St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School
Primary · Academy converter · Ages 3–11 · Thornton Heath, Croydon
Last distance offered · Reception 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Croydon Council · offers on 16 April 2026
2018–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School is a primary school in Thornton Heath, Croydon for ages 3–11 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Outstanding, from the inspection on 1 November 2023. Croydon has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2018 to 2026 entry.
St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Reception 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Reception 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2024 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2023 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2022 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2021 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2020 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Reception 2019 | 🔒 With a pass |
And 1 earlier figure.
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- In 2026, Reception had 69 first-choice applications for 59 offers; 57 offers went to first-choice families and 12 first-choice families were not offered a place.
- That was 1.2 first choices per offer, the 13th highest of 78 Croydon primary schools.
- In 2024/25, 71% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), but 7% reached the higher standard (England 8%).
- The school has 25.9 pupils per teacher; the middle figure across the 8 nearest primary schools in Croydon is 22.1.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Croydon schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- St. James the Great School, Windsor Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 8HJ
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3–11
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Council
- Croydon
- Pupils on roll
- 447 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 19.9% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 25.9
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Outstanding Inspected 1 November 2023
Strengths
- “The school is ambitious in its expectations for all pupils to achieve well.”
- “Leaders make informed curriculum choices to ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils.”
- “Leaders provide a curriculum which prepares pupils for the next steps in their education.”
To improve
- “Pupils’ outcomes for writing have been low.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 6 December 2023 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| Key stage 2 · reading, writing and maths, expected standard (2024/25) | 71% | 62% |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 69 first-preference applications, 59 offers in total, 57 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby primary schools
Straight-line distance, in Croydon.
- Beulah Junior School 0.3 mi Requires improvement
- Beulah Infants' School 0.3 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- St Cyprian's Greek Orthodox Primary Academy 0.3 mi Requires improvement Last distance published
- David Livingstone Academy 0.4 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Kensington Avenue Primary School 0.4 mi Requires improvement Last distance published
- Winterbourne Boys' Academy 0.6 mi School remains Good
- Winterbourne Junior Girls' School 0.6 mi Good
- Winterbourne Nursery and Infants' School 0.6 mi Good Last distance published