Thames Primary Academy

About Thames Primary Academy

Thames Primary Academy in Blackpool holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. The most recent graded inspection took place in 2014, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which stands at 56%. That figure is very close to the Blackpool local authority average of 58%, placing the school squarely in the middle of the pack locally. It ranks 13th out of 23 primary schools in the authority, and 9,018th nationally out of 13,686. The school’s average scores in reading (104) and maths (103) are both above the national baseline of 100, though the proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects is just 10%, suggesting the school is stronger at getting pupils to a solid level than pushing them into the top tier.

Looking more closely at the subject-level data, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading and in maths individually, while 66% did so in writing. The higher-standard figures are more modest: 16% in maths, 15% in reading and 13% in writing. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage — 56% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Ofsted’s breakdown rated early years provision, leadership and management, and overall effectiveness all as Good. The school has a nursery provision for children aged two and above, and the 2023 ungraded inspection found that the school continues to provide a good quality of education. For parents weighing academic outcomes, Thames Primary delivers results that are broadly in line with the local average, with a particular strength in getting pupils to the expected standard in reading and maths.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 77 applications for 49 places, with 43 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.57, meaning competition for places is real but not extreme. Facilities are strong for a primary, including a sports hall, playing fields, an ICT suite, music rooms, art studios and a library. There is also a chapel, which is unusual for a school with no religious character. Sports provision covers cricket, athletics, rounders, netball, football and tennis, and clubs include gardening, eco club, science club and art club. SEND support is extensive, with a dedicated SEN unit and resourced provision covering autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and social and emotional mental health. This is a school that suits families looking for a solid, well-resourced primary with strong SEND support, set in a community with above-average deprivation, and where academic outcomes are dependable rather than exceptional.

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