St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
92%
Capacity
573
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families, with 119 applications for 57 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.09. Of those applications, 49 were first-preference choices, all of which received offers. The school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, but the high demand suggests a strong reputation in the community. Headteacher Emilie Poulteney leads a large primary of 573 pupils, operating just below its capacity of 624. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 was ungraded, confirming it remains Good, a rating it has held since at least its previous graded inspection in 2012. The school is Roman Catholic, which may be a factor for some families, though admissions data does not specify a faith-based criteria.
Academically, the school’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show 60% of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Thurrock local authority average of 67%. This places the school 25th out of 39 primary schools in the borough, in the bottom 50% nationally. Looking at individual subjects, 79% met the expected standard in reading, 80% in maths, and 68% in writing. At the higher standard, 16% achieved the higher benchmark across all three subjects, with reading and maths both at 29% and writing at 26%. Average scores were 106 in reading and 105 in maths. Progress scores are not available for this school, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds compared with pupils’ starting points.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, playing fields, sports hall, ICT suite and a chapel. Sports provision covers athletics, cricket, swimming and cross country, while clubs include gardening, book club, coding, drama, science club and choir. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. The nearest Outstanding-rated school in the borough is Quarry Hill Academy, just 0.5 km away, which may be worth considering for comparison. St Thomas of Canterbury suits families who value a Catholic primary with strong community demand and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are comfortable with below-average KS2 outcomes relative to the local authority.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Ward Avenue, Grays, Thurrock, RM17 5RW |
| Headteacher | Emilie Poulteney |
| Local Authority | Thurrock |
| Number of Pupils | 573 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 16.8% |
| School Capacity | 573 / 624 (92% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
14 Jun 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (14 Jun 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 5 Sept 2012. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (60%)
7629th of 13,686
Nationally
816th of 1,612
In East of England
25th of 39
In Thurrock
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
60%
Expected Standard
16%
Higher Standard
'22/23
73%
'23/24
60%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
5Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed57
119
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
49 families put this school as their 1st choice (41% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British14.1%
- White (other)13.4%
- Mixed8.1%
- Asian5.4%
- Black2.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than half of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
11
Total schools
11
Oversubscribed
8
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Ward Avenue, Grays
Thurrock, RM17 5RW
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School!
Write a Review