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Thornhill Primary School

County Durham, DL4 1ESPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Outstanding
Feb 2023
KS2 Results
93%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.9×
Not oversubscribed
28 1st-choice / 30 places
Ranking
🏆Top 5%
#163 of 13,686 nationally

About Thornhill Primary School

Thornhill Primary School’s headline metrics put it well ahead of the County Durham average for primary schools. While the local authority average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 sits at 62%, Thornhill’s figure is 93% — a full 31 percentage points higher. That places the school fourth out of 170 primary schools in County Durham, comfortably inside the top five per cent nationally. The school is also one of only eight primaries in the local authority to hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted, a grade it earned in its most recent graded inspection in February 2023. Across all five inspected categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — inspectors awarded the top mark. For parents looking at raw attainment data, Thornhill is clearly performing at a level that few other schools in the area can match.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressThornhill Gardens, Shildon, County Durham, DL4 1ES
HeadteacherS Overfield
Local AuthorityCounty Durham
Number of Pupils207
Free School Meals (FSM)32.4%
School Capacity207 / 210 (99% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

2 Feb 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
Early Years Provision
Outstanding

Source: Ofsted, 20 Mar 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

9
Music RoomsICT SuiteSports HallPlaying FieldsForest SchoolOutdoor PlaygroundSensory RoomArt StudiosChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

7

Sports

TennisFootballDanceRounders

Clubs & Activities

DramaBook ClubCoding

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyMulti-SensoryOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Thornhill Primary School

Thornhill Primary School has been rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted. This means the school provides an exceptional quality of education, and pupils thrive both academically and personally.