St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington is performing exceptionally well across all judged areas. Inspectors found a highly ambitious curriculum, expert teaching, strong support for pupils with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language, and rapid progress in early reading through a well-delivered phonics programme. Pupils are happy, behave exceptionally well, feel safe, and contribute maturely to the school and wider community. The early years provision is vibrant and well designed, personal development is carefully crafted, and leadership and governance are strong. The school is part of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company trust and received a graded inspection in July 2025; under current arrangements it did not receive an overall effectiveness grade. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and the report identifies no areas of concern.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious curriculum with clear sequencing of knowledge
• Strong support and swift identification for pupils with SEND
• Expert phonics teaching helps pupils learn to read rapidly
• Vocabulary development is prioritised, particularly for pupils with English as an additional language
• Pupils behave exceptionally well and classrooms are calm and orderly
• Pupils feel overwhelmingly safe and have strong bonds with staff
• Early years provision is vibrant, welcoming and expertly designed
• Personal development is carefully crafted, including music and trips
• Pupils make a tangible positive contribution to the school and community
• Leadership, governance and trust oversight are highly effective
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

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 Catholic Primary School, Kidlington attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.6% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington 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 Catholic Primary School, Kidlington had 26.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 32.6% 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, 13.2% of pupils at St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Catholic Primary School, Kidlington received £6,091 and spent £5,795 for each of its 230 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £45,000 (-£194 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, income was £7,222 and spending £7,198 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 Kidlington · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington is part of The Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Greyfriars Catholic School Oxford
• Our Lady's Roman Catholic Primary School Oxford
• St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, Littlemore Oxford
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bicester Bicester
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Witney Witney
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Thame Thame
• Holy Trinity Catholic School, Chipping Norton Chipping Norton
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Carterton Carterton
• Blessed George Napier Catholic School and Sixth Form Banbury
• St John's Catholic Primary School Banbury

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington is Outstanding, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington last inspected by Ofsted?

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington have?

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington has 235 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington cover?

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington?

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Kidlington is at Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 1EA.