St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury

St Thomas’ Catholic Primary School in Canterbury is performing well overall, with a good ranking across various domains, particularly excelling in pupil behaviour and attitudes, which are rated outstanding. Leaders have high expectations for all students, and there is a strong emphasis on personal development and well-being, evident from the range of enrichment activities offered. Although the school was previously rated outstanding, the latest inspection reflects adjustments made under a new framework, which influenced some of the curriculum evaluations.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit outstanding behaviour and attitudes towards learning.
• A strong focus on personal development and well-being.
• Effective teaching of reading with a well-implemented phonics program.
• High levels of parental satisfaction and recommendations.

Areas for Improvement

• Some foundation subjects lack precision in curriculum planning.
• Limited extra-curricular clubs restrict opportunities for talent development.
• Inadequate logging of welfare concerns by a small number of staff.

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 St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.1% 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 St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury 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 St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury had 24.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.1% 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, 11.0% of pupils at St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.0% 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 St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury received £6,275 and spent £6,372 for each of its 210 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £267,000 (£1,271 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 Canterbury · Kent local authority: places and applications

What is St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury last inspected by Ofsted?

St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury have?

St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury has 210 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury cover?

St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury?

St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury is at 99 Military Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1NE.