faith school?
- Yes. St James' Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Gloucester.
- Does St James' Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St James' Church of England Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs St James' Church of England Primary School?
- St James' Church of England Primary School is part of THE DIOCESE OF GLOUCESTER ACADEMIES 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 School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 62% in 2022/23 and 59% 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 School rank locally?
- St James' Church of England Primary School ranked 125th of 209 primary schools in Gloucestershire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 38% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 74% 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 School's absence rate?
- St James' Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 4.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St James' Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St James' Church of England Primary School'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 10 July 2026.