St James CofE Primary School, Enfield Review 2026: Faith-led primary with improving outcomes and strong personal development

A small, one-form entry Church of England primary in Ponders End, this school leans hard into values, belonging, and character, then backs it up with results that are comfortably above England averages at Key Stage 2. The leadership model is split between an executive headteacher and a head of school, a structure introduced when the school joined a federation in September 2024.

The most recent inspection snapshot is encouraging: teaching and leadership were graded Good, with Personal Development graded Outstanding, and early years provision graded Good.

This is a school that wants pupils to know, and use, the language of values. The website sets out half-termly values (with kindness and respect positioned as the two anchors), and the inspection report describes pupils being able to explain those values and apply them in day-to-day school life.

Relationships matter here. The inspection report describes a calm, positive culture where pupils look after each other and behaviour supports learning. It also highlights formal pupil roles such as reading buddies, eco-warriors, and school council membership, which gives pupils practical responsibility rather than a token voice.

Pastoral support is unusually prominent for a mainstream primary of this size. The school states it uses a resident play therapist and also references art-therapy support, signalling a preference for early emotional support rather than waiting for issues to escalate.

Key Stage 2 outcomes (the most recent published dataset in this profile) are strong. In Year 6, 90.33% reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 19.67% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%. Reading and maths scaled scores are both 107, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 108, all comfortably above typical national benchmarks.

In the FindMySchool rankings (based on official data), the school is ranked 2,666th in England and 24th in Enfield for primary outcomes. That places it above the England average, within the top 25% of schools in England.

What this means in practical terms is that it is not only getting most pupils over the expected standard line, it also has a meaningful group achieving greater depth, which usually points to clear sequencing, tight assessment, and consistent teaching routines.

The inspection evidence is specific about curriculum direction. Since the previous inspection cycle, curriculum work has been rebuilt to clarify the knowledge and skills pupils should learn in each subject, and teaching is strongest where subjects are fully embedded.

Reading looks like a priority area. The inspection report notes recent changes to phonics teaching after weaker phonics outcomes, with staff training, consistency of delivery, and close matching of early reading books to the sounds pupils know. That combination typically improves confidence quickly for pupils who need extra practice, and reduces the risk of children masking gaps by guessing.

As a state primary, most pupils will transfer into the Enfield secondary system at Year 7. The school’s admissions information references the borough’s secondary transfer process and timings, which is helpful for families wanting a clear run-up to Year 6 decisions.

For parents planning ahead, it is worth mapping likely secondary options early and then revisiting in Year 5, because the balance between distance, sibling priority, and faith criteria can change from year to year across local schools. FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful here for sense-checking travel practicalities alongside family priorities.

Reception admissions sit inside the London Borough of Enfield co-ordinated process, with the on-time application deadline set as 15 January 2026 for September 2026 entry.

The school also indicates that families may need to complete additional school paperwork alongside the borough application, which is common for voluntary aided faith schools where supplementary information can be used to apply faith criteria fairly.

Demand is meaningful even at this small scale. In the most recent published admissions dataset in this profile, there were 25 applications for 11 offers for the Reception entry route, a ratio of 2.27 applications per place, and the school is classed as oversubscribed. With no “last distance offered” figure available here, parents should treat proximity as relevant but not rely on a specific historical cutoff.

Open days are referenced on the school website and appear to run in autumn. For September 2026 entry, the listed open events were in October and November 2025, so families should check the current year’s schedule directly with the school.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the most recent inspection report, and the wider culture supports that: adults know pupils well, behaviour is positive, and pupils are clear about expectations.

Support for pupils with additional needs is also positioned as a strength, both in the church-school inspection evidence and in the Ofsted narrative. That alignment matters, because it suggests inclusion is part of the mainstream classroom model rather than an add-on.

Trips and enrichment are used deliberately to deepen learning. The inspection report gives concrete examples, including a Year 2 visit to the National Portrait Gallery to study portraits and sculpture, and participation in sporting and multi-skills events, including a mini London Marathon event.

Pupil leadership roles are a second strand of enrichment. Reading buddies and eco-warriors are not just “nice extras”, they are mechanisms for older pupils to practise responsibility and for younger pupils to feel known and supported.

The school day starts at 8:45. Finish time is 3:15 for Reception and Key Stage 1, and 3:20 for Key Stage 2.

Wraparound is available. Breakfast club runs from 7:45 to 8:30 and is priced at £2.75 per child per day, and after-school care is run on site by an external provider from 3:15 to 5:45.

• Small-school dynamics. One-form entry can feel close-knit and consistent, but it also means fewer friendship “lanes” in each year group. For some children that is reassuring, for others it can feel socially narrow.

• Curriculum consistency across subjects. The inspection report is clear that some subjects are still embedding improvements, and pupils’ learning is less secure where curriculum work is newer. This matters most for families who want uniform strength across every subject, not just the core.

• Admissions complexity. As a voluntary aided Church of England school, admissions may involve extra school forms as well as the borough application, so families need to be organised and deadline-driven.

• Wraparound is mixed-delivery. Breakfast provision is school-run, but after-school care is delivered by an external provider on site, so expectations and booking processes may differ.

This is a values-led primary that has built a calmer culture and stronger outcomes, with the current inspection profile pointing to solid teaching and particularly strong personal development. It suits families who want a small, community-focused school with clear expectations, structured learning, and visible pastoral support. The main trade-off is that demand can outstrip places, and some curriculum areas are still bedding in after recent changes.