St James the Great Church of England Primary School Catchment Area
St James the Great Church of England Primary School is an academy sponsor led primary school in Colchester, Essex , serving pupils aged 2-11, with 456 pupils, and a capacity of 420 places. The school is currently at or above capacity, making catchment area proximity important for admissions.
2-11
Age range
456
Pupils
420
Capacity
109%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2019
St James the Great Church of England Primary School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for St James the Great Church of England Primary School?
The catchment area for St James the Great Church of England Primary School is the geographic zone Essex uses to prioritise admissions when this primary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Essex publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Admission to St James the Great Church of England Primary School is managed by Essex and typically includes both faith criteria and catchment area proximity. The weighting given to each criterion depends on the school's published oversubscription policy, which is reviewed annually.
Not getting a place? Learn how to appeal a school place →
Want the cut-off distance before you apply? Get an alert when Essex publishes the 2027 St James the Great Church of England Primary School numbers →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Essex before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Essex catchment area documents →St James the Great Church of England Primary School: at or above its 420 place limit
St James the Great Church of England Primary School has a published admission number of 420 places. 456 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 109%. The school is at or above its published limit of 420 places. Essex allocates places using ranked criteria: looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment distance. The last-distance figure is likely to remain tight if demand holds at this level.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 23.6% of pupils at St James the Great Church of England Primary School are eligible for free school meals, broadly in line with the national average. This reflects a mixed catchment population across Essex.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Essex publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Essex Council school admissions (official) →
St James the Great Church of England Primary School: School Information
- Full address
- Guildford Road, Colchester, CO1 2RA
- Local authority
- Essex
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase of education
- Primary
- Age range
- 2-11 years
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Free school meals
- 23.6% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 143516
Other Primary Schools in Colchester
If St James the Great Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, these primary schools in Colchester are the next closest alternatives.
St. George's School Catchment Area
Community school · CO2 7RU
Hamilton Primary School Catchment Area
Community school · CO3 3GB
Lexden Primary School with Unit for Hearing Impaired Pupils Catchment Area
Community school · CO3 9AS
Myland Community Primary School Catchment Area
Community school · CO4 5LD
North Primary School and Nursery Catchment Area
Community school · CO1 1RP
Old Heath Community Primary School Catchment Area
Community school · CO2 8DD
Other Church of England Schools in Essex
St James the Great Church of England Primary School shares its religious character with these Church of England schools across Essex. Faith criteria typically sit alongside catchment distance in each school's admissions policy.
Kendall Church of England Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Colchester
St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · COLCHESTER
Holy Trinity Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Halstead Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Halstead
St Andrew's Bulmer Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Sudbury
Nearest primary schools by distance
These are the primary schools closest to St James the Great Church of England Primary School by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
Need help understanding catchment areas?
Frequently Asked Questions: St James the Great Church of England Primary School
What is the catchment area for St James the Great Church of England Primary School? ▾
The catchment area for St James the Great Church of England Primary School is the geographic zone Essex uses to prioritise admissions when this primary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Essex publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is St James the Great Church of England Primary School oversubscribed? ▾
Yes, St James the Great Church of England Primary School currently has 456 pupils enrolled against a capacity of 420 places. Catchment area proximity is an important admissions criterion when applying.
What is the admissions policy for St James the Great Church of England Primary School? ▾
St James the Great Church of England Primary School uses both faith criteria and catchment area proximity in its admissions policy. The weighting is reviewed annually and published by Essex before each admissions cycle.
What age range does St James the Great Church of England Primary School cover? ▾
St James the Great Church of England Primary School is a primary school in Colchester, Essex, serving pupils aged 2-11. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for St James the Great Church of England Primary School? ▾
St James the Great Church of England Primary School was rated Good by Ofsted in 2019. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.