Primary school

St James-the-Less Roman Catholic Primary School, Rawtenstall

  • Voluntary Aided School
  • ages 5–11
  • Mixed
  • Roman Catholic
  • Lancashire
  • BB4 8SU
Ofsted Good · inspected Mar 2013 Top school 2024/25

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Results · 2024/25

Ranked 1,559 of 15,057 primaries in England · top 11%

Top % in England, by year
2015/16: top 10%10%2016/17: top 29%2017/18: top 24%2018/19: top 8%2022/23: top 4%4% · 2022/232023/24: top 24%2024/25: top 11%No exams

Against North WestArrows: North West rank change since 2018/19

Expected standard, RWM81% · North West 63%9/10 Top 20%
Higher standard, RWM19% · North West 6%10/10 Top 10%+57.3 pts
Reading score106 · North West 1056/10 Middle−27.7 pts
Maths score107 · North West 1058/10 Above−16.9 pts
Show KS2 results by year

No exams 2019/20–21Not published 2021/22

Expected standard, RWM
2015/16: 77% · 30 pupils · North West 55%2016/17: 72% · 32 pupils · North West 64%2017/18: 77% · 30 pupils · North West 68%2018/19: 87% · 30 pupils · North West 67%2022/23: 87% · 31 pupils · North West 61%2023/24: 73% · 30 pupils · North West 63%2024/25: 81% · 32 pupils · North West 63%87%72%No exams
Higher standard, RWM
2015/16: 13% · 30 pupils · North West 3%2016/17: 13% · 32 pupils · North West 7%2017/18: 17% · 30 pupils · North West 8%2018/19: 7% · 30 pupils · North West 9%2022/23: 13% · 31 pupils · North West 6%2023/24: 7% · 30 pupils · North West 5%2024/25: 19% · 32 pupils · North West 6%19%7%No exams
Reading score
2015/16: 106 · 30 pupils · North West 1022016/17: 108 · 32 pupils · North West 1042017/18: 108 · 30 pupils · North West 1052018/19: 107 · 30 pupils · North West 1042022/23: 107 · 31 pupils · North West 1052023/24: 104 · 30 pupils · North West 1052024/25: 106 · 32 pupils · North West 105108104No exams
Maths score
2015/16: 106 · 30 pupils · North West 1032016/17: 107 · 32 pupils · North West 1042017/18: 108 · 30 pupils · North West 1052018/19: 109 · 30 pupils · North West 1052022/23: 108 · 31 pupils · North West 1042023/24: 104 · 30 pupils · North West 1042024/25: 107 · 32 pupils · North West 105109104No exams

Getting in · 2026

First-choice families who got in82.3%
28 of 34 who put it first2014 · 100.0%2026 · 82.4%
By preference
ChoiceAppliedOffered
1st3428
2nd311
3rd330

Last distance offered: London only

Inspections · 2007–2023

  1. 2007Good
  2. 2013Good
  3. 2017Ungraded visit
  4. 2023Remains Good

4 strong areas

  • Quality of teaching
  • Achievement of pupils
  • Leadership and management
  • Behaviour and safety of pupils

0 weak areas

4 areas graded

Pupils · 2024/25

On roll · Jan 2026211
Free school meals (past 6 years)14.1%
First language not English1.4%
SEN support7.5%
EHC plan2.4%
Absence (sessions missed)3.5%
Persistently absent pupils4.4%

Girls 54.5%Boys 45.5%

100.5% full · 210 places

Parent View

Not published for this school

Workforce · 2025/26

Pupils per teacher23.2
Pupils per adult13.4
  • Classroom teachers 7.1
  • Leadership 2
  • Teaching assistants 6.7
  • Other support 2.6

Teachers 9.1 FTE · Whole workforce 18.4 · 22 people

Financials · 2025/26

Income per pupil£6,330
Spend per pupil£6,556
Staff spend per pupil£4,572
Reserve per pupil£513
  • +£108,162revenue reserve
  • −£47,650in-year balance

Grants £6,104 · self-generated £226 · premises £481 per pupil