St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

About St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School in Dacorum received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection in November 2022, a notable drop from its previous Outstanding rating in 2009. The most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which stands at 44 per cent. That is well below the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64 per cent for primary schools, placing the school in the bottom half of Dacorum’s 47 primaries, at rank 40. Nationally, it sits in the 86th percentile of all primary schools, meaning roughly 86 per cent of schools outperform it on this measure. The school’s ranking score of 44 out of a possible 100 puts it firmly in the bottom 50 tier. For context, the top-performing local schools, such as Little Gaddesden and Harvey Road, score 100.

Looking more closely at individual subjects, 80 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading and 80 per cent in maths, but only 48 per cent did so in writing. No pupils achieved the higher standard in writing or in the combined measure. Average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 105 in maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100. The Ofsted breakdown shows that behaviour and attitudes, and personal development, were both rated Good, while leadership and management, quality of education, and early years provision all require improvement. The school has no sixth form and is a primary, so there are no GCSE or A-Level results to consider.

The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 24 applications for 13 places and all 13 first-preference offers accepted, giving a ratio of 1.85 applicants per place. It has a nursery provision for children from age three and a capacity of 240, though current pupil numbers are 178. Facilities include a chapel, music rooms, an ICT suite, and playing fields, with sports ranging from swimming to netball. The school offers a range of clubs including eco, chess, coding, and gardening. SEND provisions cover dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and social and emotional mental health support. With a relatively low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 8.4 per cent, this is a small Catholic primary that may suit families seeking a faith-based setting, though the academic outcomes and Ofsted rating are worth weighing carefully.

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