St James Church of England First School
Gaunts Common, Wimborne, BH21 4JN
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DIOCESE OF SALISBURY ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Daniel Lawford
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salisbury
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Salisbury
- Constituency
- Mid Dorset and North Poole
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 125
- Pupils on roll
- 134
- URN
- 148300
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01258840669
About this school
St James Church of England First School is a Church of England primary academy in Wimborne. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 134 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected St James Church of England First School, and its latest judgement is set out 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
Ofsted did not give an overall grade. Between September 2024 and September 2025 inspections graded each area of a school's work without a single overall judgement, ahead of the move to report cards. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How St James Church of England First 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 | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.2% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 117 |
| 2023/24 | 102 |
| 2024/25 | 138 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St James Church of England First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 66% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 4.8% | 6.3% | 134 | — |
| Witchampton Church of England First School | — | 2.9% | 0% | 45 | 2.3 miles |
| Colehill First School | — | 3.6% | 8.8% | 148 | 2.6 miles |
| Hayeswood First School | — | 3.8% | 7.8% | 148 | 2.9 miles |
| Wimborne First School and Nursery | — | 4.3% | 12.6% | 400 | 3.1 miles |
| St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne | — | 6.5% | 24.1% | 148 | 3.2 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)
- 6.25%
- English as an additional language
- 2.9%
- Overall absence
- 4.79%
- Persistent absence
- 12.22%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Witchampton Church of England First School2.3 miles
Primary · Wimborne
-
Colehill First School2.6 miles
Primary · Wimborne
-
Hayeswood First School2.9 miles
Primary · Wimborne
-
Wimborne First School and Nursery3.1 miles
Primary · Wimborne
-
St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne3.2 miles
Primary · Wimborne
Other schools in Wimborne
- Colehill First School Primary
- Cranborne Church of England First School Primary
- Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School Primary
- Hayeswood First School Primary
- Henbury View First School Primary
- Merley First School Primary
- Pamphill Church of England First School Primary
- Rushcombe First School Primary
- St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne Primary
- Sturminster Marshall First School Primary
- Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School Primary
- Wimborne First School and Nursery Primary
Common questions
- What ages does St James Church of England First School teach?
- St James Church of England First School teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Wimborne.
- Who is the headteacher of St James Church of England First School?
- The headteacher of St James Church of England First School is Mr Daniel Lawford, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St James Church of England First School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St James Church of England First 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 many pupils are at St James Church of England First School?
- St James Church of England First School has 134 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is St James Church of England First School full?
- St James Church of England First School has capacity for 125 pupils and 134 on roll (107%), so it is at or above its published capacity. 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 First School a faith school?
- Yes. St James Church of England First School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Salisbury.
- Does St James Church of England First School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records St James Church of England First School as having nursery classes.
- Is St James Church of England First School part of an academy trust?
- St James Church of England First School is part of DIOCESE OF SALISBURY ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is St James Church of England First School's absence rate?
- St James Church of England First School's overall absence rate is 4.8% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does St James Church of England First School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for St James Church of England First School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
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.