School Chooser

St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic207 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubHydeTameside
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredThere isn't enough published data yet. To get a score, a school needs results or an inspection plus at least one other figure.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, June 2021
Reached the expected level at 1155%England 63%
Attendance93.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families46%Far more than most schools
Places3 spare207 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher17.6School workforce census

St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy is a converter academy in Hyde for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 207 pupils and room for 210. About 46 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2021.

Cheriton Close, Off Underwood Road, Hattersley, Hyde, SK14 3DQ0161 368 3455st-james-hyde.tameside.sch.ukMr Mark Woolley headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 24 June 2021 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

This inspection is more than 5 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

22 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. These are the results of St James Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced.

Reached the expected level at 1155%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 63%63%20172018: 40%40%20182019: 63%63%20192023: 43%43%20232024: 54%54%20242025: 55%55%2025
Since 2017: -8%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025†2024†2023†2019†2018†2017†TamesideEngland
Pupils tested222621242524
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths55%54%43%63%40%63%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%4%4%0%4%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0103.0100.0101.0101.0104.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0101.0102.0104.0100.0102.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0104.0103.0104.0101.0103.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard73%73%48%67%52%75%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard68%73%76%71%48%71%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)64%77%71%79%64%83%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.4-2.2-0.1+2.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.5+0.1-0.5+0.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged47%57%45%36%46%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged71%50%40%85%82%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for St James Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
47%71%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
29%67%
Gap 38 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (29 offers for 30 places). 28 families put it down as their first choice and 27 of them got in (96%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3028402996%all offeredLA
2025 Primary30202720100%all offeredLA
2024 Primary30162917100%all offeredLA
2023 Primary30162719100%all offeredLA
2022 Primary30183118100%all offeredLA
2021 Primary30284229100%all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll207Census January 2026
Places21099% full
Pupils from low-income families44%46% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English22%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support45%93 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.17 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)47%£131,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls110 / 97
White British pupils68%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (46), emotional and mental health (24), Moderate learning difficulty (9), Specific learning difficulty (5), Vision impairment (4), Hearing impairment (3).

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school15.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Missed without permission2.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/25†2023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.5%5.9%5.3%6.0%3.5%5.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.7%3.1%3.2%3.9%1.7%2.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.8%2.8%2.1%2.1%1.8%3.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence15.4%16.2%6.8%18.1%7.8%13.0%12.8%

† These attendance figures are for St James Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers11.5full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher17.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,410
Vacancies0

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£9,330England £7,738. Total £1.8m
Income per pupil£8,896England £7,697. Total £1.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,982England £3,480
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £61k, £313 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£84kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£9,330spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m212 months to June 2026, mostly theft from the person
Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£215,000Tameside
Nearest bus stop90 mCamborne Road, 19 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Pinfold Primary SchoolAcademy430 m376Good 2023Compare
Discovery AcademyAcademy760 m211Good 202441Compare
Arundale Primary SchoolAcademy780 m203Good 2023Compare
Broadbottom Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 milesGood 2023Compare
Mottram CofE Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 milesGood 2022Compare
Godley Community Primary AcademyAcademy1.4 miles248Good 202358Compare
Stalyhill Infant SchoolCouncil1.5 miles141Good 202249Compare
Endeavour Primary AcademyAcademy1.5 miles227Good 202241Compare

Questions parents ask

Is St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy a good school?

St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in June 2021.

What is St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy good at its last full inspection on 24 June 2021. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 55% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have?

207 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 99% full.

What is attendance like at St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 15% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy?

The average class had 26.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does St James Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Cheriton Close, Off Underwood Road, Hattersley, Hyde, SK14 3DQ
Telephone
0161 368 3455
Website
www.st-james-hyde.tameside.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Mark Woolley
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Shrewsbury
Multi-academy trust
Corpus Christi Catholic Academy Trust (15 schools)
Local authority
Tameside
Ward
Longdendale
Constituency
Stalybridge and Hyde
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2025 (academy converter)
URN
152037 · LAESTAB 3573305 · UKPRN 10098502
Formerly
St James Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from