School Chooser

St James CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England188 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubEnfield
School Chooser Score
65
Above
similar schools
Likely range 39 to 84, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, May 2025
Reached the expected level at 1163%England 63%
Attendance94.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families47%Far more than most schools
Places22 spare188 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher18.3School workforce census

St James CofE Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Enfield for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 188 pupils and room for 210. About 47 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 65 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Frederick Crescent, Enfield, EN3 7HH020 8804 1987stjamesenfield.org.ukMrs Michelle Sheehan headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 13 May 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

24 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1163%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
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: 86%86%20172018: 89%89%20182019: 83%83%20192023: 56%56%20232024: 83%83%20242025: 63%63%2025
Since 2017: -23%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017EnfieldEngland
Pupils tested242425292829
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths63%83%56%83%89%86%70%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%8%8%17%18%7%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0107.0104.0107.0109.0105.0106.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0107.0106.0108.0109.0109.0105.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0108.0106.0110.0112.0109.0106.7105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%92%80%97%96%93%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard79%96%92%86%93%86%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%83%68%83%89%86%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.1+2.7+1.4+0.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.1+2.1+0.9+2.7
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged54%82%55%75%90%91%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged73%85%57%88%89%83%

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.

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. 3 of the 4 gaps are 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
54%73%
Gap 19 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%75%
Gap 25 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
62%63%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
8%4%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 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 Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places176 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
84% full

34 places were empty (16% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Enfield council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll188Census January 2026
Places21090% full
Pupils from low-income families45%47% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English84%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%33 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.58 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils25%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)49%£131,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls102 / 86
White British pupils5%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 19.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (20), emotional and mental health (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Multi-sensory impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll188173185190174188
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals45%47%44%41%34%28%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language84%86%34%32%34%30%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%25%8%9%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%4%5%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school16.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.4%5.9%6.6%7.3%4.3%4.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.7%4.3%5.3%3.3%3.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.4%2.2%2.4%2.0%1.1%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence16.6%14.9%22.7%23.4%9.5%10.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.70.04.70.01.1
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers10.0full-time equivalent, 13 people
Pupils per teacher18.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£59,831
Teachers who left in the year18%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher15.82024/25

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£8,914England £7,738. Total £1.5m
Income per pupil£9,247England £7,697. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,994England £3,480
Money in reserve-4%In the red: -£64k, -£369 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£58kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,914spent 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 m76712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate124 per 1,000 people37% higher than the England average
Typical house price£475,000Enfield
Nearest bus stop60 mAshley Road (EN3), 12 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
Kingfisher Hall Primary AcademyFree school630 m440No overall grade 202580Compare
Suffolks Primary SchoolCouncil640 m182Good 202320Compare
Enfield Heights AcademyFree school690 m200Good 202392Compare
Brimsdown Primary SchoolAcademy790 m451Good 202337Compare
Carterhatch Infant SchoolCouncil800 m292Good 202315Compare
Carterhatch Junior SchoolAcademy800 m317Not inspected85Compare
Southbury Primary SchoolCouncil880 m350Good 202365Compare
Eastfield Primary SchoolAcademy0.6 miles417Good 202284Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St James CofE Primary School with the 45 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats71%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 65 is 28 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 38 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 45 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St James CofE Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
William Davis Primary SchoolCouncil9.3 miles151No overall grade 202589Compare
Edith Neville Primary SchoolCouncil9.4 miles211Outstanding 202387Compare
Bygrove Primary SchoolAcademy10.1 miles247Outstanding 202392Compare
St Luke's Primary SchoolChurch of England/Christian10.3 miles208Good 201988Compare
Essendine Primary SchoolCouncil11.0 miles237Good 202389Compare
St Mary's Lewisham Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England14.1 miles231Report card 202678Compare
Iqra Primary SchoolMuslim14.5 miles235Outstanding 202499Compare
The Orchard SchoolMuslim15.1 miles207Not inspected84Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 65 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 65% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 39 to 84. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.00
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 24 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.09
Ofsted grade, 1.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.05
DfE progress measure; 24 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.04
2024/25; 175 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 24 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is St James CofE Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St James CofE Primary School scores 65 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 39 to 84, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St James CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St James CofE Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 13 May 2025.

How good are St James CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 63% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St James CofE Primary School have?

188 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 90% full.

Is St James CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 34 places were empty in 2024/25 (16% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St James CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St James CofE Primary School?

The average class had 23.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 25% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does St James CofE Primary School 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
Frederick Crescent, Enfield, EN3 7HH
Telephone
020 8804 1987
Website
www.stjamesenfield.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Michelle Sheehan
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
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of London
Local authority
Enfield
Ward
Brimsdown
Constituency
Enfield North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
102033 · LAESTAB 3083311 · UKPRN 10074705

Where these figures come from