Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy

Thornhill Community Academy has demonstrated overall good performance in its first inspection, highlighting effective leadership and a strong commitment to improving students' educational outcomes. The school fosters a positive environment where pupils feel valued and relationships among staff and students are characterized by mutual respect. With a broad and ambitious curriculum, adaptations are made to meet the varied needs of learners, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), ensuring they thrive academically and socially.

Strengths

• Leaders have an ambitious vision for education.
• High expectations for pupil achievement and behaviour.
• Strong support for staff well-being and professional development.
• Curriculum is ambitious and successfully broadens pupils’ horizons.
• Knowledgeable and passionate staff employ effective questioning techniques.
• Effective use of assessment to identify and address learning gaps.
• Good support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Strong careers advice and guidance for future planning.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' knowledge of other faiths and cultures is weak due to variable teaching.

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 Community Academy, A Share Academy attended 91.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 12.0% of pupils at Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Community Academy, A Share Academy had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 15.0% of pupils at Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 24 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy received £9,088 and spent £9,506 for each of its 913 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,098,000 (£2,298 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Share Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,742 and spending £7,678 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 Community Academy, A Share Academy is part of Share Multi Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Millbridge, A Share Primary Academy Liversedge
• Shelley College, A Share Academy Huddersfield
• Heaton Avenue, A Share Primary Academy Cleckheaton
• Whitcliffe Mount, A Share Academy Cleckheaton
• Luck Lane, A Share Primary Academy Huddersfield
• Royds Hall, A Share Academy Huddersfield
• Woodside Green, A Share Primary Academy Huddersfield
• Todmorden High School, A SHARE Academy Todmorden

What is Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy have?

Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy has 902 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy cover?

Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.1, and 45% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy?

Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy is at Valley Drive, Dewsbury, WF12 0HE.