St Thomas' CofE Primary Academy

About St Thomas' CofE Primary Academy

St Thomas' CofE Primary Academy sits in the bottom half of primary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme, ranking 28th out of 35 schools in the borough. Its headline Key Stage 2 metric — the percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths — stands at 52%, which is notably below the Staffordshire local authority average of 65%. This 13 percentage point gap places the school in the bottom 50 nationally, at the 74th percentile. The school's overall ranking score of 52 out of a possible 100 reflects this, and it is a long way from the top-performing peers in the area, such as St John's Catholic Primary and Woodseaves CE Primary Academy, both of which score 100. For parents comparing options, this is a school where academic outcomes at the end of primary are significantly weaker than the typical school in the same local authority.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed across subjects. In reading, 71% of pupils met the expected standard and 23% reached a higher standard, with an average scaled score of 104. In writing, 68% met the expected standard but only 3% achieved the higher mark. Maths saw 65% at the expected standard and 16% at the higher level, with an average score of 101. The combined expected standard across all three subjects was 52%, and just 3% of pupils reached the higher standard in all three. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, a graded visit in December 2019, rated it Good overall and Good across all categories including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership. An ungraded inspection in December 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. The previous inspection in 2011 also rated it Good, so the school has held a consistent Good rating across its recent inspections.

The school is a Church of England primary with a nursery provision for children aged 2, and it is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, there were 36 applications for 22 places, with 20 first-preference offers made. Facilities include a library, sports hall, playing fields, sensory room, art studios and a chapel. The school offers a wide range of sports including cricket, football, swimming and gymnastics, plus clubs such as coding, chess, choir and eco club. SEND provision covers dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, hearing impairment and physical disability, among others. With 16.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage. This is a school that may suit families who value a Church of England ethos, a strong SEND offer, and a broad extracurricular programme, but who are aware that academic outcomes at the end of primary are below the local average.

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