St James Church of England First School

About St James Church of England First School

St James' CE First School and Nursery is a wonderful village school, set in idyllic scenery, just outside the heart of Wimborne. We believe that success is all down to high expectations and aspirations for every child and we aim for excellence in everything we do. School should be a joyful experience for all children; they only have one shot at primary education and the greatest responsibility we have is to get it right for them at the very beginning.

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Key Facts

Head/Principal Mr Daniel Lawford

Rating Breakdown

Based on published reviews

Safety & Security 5.0

Teaching Quality 5.0

Communication 4.5

Student Wellbeing 5.0

Facilities 4.5

Parent Survey

Official Ofsted Parent View data • 80 responses • 58% response rate

View on Ofsted

My child is happy at this school

95.1% positive 5% negative

My child feels safe at this school

96.3% positive 3.8% negative

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved

91.3% positive 6.3% negative

The school has high expectations for my child

93.8% positive 2.5% negative

My child does well at this school

96.3% positive 2.5% negative

I would recommend this school to another parent

Data from Ofsted Parent View as of September 2025. Based on 80 parent responses to the official Ofsted survey.

School Workforce

Teacher and staff information • 2024-2025

Note: These figures are estimated based on national averages. Actual school-level data not yet available.

22.0:1

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Good

6.3

Teachers (FTE)

Estimated workforce data based on GIAS enrollment and national average ratios. Academic year 2024-2025.

Reviews 3

R

Rachel T Unconfirmed

Parent Dec 31, 2022

5.0

"Love the community vibe"

We had our children at St James' from Reception to Year 2 and thoroughly enjoyed their time there. The sense of community is really special and we loved attending events and seeing how the school encourages children to grow in faith and character.

Safety & Wellbeing 5/5

Teaching & Learning 5/5

Communication 5/5

Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 5/5

Facilities 5/5

Helpful

E

Emily W Unconfirmed

Parent Sep 1, 2022

5.0

"Wonderful teachers and facilities"

We have been so impressed with St James' since our child started in September. The teachers are all so supportive and the facilities are excellent. We love the focus on outdoor learning and the weekly Forest School sessions have been a highlight.

Safety & Wellbeing 5/5

Teaching & Learning 5/5

Communication 4/5

Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 5/5

Facilities 4/5

Helpful

H

Helen F Unconfirmed

Parent Aug 1, 2022

3.0

"Some great things, but room for improvement"

We have been pleased with some aspects of St James', such as the emphasis on kindness and the school's Christian values. However, our child's class has struggled with behaviour at times and we have found the communication with teachers to be inconsistent.

Safety & Wellbeing 3/5

Teaching & Learning 4/5

Communication 3/5

Mental & Emotional Wellbeing 3/5

Facilities 3/5

Helpful