St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester

St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School is performing exceptionally well, achieving outstanding ratings across all inspection domains. As a newly established academy, this is its first inspection under section 5, following a previous outstanding judgment prior to its conversion. The school creates an environment where pupils excel academically and personally, fostering both strong discipline and enthusiasm for learning. Leaders at the school have a clear and ambitious vision that is shared by the entire staff, ensuring pupils are well-supported in their educational journey.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education across the curriculum.
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well both academically and personally.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Highly effective teaching with strong subject knowledge.
• Exemplary behavior and very positive attitudes to learning.
• Excellent provision in early years enabling a smooth transition to Year 1.
• Diverse opportunities for pupils' personal development and social responsibility.

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 More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.6% 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, 0.5% of pupils at St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester 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 More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester had 20.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.0% 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, 8.1% of pupils at St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.5% 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 2024–25 St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester received £11,055 and spent £11,245 for each of its 205 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £417,000 (£2,034 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of The Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi Academy, income was £7,679 and spending £7,558 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Colchester · Essex local authority: places and applications

St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester is part of The Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi Academy, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Colchester Colchester
• St Clare's Catholic Primary School Clacton-On-Sea
• Holy Family Catholic Primary School Witham
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
• St Pius X Catholic Primary School Chelmsford
• Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School Chelmsford

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester is Outstanding, from an inspection in February 2024.

When was St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester last inspected by Ofsted?

St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester was last inspected in February 2024.

How many pupils does St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester have?

St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester has 209 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester cover?

St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester?

St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester is at Priory Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2QB.