Today it operates from one site in Colindale, Barnet in North London, England.

The Dominican Sisters of the Congregation of St Catherine of Siena of Newcastle (Natal) in South Africa led the way in setting up St Rose's Convent Orange Hill Road in Burnt Oak (north London) in February 1930.

The other Catholic Secondary schools were single sex, selective and generally fee paying.

In 1949 a further expansion followed when St. Thomas' Independent School in Stanmore was annexed to St. James'.

In 1997 the school was reunited on one site in Colindale, and in 2004 it became a specialist Science and Sports College.