Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury

About Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury

Christ The King Catholic Primary School in Thornbury was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a rating it has held consistently across both its graded inspections. The school’s KS2 results for the 2023/24 academic year tell a more nuanced story. While 44% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, this is notably below the South Gloucestershire local authority average of 61%. In the local authority rankings, the school sits at 60th out of 93 primary schools, placing it in the bottom half. However, individual subject scores paint a brighter picture: reading was a relative strength, with 70% of pupils reaching the expected standard and 33% achieving a higher standard, compared to 56% and 15% respectively in maths. The average reading score of 105 also comfortably exceeded the maths average of 101.

The Ofsted breakdown from 2022 shows the school received Good across all five graded areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This represents a consistent performance compared with its previous inspection in 2011, where overall effectiveness and leadership were also rated Good, though early years provision has moved from Outstanding to Good. The school has a capacity of 210 and currently hosts 204 pupils, so it is running near full. Its pupil premium eligibility stands at 18.6%, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools, suggesting a moderate level of disadvantage among the intake.

The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 46 applications for 20 places, a ratio of 2.3 applicants per place, with all 18 first-preference applicants offered a spot. Facilities include a library, sports hall, playing fields, forest school, sensory room, chapel and ICT suite. Sports offered range from netball and football to swimming and tennis, while clubs include chess, gardening, choir and film club. The school has a broad SEND offer, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families seeking a Catholic primary in Thornbury with strong reading outcomes and a clear SEND framework, this is a solid local option, though those prioritising combined academic results may want to compare with higher-ranked peers like Hambrook Primary or Marshfield Church of England Primary.

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