St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden

About St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School in Saffron Walden is a small state primary that punches well above the local average in its headline academic metrics. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 88% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of just 62% for primary schools in Essex. That gap of 26 percentage points is significant and places the school firmly among the strongest performers in Uttlesford, where it ranks second out of 34 schools on this measure. The school also sits in the top 5% nationally for the same metric. Its reading and maths average scores both hit 111, well above the national benchmark of 100, and 56% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading. With only 2.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is notably less disadvantaged than many schools in the area, which likely contributes to these strong results.

The school's most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2013, rated it Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. An ungraded inspection in September 2023 confirmed that the school remains Good. This is a step down from its previous Outstanding rating in 2008, but the school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections. In the Uttlesford district, 33 out of 444 primary schools are currently rated Outstanding, and the nearest one is R A Butler Junior School, just 0.2 km away. At Key Stage 2, 91% of pupils met the expected standard in maths and 97% in reading, while 94% did so in writing. The proportion reaching the higher standard in maths was 47%, and in writing 18%. These figures suggest consistent strength across the core subjects, with reading being a particular standout.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 69 applications for just 27 places, with 25 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.56. This reflects its strong reputation locally. Facilities include a chapel, forest school, sports hall, music rooms, art studios and an ICT suite. Sports on offer include football, cricket, swimming and athletics, while clubs range from coding and science to gardening and film club. The school provides support for pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health challenges. With a capacity of 210 and currently 208 pupils, it is almost full. This is a school that suits families prioritising strong academic outcomes, a Catholic ethos, and a broad range of enrichment activities, but they will need to apply early given the high demand.

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