St James the Great Church of England Primary School
Primary · Academy sponsor led · Ages 2–11 · Colchester, Essex
St James the Great Church of England Primary School is a primary school in Colchester, Essex for ages 2–11 (academy sponsor led). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Standards maintained, from the inspection on 15 January 2025.
Key facts
- Address
- Guildford Road, Colchester, CO1 2RA
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 2–11
- Sector
- See recorded establishment type
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Council
- Essex
- Pupils on roll
- 438 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 21% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 26.7
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Standards maintained Inspected 15 January 2025
Strengths
- “Pupils enjoy attending school.”
- “They learn well and often find the work interesting, listening attentively and joining in with activities.”
- “Children in the early years are particularly engaged and enthused.”
To improve
- “Pupils can be a little excitable in less-structured times, such as lunchtime and breaktime.”
- “This is because there is little for them to do and because expectations for the positive behaviours pupils could demonstrate are not well established.”
- “Provisional published outcomes in 2024 were not as high as they should have been.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 27 March 2025 (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) | 48% | 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: 48 first-preference applications, 57 offers in total, 48 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
More with a 3-month pass
A one-off £9.99 pass, no subscription, unlocks for 3 months:
- Earlier years of applications and offers
- Which schools pupils move on to or come from
- Crime, sold prices, broadband and transport around the school
A last distance offered describes one past year and is not a catchment or a promise of a place. Check with the council before you apply.
Nearby primary schools
Straight-line distance, in Essex.
- St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester 0.2 mi Outstanding
- Willow Brook Primary School and Nursery 0.7 mi Good
- St John's Green Primary School 0.7 mi School remains Good
- North Primary School and Nursery 0.8 mi School remains Good
- St. George's School 0.9 mi Good
- Friars Grove Primary School 1.0 mi School remains Good
- Unity Primary Academy 1.0 mi Not judged
- Kendall Church of England Primary School 1.0 mi Not judged