St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

About St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School in Bexley is a popular choice for local families, and the numbers tell a clear story. The school is currently oversubscribed for its 56 Reception places in 2025/26, receiving 123 total applications — an oversubscription ratio of 2.2. Of those, 51 families put it down as their first preference, and 51 first-preference offers were made, meaning every family who wanted it most got a place. With 424 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, the school is effectively full. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 9.9%, which is below the national average for primary schools (around 23%) and suggests a relatively affluent intake. The school is a Roman Catholic state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, led by headteacher Grace Lodge, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 judged it to remain Outstanding — an upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2012.

Academically, St Thomas More is performing at an exceptionally high level. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 95% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well above the Bexley local authority average of 67%. The school ranks 1st out of 55 primary schools in Bexley, placing it in the top 5% nationally. Pupils also achieved strong average scaled scores of 111 in reading and 110 in maths, and a notable 20% reached the higher standard across all three subjects. In reading, 62% of pupils achieved the higher standard, while 43% did so in maths and 25% in writing. Ofsted’s 2017 graded inspection rated the school Outstanding overall, with Outstanding marks for early years provision, leadership and management, and behaviour and attitudes. The 2023 ungraded inspection confirmed the school continues to meet that high standard.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, a sensory room, art studios, a gymnasium, an ICT suite and a chapel. Sports provision includes rounders, football, cricket, swimming, athletics and tennis, while clubs range from coding and chess to gardening and eco club. SEND support is well-developed, with provisions for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health needs, physical disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. For Catholic families in Bexley, this school is a natural fit given its religious character, but its strong academic record and oversubscribed status mean it will appeal to any family prioritising high outcomes. The nearest other Outstanding-rated primary is Barnehurst Junior School, 1.6 km away, but St Thomas More’s combination of faith-based ethos, strong results and broad extracurricular offer makes it a standout choice in the borough.

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