St James Academy

This week, Miss Burrows and Mrs Hodson have worked extremely hard to create this lovely outdoor space for our children. A special thank you to Miss Burrows' mum and dad for working incredibly hard, too. We are so very grateful. It looks amazing and we know the children will love it!

Please click the link below for information about a Site & Facilities Manager job at our lovely school. Please feel free to share. Thank you!

Site & Facilities Manager - St James Academy, Walsall, West Midlands Closing date: Midnight, Fri 31st Jul, 2026. View full details and apply online at MyNewTerm.

On Monday we held a surprise party for our wonderful Executive Headteacher, Mrs Wilson.

Mrs Wilson, we just want to say a HUGE thank you to you for all that you have done for us here at St James Academy.

With you as our headteacher, our school has just gone from strength to strength and now we really are the best school in Brownhills! You have worked so hard, from the very first day you stepped into our school – your energy just can’t be matched! Every day, you encourage us all to do our best, believe in ourselves, and treat others with respect and kindness. The legacy you leave will always be such a big part of our St James family and ways.

In the three and a half years that you have been at our school, you have made a difference to so many children and you always inspire us to aim high, work hard and never give up. It’s not easy being a headteacher but you really have done such a wonderful job which will be very difficult to match.

Although we know you truly deserve this new chapter and we know you are going to have an amazing retirement, we are so sad to see you go. To not see you around school will feel really strange. Your support, passion and enthusiasm will really be missed and our school just won’t feel the same without you.

We all love you, Mrs Wilson, and we wish you every happiness in your retirement.

During our morning assembly, we also said goodbye to three special members of staff: Mr Rogers, Miss Hopwood and Mrs Merrell.

Mrs Merrell, who has been a cherished part of the St James Academy family for an incredible 21 years, is beginning a well-deserved retirement. Throughout her time with us, she has been a dedicated and highly valued Teaching Assistant, predominantly supporting pupils in Key Stage 2. Her passion and enthusiasm for learning, particularly in mathematics and RWI, have always shone through. Mrs Merrell has played a significant role in supporting countless children through their SATs preparation, delivering targeted interventions that have helped pupils grow in both confidence and achievement. Her energy, commitment and love for teaching have made a lasting impact on so many children, and she will be greatly missed by us all.

We are also saying goodbye to our wonderful Year 1 teacher, Miss Hopwood, who is leaving us to take on an exciting new challenge. Miss Hopwood joined St James Academy two years ago as an Early Career Teacher and has since flourished into a talented and dedicated classroom practitioner. Through her hard work, commitment and care, she has created a nurturing environment where children can thrive. She has made a huge contribution to our school community, and we are incredibly grateful for everything she has given during her time with us.

Finally, Mr Rogers has successfully completed his apprenticeship and is now ready to embark upon the next stage of his career. Throughout his time at St James Academy, he has been an absolute credit to our school. His positive attitude, willingness to help and strong relationships with both pupils and colleagues have made him a valued member of our team. Mr Rogers has provided fantastic support across the school and has approached every opportunity with enthusiasm and professionalism. We have no doubt that he will be a tremendous asset in his future role, and we wish him every success for the future.
We would like to thank Mrs Merrell, Miss Hopwood and Mr Rogers for their dedication, hard work and commitment to St James Academy. They leave with our very best wishes and will always be a part of our school family.

We hope they enjoyed their special assembly.

Today, we have held a special assembly to celebrate some special people.

Firstly, my wonderful Head and Deputy Boys and Girls, Freddie, Hellen, Kian and Gwen have been exceptional role models to all of our children and have been a real support to both myself and Mrs Wilson. We know they will continue to shine as they move into their next chapter.

Today, we held our Year 6 Leavers’ Service at St James Church. It was an emotional event where the children shared their memories of St James with their families and friends. We were extremely proud of how the children spoke so confidently and beautifully performed a selection of songs.

It was wonderful to see so many families in attendance and we hoped that everyone enjoyed this special event. We thank Reverend Gayle and her team for opening up their church for us and accommodating our needs so well. Thank you to Mr Phillips, Miss Hill and Miss Humphreys, not only for preparing the children so well for this event, but also for their dedication, commitment and hard work throughout the year. Their support for the children has been wonderful and we feel incredibly fortunate to have such caring staff as part of our team.

As Year 6 prepare for their next chapter, we wish them every success and happiness for the future. We hope they continue to believe in themselves, never give up and stay kind. We are excited to see what they achieve next. We are incredibly proud of each one of them and we are really going to miss them.

Dear families,

A reminder that children can come to school in their football kits or red and white clothes tomorrow. We will also be selling ice creams at the end of the day, too.

Dear families,

Our latest newsletter celebrates just some of the many achievements and events from across this term.