St Thomas CofE Primary Academy

St Thomas CofE Primary Academy is an exceptionally strong primary school. Inspectors found pupils happy, safe and proud of their school, with exemplary behaviour and a calm, focused atmosphere. Leaders have built a highly ambitious curriculum from Reception to Year 6, and staff check learning carefully so pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND or EAL, learn very well. Reading and early years provision are particularly strong. Personal development is a major strength: pupils take on responsibilities, develop resilience and benefit from a wide range of enriching experiences. The school’s SEND provision is exceptional, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Staff report a positive, collaborative culture with attention to workload and wellbeing. The school is part of Infinity Academies Trust and has a Church of England ethos. Published 2023 and 2024 outcomes do not reflect the current curriculum, but inspectors found pupils’ current work is consistently of a high standard. No areas for improvement were identified in this inspection.

Strengths

• Exceptionally ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum across all subjects
• Pupils behave exceptionally well and are highly motivated
• Outstanding personal development with rich opportunities and responsibilities
• Exceptional SEND provision with highly skilled adaptive teaching
• Strong phonics and reading teaching with quick intervention
• Excellent early years provision building strong foundations
• Pupils, including disadvantaged and EAL pupils, learn very well
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Positive staff culture with respect and wellbeing support
• Leaders with strong moral purpose and humility

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 CofE Primary Academy attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.2% 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, 4.1% of pupils at St Thomas CofE Primary Academy 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 CofE Primary Academy had 23.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.8% 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, 18.0% of pupils at St Thomas CofE Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.0% 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 CofE Primary Academy received £6,161 and spent £6,103 for each of its 415 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £372,000 (£896 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Infinity Academies Trust, income was £7,320 and spending £7,049 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 Boston · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

St Thomas CofE Primary Academy is part of Infinity Academies Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• Wyberton Primary Academy Boston
• St Nicholas CE Primary Academy Boston
• Gipsey Bridge Academy Boston
• The Pinchbeck East Church of England Primary Academy Spalding
• Spalding Primary Academy Spalding
• Spilsby Primary School Spilsby
• Bourne Abbey Church of England Primary Academy Bourne
• Bourne Elsea Park Church of England Primary Academy Bourne
• St Helena's Church of England Primary Academy, Willoughby Alford
• Leadenham Church of England Academy Lincoln

What is St Thomas CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Thomas CofE Primary Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was St Thomas CofE Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Thomas CofE Primary Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does St Thomas CofE Primary Academy have?

St Thomas CofE Primary Academy has 400 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Thomas CofE Primary Academy cover?

St Thomas CofE Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Thomas CofE Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Thomas CofE Primary Academy?

St Thomas CofE Primary Academy is at Wyberton Low Road, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 7RZ.