St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

About St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is a small state primary in East Hertfordshire, within the Hertfordshire local authority, and it serves 122 pupils from ages 3 to 11. Among the 401 primary schools in the authority, it ranks 218th on its combined Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths expected standard score, placing it in the bottom half of schools locally. The top-performing peers in the same area include Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harvey Road Primary School and The Russell School, all of which achieved perfect ranking scores. St Thomas of Canterbury is a Roman Catholic school with a nursery provision, and it is currently oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 41 applications for just 15 places, with 20 of those applications coming as first preferences. That level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, even if its academic ranking doesn’t place it among the very highest performers in the authority.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023, the school was rated Good overall, with an Outstanding rating for early years provision. The previous inspection, back in 2007, had awarded it Outstanding across the board, so the current Good rating still reflects solid quality. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 58% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64%. However, the school’s average reading score was 105 and maths score was 103, both close to the national average of 100. A higher proportion of pupils reached the expected standard in writing (83%) and reading (75%) than in maths (58%), and 25% achieved a higher standard in writing. Progress scores were not provided, so it’s not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including a Forest School, music rooms, art studios, a library, a sensory room, a sports hall, playing fields and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, football, cross country, rounders, athletics and dance, while clubs include film club, book club, drama and choir. The school has identified SEND provisions for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With a capacity of exactly 122 pupils and an oversubscription ratio of 2.73, it is a popular choice for local Catholic families and those who value its faith-based environment and small, full-to-capacity community. The nursery provision means children can start from age three, and the school’s strong early years rating will appeal to parents looking for a solid foundation before formal schooling begins.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents