Thornborough Infant School

Thornborough Infant School demonstrates overall good performance with notable strengths in behaviour and personal development, both of which are rated as outstanding. Pupils enjoy a welcoming and inclusive environment where they thrive and engage deeply in learning. The school's curriculum is ambitious and effectively supports children's early reading and mathematics development. High expectations are set for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring they are well supported in their education journey. This inspection marks the school's first routine evaluation since the COVID-19 pandemic and follows a long exemption from routine inspections, as the last graded inspection took place 14 years ago, where the school was rated outstanding under a previous framework.

Strengths

• Exceptional pupil behaviour and positive attitudes to learning.
• Inclusive environment where every child is well-known and supported.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum that enriches pupils' learning experiences.
• Strong emphasis on early reading and phonics, leading to rapid progress.
• Extensive opportunities for personal development and engagement in extracurricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Occasionally, activities do not fully match the needs of all pupils, impacting their potential achievement.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Thornborough Infant School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Thornborough Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Thornborough Infant School had 11.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 9.7% of pupils at Thornborough Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Thornborough Infant School received £14,708 and spent £13,963 for each of its 31 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £55,000 (£1,771 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Buckingham · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

What is Thornborough Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thornborough Infant School is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Thornborough Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thornborough Infant School was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Thornborough Infant School have?

Thornborough Infant School has 31 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thornborough Infant School cover?

Thornborough Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Thornborough Infant School?

Thornborough Infant School is at High Street, Thornborough, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 2DF.