Voluntary aided school · Lancashire

Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School

3–11Ages
229Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
119467URN

Devonport Way, Chorley, PR6 0TE · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Jun 2023 Previous framework

Outstanding

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

3.2per place

0.6 above Lancashire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Lancashire

92 applications for 29 places · 73rd of 366 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

58%met the expected standard

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Outstanding · 13 June 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education	Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management	Outstanding
Early years provision	Outstanding

Inspection history

13 June 2023
Graded inspection: Outstanding
15 January 2020
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Improving)

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

3.2applications per place, Reception

0.6 above Lancashire median (2.6) 1.0 above England median (2.2)

92 applications · 29 places offered · 35 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 3.2; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 3.1; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 3.3; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 3.5; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 3.8; Lancashire median median 2.7
2019 3.4; Lancashire median median 2.6
2018 3.4; Lancashire median median 2.7
2017 3.8; Lancashire median median 2.5
2016 3.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2015 3.9; Lancashire median median 2.5
2014 3.0; Lancashire median median 2.4

More applications per place than the Lancashire median in 13 of 13 years.

This school
Lancashire median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	29	92	3.2	35	1.21
Sep 2025	29	90	3.1	31	1.07
Sep 2024	30	99	3.3	34	1.13
Sep 2023	30	88	2.9	35	1.17
Sep 2022	30	84	2.8	31	1.03
Sep 2021	30	106	3.5	42	1.40
Sep 2020	30	113	3.8	34	1.13
Sep 2019	30	102	3.4	26	0.87
Sep 2018	30	101	3.4	30	1.00
Sep 2017	30	113	3.8	38	1.27
Sep 2016	30	114	3.8	32	1.07
Sep 2015	30	118	3.9	57	1.90
Sep 2014	30	91	3.0	40	1.33

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 68% · Writing 65% · Maths 74% → all three 58% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard58%270th of 444 in Lancashire

Lancashire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard68%

Lancashire 77% England 78%

Higher standard19%

Lancashire 30% England 33%

Average scaled score 102 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard65%

Lancashire 74% England 75%

Greater depth10%

Lancashire 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard74%

Lancashire 76% England 77%

Higher standard19%

Lancashire 22% England 24%

Average scaled score 102 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Lancashire median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	58%	6%	102	102
2023/24	70%	7%	106	104
2022/23	52%	3%	103	103

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Chorley St James' Church of England Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Outstanding2023

3.2applications per place 58%met the SATs standard
Highfield Community Primary School
0.4 km · Lancashire

Good2019

2.8applications per place 64%met the SATs standard
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Chorley
0.5 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2023

2.5applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
St Peter's CofE Primary School Chorley
0.9 km · Lancashire

Good2022

2.4applications per place 62%met the SATs standard
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Chorley
1.1 km · Lancashire

Good2023

2.6applications per place 74%met the SATs standard
Duke Street Primary School
1.2 km · Lancashire

Good2022

2.4applications per place 38%met the SATs standard
Chorley, the Parish of St Laurence Church of England Primary School
1.2 km · Lancashire

Standards maintained2025

2.2applications per place 71%met the SATs standard
St George's Church of England Primary School, Chorley
1.2 km · Lancashire

Outstanding2023

2.5applications per place 87%met the SATs standard
St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Chorley
1.9 km · Lancashire

Remains Good2024

3.7applications per place 38%met the SATs standard

School details

Type: Voluntary aided school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 119467 · 888/3397
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 180 pupils · 229 on roll
Free school meals: 14.1% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Address: Devonport Way, Chorley, PR6 0TE
Local authority: Lancashire · Chorley

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources