Thornton Primary School

Thornton Primary School is performing well, receiving a 'Good' overall effectiveness rating from Ofsted. The school creates a positive learning environment where pupils are happy and engaged, supported by strong leadership and effective teaching. There is a clear emphasis on personal development, with initiatives like the ‘Golden Charter’ fostering good habits and allowing pupils to take on responsibilities. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, particularly in early years education, which prepares children effectively for their next steps.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit positive attitudes to learning.
• Leaders prioritize personal development and prepare pupils for modern Britain.
• Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and employ effective teaching strategies.
• Pupils with SEND receive adequate support to ensure full participation in lessons.
• There is a strong emphasis on behaviour management and pupil safety.

Areas for Improvement

• Opportunities for pupils to write in-depth outside of English lessons are limited.
• Some foundation subject activities lack complexity and depth for deeper knowledge engagement.

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 Thornton Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.9% 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 Thornton Primary 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 Thornton Primary School had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% 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, 12.4% of pupils at Thornton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% 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 Thornton Primary School received £7,148 and spent £6,964 for each of its 129 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £46,000 (£358 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Symphony Learning Trust, income was £6,407 and spending £6,172 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 Coalville · Leicestershire local authority: places and applications

Thornton Primary School is part of Symphony Learning Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• Hugglescote Community Primary School Coalville
• The Hall School Leicester
• Newcroft Primary Academy Loughborough
• Glen Hills Primary School Leicester
• Ashby Willesley Primary School Ashby-De-La-Zouch
• Ashby Hill Top Primary School Ashby-De-La-Zouch
• Ashby Hastings Primary School Ashby-De-La-Zouch
• Fairfield Community Primary School Wigston
• Donisthorpe Primary School Swadlincote
• Old Mill Primary School Leicester

What is Thornton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thornton Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Thornton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thornton Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Thornton Primary School have?

Thornton Primary School has 129 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thornton Primary School cover?

Thornton Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Thornton Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Thornton Primary School?

Thornton Primary School is at Main Street, Thornton, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 1AH.