St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School has demonstrated good overall effectiveness in its inaugural Ofsted inspection since becoming an academy. The school fosters a close-knit community where pupils feel proud and safe, exhibiting positive attitudes towards learning and behavior. The school successfully caters to the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), promoting their social and academic development. The early years provision is particularly strong, showcasing outstanding progress in children's learning and development.

Strengths

• Strong community atmosphere where pupils feel valued.
• Positive attitudes towards learning and respectful behavior.
• Effective safeguarding measures that ensure pupil safety.
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers who explain concepts clearly.
• Consistent practices in teaching reading leading to enthusiastic young readers.
• Good progress made by pupils with SEND.
• Outstanding early years provision with a focus on vocabulary and communication.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack detailed curriculum planning, which affects pupil understanding of complex concepts.

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 of Canterbury Catholic Primary School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.5% 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, 1.6% of pupils at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic 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 St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.1% 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, 8.0% of pupils at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.1% 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 of Canterbury Catholic Primary School received £8,361 and spent £8,134 for each of its 119 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £51,000 (£434 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of St Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust, income was £6,831 and spending £6,781 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 Ware · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is part of St Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Ware
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/S Bishop'S Stortford
• St Mary's Catholic School Bishop'S Stortford
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Hertford) Hertford
• St Augustine's Catholic Primary School Hoddesdon
• St Cross Catholic Primary School Hoddesdon
• St Paul's Catholic Primary School Cheshunt
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Wx) Waltham Cross

What is St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School have?

St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School has 112 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School cover?

St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?

St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is at High Street, Puckeridge, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG11 1RZ.