St James CofE Primary School

Sandwell · B69 1BG

General information Primary School · 3-11 years Who goes here 449 pupils, 48.6% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted report card

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 18.7% on SEN support Behaviour 6.2% absence rate Staff 13.2% turnover Financials £7,448 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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St James CofE Primary School

General Information

Address: Wolverley Crescent, Oldbury, B69 1BG – View on map
Phone: 01215525491
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mr Daniel Heather
Age range: 3-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 62 families put it first for 60 places – 10 for every 10 places. 94% of them were offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 11 · 2024 10 · 2025 9 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

449 pupils out of 500 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 204
% eligible for free school meals: 48.6%
Pupil mix: 8 in 10 (similar to the Sandwell average)
English as an additional language: 29% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 13.2% a year (Sandwell 14%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 71% moved to another school, 29% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Sandwell: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 6 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 4 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Sandwell, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 6.2%
Persistently absent pupils: 20.2%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 18.7%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 3.3%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Moderate learning difficulty: 41 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 26 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 13 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 3 pupils
Hearing impairment: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Moderate learning difficulty: 4 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 4 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 3 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 2 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Ofsted report card May 2026

Ofsted's new report cards grade each part of school life separately, instead of giving one overall word.

Safeguarding Met
Inclusion Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard
Early years Expected standard
Leadership and governance Expected standard

Before this, under the old system, Ofsted rated the school Good (2022). The report card above replaces that grade.

How Ofsted report cards work

Since November 2025, Ofsted grades each area of a school on its own five-point scale, and no longer gives a single word like “Good” or “Outstanding”. Safeguarding (keeping children safe) is simply met or not met.

Exceptional The very best practice nationally
Strong standard Above what Ofsted expects
Expected standard What Ofsted expects of every school
Needs attention Some weaknesses the school needs to fix
Urgent improvement Serious weaknesses needing urgent action

“Expected standard” is a sound result – it's what Ofsted expects a good school to do. Report cards aren't directly comparable with the old single grades, which is why we don't turn them into one.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 59% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 12% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: in line with the Sandwell average (61%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (3-year average 55% against an expected 53%)
3-year average (expected standard): 55%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 64% · Writing 83% · Maths 72% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 74%
Average test scores: reading 104, maths 105
Based on: 58 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolSandwell averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was in line with the Sandwell average (61%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 51st of 84 junior and primary schools in the area

=48Wood Green Junior School60%
=51Sacred Heart Primary School59%
=51St James CofE Primary School59%
=51Tividale Hall Primary School59%
=54Causeway Green Primary School58%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Timbertree Academy86%
=2Corngreaves Academy83%
=2Grove Vale Primary School83%
=2St John Bosco Catholic Primary School83%
#5Langley Primary School81%
=6George Betts Primary Academy80%
=6Grace Mary Primary School80%
#8Moat Farm Junior School78%
=9Ocker Hill Academy77%
=9Ryders Green Primary School77%
=11Shireland Technology Primary75%
=11Tameside Primary Academy75%
=13Abbey Junior School74%
=13Whitecrest Primary School74%
=15Brandhall Primary School73%
=15Springfield Primary School73%
=15St John's Church of England Primary Academy73%
#18Old Hill Primary School72%
=19Devonshire Junior Academy71%
=19Galton Valley Primary School71%
=19St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School71%
=19St Matthew's CofE Primary School71%
=23Joseph Turner Primary School70%
=23King George V Primary School70%
=25Shireland Hall Primary Academy69%
=25St Pauls Church of England Academy69%
=27Oakham Primary School68%
=27Old Park Primary School68%
=29Great Bridge Primary School67%
=29Hamstead Primary School67%
=29Jubilee Park Academy67%
=32Ferndale Primary School66%
=32Hargate Primary School66%
=32Wednesbury Oak Academy66%
#35Crocketts Community Primary School65%
=36Bearwood Primary School64%
=36Holy Trinity CofE Primary School64%
=38Blackheath Primary School63%
=38Harvills Hawthorn Primary School63%
=38Lightwoods Primary Academy63%
=38Lyng Primary School63%
=38The Priory Primary School63%
=43All Saints CofE Primary School62%
=43Annie Lennard Primary School62%
=43Perryfields Primary School62%
=43Tividale Community Primary School62%
#47Lodge Primary School61%
=48Burnt Tree Primary School60%
=48Holyhead Primary Academy60%
=48Wood Green Junior School60%
=51Sacred Heart Primary School59%
=51St James CofE Primary School59%
=51Tividale Hall Primary School59%
=54Causeway Green Primary School58%
=54Highfields Primary School58%
=54Victoria Park Primary58%
=57Hateley Heath Academy57%
=57St Gregory's Catholic Primary School57%
=57Tipton Green Junior School57%
=60Moorlands Primary School55%
=60Uplands Manor Primary School and Nursery55%
#62Eaton Valley Primary School54%
=63Hall Green Primary School53%
=63Park Hill Primary School53%
=65Pennyhill Primary School52%
=65St Martin's CofE Primary School52%
=65St Mary's Catholic Primary School52%
#68Rounds Green Primary School51%
=69Hanbury Primary School50%
=69Our Lady and St Hubert's Catholic Primary School50%
=69Rood End Primary School50%
=69St Philip's Catholic Primary School50%
=69Summerhill Primary Academy50%
=69Yew Tree Primary School50%
=75Bleakhouse Primary School48%
=75Newtown Primary School48%
=75St Margaret's CofE Primary School48%
=78Brickhouse Primary School47%
=78Cape Primary School47%
=80Glebefields Primary School46%
=80Mesty Croft Primary46%
#82Reddal Hill Primary School43%
#83St Mary Magdalene CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School42%
#84Temple Meadow Primary School41%

View full Ofsted inspection report

Financials

Spending per pupil: £7,448 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

16th of 71 primary schools in Sandwell for spending per pupil

#14St Pauls Church of England Academy£7,646
#15The Priory Primary School£7,486
#16St James CofE Primary School£7,448
#17Langley Primary School£7,418
#18Cape Primary School£7,414

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1St John Bosco Catholic Primary School£9,659
#2Grace Mary Primary School£9,435
#3Newtown Primary School£8,821
#4Hargate Primary School£8,606
#5Brickhouse Primary School£8,285
#6St John's Church of England Primary Academy£8,183
#7Galton Valley Primary School£8,176
#8Uplands Manor Primary School and Nursery£7,909
#9Glebefields Primary School£7,780
#10Annie Lennard Primary School£7,749
#11Summerhill Primary Academy£7,746
#12St Philip's Catholic Primary School£7,737
#13Rood End Primary School£7,692
#14St Pauls Church of England Academy£7,646
#15The Priory Primary School£7,486
#16St James CofE Primary School£7,448
#17Langley Primary School£7,418
#18Cape Primary School£7,414
#19Holyhead Primary Academy£7,409
#20Brandhall Primary School£7,396
#21Reddal Hill Primary School£7,339
#22St Mary's Catholic Primary School£7,302
#23Causeway Green Primary School£7,283
#24Park Hill Primary School£7,271
#25Shireland Hall Primary Academy£7,262
#26Joseph Turner Primary School£7,246
#27Old Hill Primary School£7,227
#28Tameside Primary Academy£7,196
#29Jubilee Park Academy£7,180
#30Hall Green Primary School£7,172
#31George Betts Primary Academy£7,166
#32Eaton Valley Primary School£7,163
#33Corngreaves Academy£7,163
#34St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School£7,141
#35Springfield Primary School£7,100
#36Yew Tree Primary School£7,079
#37Lodge Primary School£7,077
#38Perryfields Primary School£7,075
#39King George V Primary School£7,020
#40Timbertree Academy£7,014
#41Blackheath Primary School£6,997
#42Burnt Tree Primary School£6,988
#43Grove Vale Primary School£6,973
#44Harvills Hawthorn Primary School£6,939
#45Bearwood Primary School£6,937
#46Bleakhouse Primary School£6,920
#47Rounds Green Primary School£6,885
#48Lightwoods Primary Academy£6,879
#49St Mary Magdalene CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School£6,856
#50St Martin's CofE Primary School£6,840
#51Old Park Primary School£6,808
#52Whitecrest Primary School£6,718
#53Wednesbury Oak Academy£6,667
#54St Gregory's Catholic Primary School£6,653
#55Holy Trinity CofE Primary School£6,652
#56Oakham Primary School£6,632
#57Sacred Heart Primary School£6,591
#58All Saints CofE Primary School£6,575
#59Victoria Park Primary£6,553
#60Tividale Community Primary School£6,520
#61Temple Meadow Primary School£6,465
#62Shireland Technology Primary£6,429
#63St Margaret's CofE Primary School£6,380
#64Ferndale Primary School£6,378
#65Tividale Hall Primary School£6,266
#66Our Lady and St Hubert's Catholic Primary School£6,261
#67Mesty Croft Primary£6,259
#68Pennyhill Primary School£6,253
#69Highfields Primary School£6,187
#70Hateley Heath Academy£6,071
#71Rowley Hall Primary School£4,027

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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