St James' CofE Academy
Performance (KS2 SATs)
Three-year trends
Last three years of DfE data. How to read trends
Getting a place
Red dashed line = one first choice per place. How to read this
The cut-off distance is how far the last child offered a place lived, not a catchment boundary: it moves every year with the number of applicants. Published by the council in its 2026 allocation figures, and checked against that document before we show it.
Application figures: DfE, school level applications and offers (2026 intake).
School profile
- Age range
- 5–11
- Pupils on roll
- 192
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
Pupil background
Special educational needs
Attendance
Staffing & funding
“Typical” = the median primary school in England. What this means
Nearby primary schools
Location
Official sources
About St James' CofE Academy
St James' CofE Academy is a primary school in Bedford, classified by the DfE as a converter academy with a Church of England religious character. Around 192 pupils aged 5 to 11 attend the school. In the most recent Key Stage 2 SATs, 54% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — below the national average of 61%. That marks an improvement of 2.0 percentage points in the proportion reaching the expected standard on the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it around the middle of primary schools nationally.
Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 105 in reading and 103 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 11% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). 96% of the families who made St James' CofE Academy their first choice were offered a Reception place for September 2026, even though the school made at least as many offers as it had first choices - the rest withdrew, moved or fell outside a priority group. The council's own allocation figures show the last child offered a place for 2026 lived 1.32 miles away in a straight line — that distance is not a fixed catchment and moves each year. Overall pupil absence was 4.6%. There are about 19.0 pupils per teacher. St James' CofE Academy does not currently have a recent graded Ofsted judgement on record (often the case for newer or recently converted schools), so it is worth asking when its next inspection is expected. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.