Thornhill Junior and Infant School

Thornhill Junior and Infant School is a happy, inclusive primary where pupils behave respectfully, attend regularly and engage well with a broad and ambitious curriculum. Inspectors found notable strengths in personal development, a calm and orderly environment, effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and a strong reading culture. Children in Reception get off to a strong start, and the school has improved the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics, particularly in key stage 1. Safeguarding is effective, and leaders support staff well during a period of change. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is part of Focus Academy Trust. Two areas need further development. Teaching quality varies in some subjects, partly because many staff are new, and some tasks are not purposeful enough to deepen pupils' subject knowledge. Early writing and handwriting also need continued prioritisation so that pupils develop fluent, legible handwriting. Historic key stage 2 outcomes do not reflect what current pupils know and can do.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, confident and curious learners.
• Behaviour is respectful and the school environment is calm and orderly.
• Staff support pupils effectively when they struggle with self-regulation.
• The structured lunchtime programme develops social skills and teamwork.
• The curriculum prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and inclusive.
• Teaching of reading, writing and mathematics has improved significantly, especially in key stage 1.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and fully included.
• There is a strong reading culture, including well-matched phonics books and extra fluency practice.
• Children in Reception get off to a strong start, including from low starting points.
• Personal development and cultural awareness are exceptionally well enriched.
• Leaders support staff well-being, workload and professional development.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching quality and subject expertise vary across subjects, partly due to many new staff.
• Some tasks are not purposeful enough to deepen pupils' subject knowledge.
• Early writing and handwriting practice is not sufficient to develop fluent, legible handwriting.

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 Thornhill Junior and Infant School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.6% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Thornhill Junior and 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 Thornhill Junior and Infant School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.2% 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, 15.6% of pupils at Thornhill Junior and Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% 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 Thornhill Junior and Infant School received £7,176 and spent £7,197 for each of its 342 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £103,000 (£300 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Focus Academy Trust (Uk) Ltd, income was £7,160 and spending £6,808 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 Dewsbury · Kirklees local authority: places and applications

Thornhill Junior and Infant School is part of Focus Academy Trust (Uk) Ltd, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Boothroyd Primary Academy Dewsbury
• Birstall Primary Academy Batley
• Fieldhead Primary Academy Batley
• Shibden Head Primary Academy Bradford
• Thornton Primary School Bradford
• Wilsden Primary School Bradford
• Roundthorn Primary Academy Oldham
• Deeplish Primary Academy Rochdale
• Coppice Primary Academy Oldham
• Lyndhurst Primary and Nursery School Oldham

What is Thornhill Junior and Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thornhill Junior and Infant School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Thornhill Junior and Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thornhill Junior and Infant School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Thornhill Junior and Infant School have?

Thornhill Junior and Infant School has 353 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thornhill Junior and Infant School cover?

Thornhill Junior and Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Thornhill Junior and Infant School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Thornhill Junior and Infant School?

Thornhill Junior and Infant School is at Edge Lane, Thornhill, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF12 0QT.