Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School, Ashford
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Ashford. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 45 schools in Ashford with published results, and 2,234th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School in detail
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School in its own words
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026, an open day on Thursday 5 November 2026, an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026 and an open day on Monday 23 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 92% of Year 6 pupils at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 89% in reading and 75% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 82 families put Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School as their first choice and 148 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 23 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School are Brook Community Primary School (2.1 miles, Good, 69% reading, 62% maths); Downs View Infant School (2.1 miles); Downs View Infant School (2.1 miles, Good); and Kennington Church of England Academy (2.1 miles, Good, 76% reading, 74% maths).
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Brook Community Primary SchoolDowns View Infant SchoolDowns View Infant SchoolKennington Church of England Academy
What parents say
204 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 74% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (74%).
Who goes there
11.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 59 pupils (13.8%) received SEN support and 7 (1.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wye Rail Station, about 350 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (adjacent), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 16 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school offers a warm, inclusive environment where children thrive academically and personally. Pupils develop strong reading and maths skills with excellent support for those who need extra help, and they benefit from creative enrichment activities including dance, cooking, music lessons and rock bands. The school's caring approach and high expectations help pupils become confident, well-behaved learners who understand the importance of their own wellbeing and that of their peers.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding behaviour and personal development - pupils are courteous, respectful and have a clear voice in school decisions
- Exceptional early years provision where children achieve very well and are highly motivated to learn
- Strong reading and mathematics teaching with good support for pupils who fall behind
- Fulsome wider opportunities including trips, visitors, and enrichment activities that develop pupils' cultural awareness and confidence
- Effective leadership that ensures staff have the expertise needed and manages workload well
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects like science and history, pupils sometimes don't have enough time to complete activities in depth, which can make their learning less secure
- Teaching occasionally moves on before pupils have fully secured the knowledge they've been taught
- Need to ensure all teachers consistently follow the curriculum structure and sequencing
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Dance lessons, cooking classes, ukulele lessons, rock bands, school trips, visitor sessions, breakfast club, after-school club
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School is a cheerful and caring school where pupils are happy and safe. The school provides an ambitious curriculum and has strong leadership, with pupils showing exceptional behaviour and personal development.
At a Glance
11.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
204 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 92% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 75% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 88% to 92% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.8
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
32.2
KS2
8
Total classes
5 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School
Newsletter 1st May 2026
1 May 2026
Newsletter 24th April 2026
24 Apr 2026
Newsletter 27th March 2016
27 Mar 2026
Newsletter 20th March 2026
20 Mar 2026
Newsletter 13th March 2026
13 Mar 2026
Newsletter 6th March 2026
6 Mar 2026
From Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School
Will you get a place at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kent got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
424 pupils
420 places
4 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ashford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashford
Across Kent council
Places available
18,893
Applications
16,593
Got 1st preference
89.7%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
15.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
429
Total Pupils
201
Boys
228
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
17.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,193
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,035
Per pupil
£2314k
Total funding
£70k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
9.2%
Persistent absence
379
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School
Questions parents ask about Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School
What are SATs results like at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School?
Of the pupils at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 92% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School?
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School?
Classes at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School average 30.8 pupils (2025/26). 5 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School?
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School has around 429 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School in 2024/25. 9.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School?
Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School is at Bridge Street, Wye, Ashford, Kent, TN25 5EA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)