School profile

Thorney Close Primary School

Primary · Community school · Sunderland, SR3 4BB

Good

Map showing Thorney Close Primary School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#8,040 of 15,057

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Thorney Close Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 12 Sept 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeCommunity school
Ages3 to 11
Pupils289
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Catherine Jones
Local authoritySunderland
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 108828.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolSunderlandEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths63%, similar to England, similar to Sunderland66%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.7%, similar to England, worse than Sunderland11%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.104, worse than England, worse than Sunderland106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.105, similar to England, similar to Sunderland105105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, similar to Sunderland106105
Expected standard in reading80%, better than England, similar to Sunderland77%76%
Expected standard in writing73%, similar to England, similar to Sunderland75%73%
Expected standard in maths78%, similar to England, similar to Sunderland77%75%
Pupils taking tests41--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils289
Girls128
Boys161
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.49.1%
First language not English10%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.280
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.245
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.12.5%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.57
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.14
Average class size19.1

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
84.8%
Other ethnic group
3.1%
African
2.8%
Other White
1.4%
White and Asian
1.4%
Indian
1.4%
Other mixed
1%
Other Black
1%
White and Black Caribbean
0.7%
Pakistani
0.7%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher15.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.9.8
Teachers (FTE)17.55
Teaching assistants (FTE)9.89
Support staff (FTE)12.77
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2516.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2516.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.34
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.47
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.33
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.33
Applications from another local authority (Reception)1

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolSunderlandEngland
Overall absence6.6%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland5.2%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.22.8%, worse than England, worse than Sunderland14.2%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.5%, better than England, similar to Sunderland0.9%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate1.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Thorney Close Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miSecondarySandhill View AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miPrimaryHasting Hill AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miPrimaryFarringdon AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimarySt Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, SunderlandAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miSecondaryFarringdon Community AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryBroadway Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryPlains Farm AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.9 miPrimaryGrindon Infant SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
0.9 miPrimaryEast Herrington Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miAll-throughChrist's CollegeFree schools
Good

Frequently asked questions about Thorney Close Primary School

What is Thorney Close Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Thorney Close Primary School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 12 Sept 2023.

How does Thorney Close Primary School rank in England?

Thorney Close Primary School ranks 8,040 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (similar to most schools).

What are Thorney Close Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 63% of pupils at Thorney Close Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Thorney Close Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Thorney Close Primary School made 34 offers from 47 applications (1.4 per offer), and 33 of 33 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Thorney Close Primary School?

Thorney Close Primary School has 289 pupils aged 3 to 11.

What is the capacity of Thorney Close Primary School?

Thorney Close Primary School had 280 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Thorney Close Primary School?

At Thorney Close Primary School, the average class had 19.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Thorney Close Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Thorney Close Primary School missed 6.6% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 22.8% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.