School profile

Thistle Hill Primary School

Primary · Academy sponsor led · Sheerness, ME12 3UD

Good

Map showing Thistle Hill Primary School

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

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#12,535 of 15,057

Worse than 83% of schools in England

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

Thistle Hill Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 5 Nov 2024

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages4 to 11
Pupils349
GenderMixed
Head teacherMs Rebecca Handebeaux
TrustTHE STOUR ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityKent
Opened01 Sept 2015
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 140393.

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 schoolKentEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths49%, worse than England, worse than Kent62%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.0%, worse than England, worse than Kent10%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.103, worse than England, worse than Kent106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.100, worse than England, worse than Kent104105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.99, worse than England, worse than Kent104105
Expected standard in reading59%, worse than England, worse than Kent75%76%
Expected standard in writing76%, similar to England, similar to Kent74%73%
Expected standard in maths59%, worse than England, worse than Kent71%75%
Pupils taking tests59--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils349
Girls182
Boys167
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.49.9%
First language not English8.9%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.420
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.16.9%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.115
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.27
Average class size26

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
80.5%
African
8.9%
Other White
4%
Other mixed
1.4%
White and Asian
1.1%
Other Asian
1.1%
Gypsy/Roma
0.9%
Other ethnic group
0.9%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0.3%
Pakistani
0.3%

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 teacher15.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.7.9
Teachers (FTE)22.6
Teaching assistants (FTE)20.76
Support staff (FTE)30.37
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2520
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2513
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253

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.38
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.78
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.38
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.38
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 schoolKentEngland
Overall absence5.9%, worse than England, similar to Kent5.4%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.17.6%, worse than England, worse than Kent14.4%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.6%, similar to England, better than Kent1.2%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 rate3.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.5%
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 Thistle Hill Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.6 miPrimaryMinster in Sheppey Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.7 miSecondaryLeigh Academy MinsterAcademy sponsor led
Unrated
0.9 miPrimarySt Georges CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryHalfway Houses Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Thistle Hill Primary School

What is Thistle Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Thistle Hill Primary School is rated Good, last inspected on 5 Nov 2024. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Thistle Hill Primary School rank in England?

Thistle Hill Primary School ranks 12,535 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (worse than 83% of schools).

What are Thistle Hill Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 49% of pupils at Thistle Hill Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Thistle Hill Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Thistle Hill Primary School made 38 offers from 78 applications (2.1 per offer), and 38 of 38 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Thistle Hill Primary School?

Thistle Hill Primary School has 349 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of Thistle Hill Primary School?

Thistle Hill Primary School had 420 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Thistle Hill Primary School?

At Thistle Hill Primary School, the average class had 26 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Thistle Hill Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Thistle Hill Primary School missed 5.9% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 17.6% 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.