SchoolScoresSt James' CofE Infant and Nursery School
Voluntary controlled school · Primary, ages 3 to 7 · Mixed · Church of England · Nursery class
High Street, Whitehaven, CA28 7PZ
01946 691970 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 11 March 2014.
This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good |
| Outcomes for pupils | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 27 March 2024: Ofsted found the school was still Good and may be improving, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
36 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 1 January 2024 and 6 January 2025.
Whitehaven comparisons use the 10 of its 14 state primary schools with comparable results. The other 4 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Whitehaven | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school Joint 1st highest of 10 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Whitehaven. Higher than 82% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 100% | 93% | 88% |
| My child feels safe at this school Joint 1st highest of 10 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Whitehaven. Higher than 80% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 100% | 93% | 90% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved Joint 4th highest of 10 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Whitehaven. Higher than 78% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 97% | 88% | 84% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 20 parents who had raised a concern Joint 1st highest of 8 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Whitehaven. Higher than 95% of 8,398 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 100% | 79% | 76% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent Joint 1st highest of 10 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Whitehaven. Higher than 90% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 100%said yes | 87% | 84% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families. Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Whitehaven figures pool parents at the Whitehaven schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
No test or exam results have been published for this school yet.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Cumberland. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were about one first-choice application for every place.
| Places offered | 27 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 27 |
| Of those, offered a place | 27 (100%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 60 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 0.9 · 2025: 1.0 · 2026: 1.0
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
This is a Church of England school, but as a voluntary controlled school its admissions are set by the council, which usually doesn't prioritise by faith. Check the council's admissions criteria.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 11th highest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Higher than 28% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 13.3% | 22.8%* | 26.3% |
| With an education, health and care plan 5th highest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Higher than 85% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 5.6% | 4.3%* | 3.5% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 13th highest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Higher than 2% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 4.8% | 13.3%* | 15.0% |
| English as an additional language 1st highest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Higher than 54% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 11.2% | 6.5%* | 23.4% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 3rd lowest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Lower than 86% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 3.8% | 4.8%* | 5.2% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 2nd lowest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Lower than 97% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 2.7% | 10.3%* | 13.0% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils Joint 1st lowest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Lower than 69% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 0.0 | 1.6 | 2.5 |
| Pupils suspended at least once Joint 1st lowest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Lower than 69% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 0.0% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.03% |
| Pupils per teacher 5th highest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Higher than 45% of 16,642 state primary schools in England. | 20.2 | 19.0 | 20.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) Joint 10th highest of 14 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Higher than 11% of 16,653 state primary schools in England. | 8.1 | 9.6 | 10.6 |
| Teachers who left during the year Joint 8th highest of 13 state primary schools in Whitehaven. Higher than 0% of 15,063 state primary schools in England. | 0.0% | 13.4%* | 14.4%* |
Comparisons are with primary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby primary schools
- St James' CofE Junior School 0.1 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 1 strong, 5 expected · 74% met expected standard (KS2)
- St Begh's Catholic Junior School 0.5 miles · Ofsted: Good (2018), confirmed 2023 · 47% met expected standard (KS2)
- Bransty Primary School 0.6 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023) · 44% met expected standard (KS2)
- Monkwray Junior School 0.9 miles · Ofsted: Good (2013), confirmed 2023 · 41% met expected standard (KS2)
- Jericho Primary School 0.9 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023) · 89% met expected standard (KS2)
- St Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant School 1.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2024)
- Kells Infant School 1.2 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2024)
- Hensingham Primary School 1.2 miles · Ofsted: Good (2024) · 50% met expected standard (KS2)
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School 1.3 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 76% met expected standard (KS2)
- St Bridget's CofE School 1.3 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 1 strong, 6 expected · 36% met expected standard (KS2)
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 11 March 2014. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 27 March 2024, Ofsted found the school was still Good and may be improving, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Would parents recommend St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School?
100% of the 36 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 1 January 2024 and 6 January 2025 said they would recommend St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 27 families put St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School as their first choice for 27 places: about one first-choice application for every place. 27 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 112297.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 1 January 2024 to 6 January 2025.
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Page updated 26 September 2026.