St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School

About St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School

St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School in Croydon holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, but the story behind that grade is more nuanced. The school was previously rated Outstanding in 2007, and while the overall effectiveness has stepped down, inspectors still judged the early years provision and pupils’ personal development to be Outstanding. The most telling academic metric is the Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard: 81% of pupils achieved it in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure sits well above the Croydon local authority average of 66% and places the school 11th out of 77 primary schools in the borough, comfortably inside the top 15%. Nationally, it ranks in the top 10% of all primary schools for this measure, which suggests a consistently strong core offer.

Digging into the KS2 results, the school’s performance is solid across the board. In reading, 84% of pupils reached the expected standard and 37% hit the higher standard; in maths, 86% met expectations and 42% achieved the higher mark. The average scaled scores for both reading and maths sit at 106, a point above the national benchmark of 100. Writing is slightly lower for higher attainment, with 23% reaching the greater depth standard, but 86% of pupils still met the expected level. There is no progress score data available, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the raw attainment figures are clearly above average for the area. The Ofsted report noted that behaviour and attitudes, as well as leadership and management, are both Good, and the school’s personal development provision was singled out as Outstanding.

The school is a one-form-entry Roman Catholic primary with a capacity of 420 and currently 411 pupils on roll, so it is running very close to full. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 159 applications for 59 places, with 52 offers made to first-preference families. That means roughly 2.7 applicants for every place, so it is a popular choice locally. Facilities include a sports hall, a sensory room, an ICT suite and a chapel, and the school runs clubs ranging from choir and drama to chess and gardening. SEND provision covers moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication support. For families who prioritise strong academic outcomes within a faith-based setting, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process, St Thomas Becket is a reliable option in Croydon.

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