Best Schools in Thornton Heath

How many schools are there in Thornton Heath?

Thornton Heath has 17 open schools: 13 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through, 2 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Thornton Heath are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Thornton Heath were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Bensham Manor School, St James the Great RC Primary and Nursery School and David Livingstone Academy. Counting Good as well, 82% of the 17 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Bensham Manor SchoolSt James the Great RC Primary and Nursery SchoolDavid Livingstone Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Thornton Heath get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Thornton Heath with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Norbury High School for Girls, with an Attainment 8 score of 46.5 and 46% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Bensham Manor School, with an Attainment 8 score of 5.4 and 0% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Norbury High School for GirlsBensham Manor School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Thornton Heath have the best SATs results?

Of the 11 primary schools in Thornton Heath with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Winterbourne Junior Girls' School (91% in reading, 96% in maths); David Livingstone Academy (88% in reading, 92% in maths); and Paxton Academy Sports And Science (90% in reading, 90% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Winterbourne Junior Girls' SchoolDavid Livingstone AcademyPaxton Academy Sports And Science

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Thornton Heath?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Thornton Heath selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Thornton Heath have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Thornton Heath have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Thornton Heath?

Apply to your council - Croydon or Southwark, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.