St Thomas More Primary School, Belmont

About St Thomas More Primary School, Belmont

St Thomas More Primary School, Belmont sits within the County Durham local authority, a Roman Catholic state primary for mixed pupils aged 3 to 11. In the local landscape of 170 primary schools ranked by KS2 performance, it places 68th, placing it in the top 40% of the authority. Among its top-performing peers in the area are Montalbo Nursery & Primary School, Shincliffe CofE (Controlled) Primary School, and Cestria Primary School, which all score higher on the same ranking metric. The school is one of eight outstanding-rated primaries in County Durham, though the nearest outstanding school, Framwellgate Moor Primary School, is 4.4 km away. With just 99 pupils on roll against a capacity of 119, it is a small school, and its 13.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average, suggesting a relatively less deprived intake than many local schools.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023, St Thomas More was rated Good overall, with all five graded categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — each receiving a Good rating. This marks a consistent performance compared with its previous inspection in 2010, which also rated overall effectiveness as Good. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, above the County Durham average of 62%. Reading was a particular strength, with 83% reaching the expected standard and 44% achieving a higher score. In maths, 72% met the expected standard, with an average score of 103, while writing saw 78% at expected and 33% at a higher level. Nationally, the school ranks in the 40th percentile among all primaries, and in the North East region it sits in the 42nd percentile.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, sensory room, outdoor playground, dining hall, playing fields, gymnasium, art studios, and a chapel. Sports provision covers cross country, netball, dance, rounders, football, cricket, and swimming, while clubs include drama, gardening, choir, and film club. For pupils with additional needs, the school supports moderate learning difficulty, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admission for the 2025/26 reception intake was oversubscribed: 21 applications were received for 9 places, with 9 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.33. This is a school that suits families seeking a small, faith-based primary with strong reading outcomes and a broad extracurricular offer, though competition for places is high and early application is advisable.

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