School profile

Thornden Wood Primary School

Primary · Academy converter · Herne Bay, CT6 7RS

Good

Map showing Thornden Wood Primary School

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

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#1,602 of 15,057

Better than 89% of schools in England

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

Thornden Wood Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 20 Feb 2024

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

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages4 to 11
Pupils337
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Kate Espley
TrustEKC SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED
Local authorityKent
Opened01 Mar 2020
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 147751.

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 maths81%, better than England, better than Kent62%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.13%, better than England, better than Kent10%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.109, better than England, better than Kent106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.107, better than England, better than Kent104105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.108, better than England, better than Kent104105
Expected standard in reading87%, better than England, better than Kent75%76%
Expected standard in writing81%, better than England, better than Kent74%73%
Expected standard in maths84%, better than England, better than Kent71%75%
Pupils taking tests31--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils337
Girls167
Boys170
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.41.8%
First language not English6.8%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.420
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.19.8%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.72
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.6
Average class size25.9

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%
Other White
3%
African
2.1%
Indian
1.8%
Gypsy/Roma
1.2%
White and Asian
1.2%
Irish
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.9%
Other mixed
0.9%
Other Asian
0.9%

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 teacher20
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.9
Teachers (FTE)16.86
Teaching assistants (FTE)13.27
Support staff (FTE)22.23
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2514.9
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/259.9
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/252
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.60
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.131
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.42
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.42
Applications from another local authority (Reception)0

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 absence6.3%, worse than England, worse than Kent5.4%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.20.3%, worse than England, worse than Kent14.4%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1.3%, similar to England, similar to 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 rate2.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.3%
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 Thornden Wood Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.5 miPrimaryHampton Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miSecondaryHerne Bay High SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.4 miPrimaryHerne Bay Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.4 miPrimaryHerne Bay Junior SchoolFoundation school
Requires improvement
1.5 miPrimaryHerne Church of England Junior SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
1.7 miPrimaryHerne Church of England Infant and Nursery SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Thornden Wood Primary School

What is Thornden Wood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Thornden Wood Primary School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 20 Feb 2024.

How does Thornden Wood Primary School rank in England?

Thornden Wood Primary School ranks 1,602 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 89% of schools).

What are Thornden Wood Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 81% of pupils at Thornden Wood Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Thornden Wood Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Thornden Wood Primary School made 60 offers from 131 applications (2.2 per offer), and 42 of 42 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Thornden Wood Primary School?

Thornden Wood Primary School has 337 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of Thornden Wood Primary School?

Thornden Wood Primary School had 420 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Thornden Wood Primary School?

At Thornden Wood Primary School, the average class had 25.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 20 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Thornden Wood Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Thornden Wood Primary School missed 6.3% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 20.3% 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.