St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Milton Keynes
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Milton Keynes. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 60 schools in Milton Keynes with published results, and 1,534th of 14,452 across England. It was 78% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Milton Keynes (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School in detail
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Our mission statement can be seen and felt around school: "I have called you by your name; you are mine" Isaiah 43:1. This scripture is at the heart of our school's ethos: it informs the attitudes and aspirations of our whole community."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, a school where children can grow in the love of God and one another, develop their talents, form lasting friendships and fulfill their potential. We are most fortunate in being very well supported by our parents, the Parish of St Thomas Aquinas and All Saints and the wider community."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance and choir.
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Monday 9 November 2026 and an open day on Monday 23 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Milton Keynes
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 98% of Year 6 pupils at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 78% in Milton Keynes and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (89% in reading, 93% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 55 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School are Chestnuts Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 68% maths); Holne Chase Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 87% reading, 87% maths); Rickley Park Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 59% reading, 53% maths); and Barleyhurst Park Primary (0.9 miles, Good, 58% reading, 58% maths).
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Chestnuts Primary SchoolHolne Chase Primary SchoolRickley Park Primary SchoolBarleyhurst Park Primary
What parents say
27 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (78%).
Who goes there
14.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 39.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (34%), Asian (17%) and Black (17%).
In 2026, 30 pupils (14.9%) received SEN support and 2 (1%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bletchley Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Mary's Avenue (adjacent), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School are Lord Grey Academy (0.7 miles) and Lift Sir Herbert Leon (1.4 miles).
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Thomas Aquinas creates a warm, family-like environment where children feel genuinely cared for and motivated to learn. With outstanding behaviour and attendance, plus above-average results by Year 6, your child will thrive academically whilst developing strong values including kindness, fairness and global citizenship. The school expertly supports all learners, including those with additional needs.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and conduct with clear, consistent expectations that pupils follow joyfully
- Strong sense of community where pupils feel safe, valued and motivated to attend school with exemplary attendance
- Ambitious curriculum with pupils achieving above national averages by Year 6, including those with SEND
- Excellent personal development with pupils understanding British values, self-regulating emotions, and engaging in charitable work
- Highly successful teaching of reading for older pupils who achieve significantly better than national averages
Areas for Improvement
- Some teaching of letter sounds in early reading does not meet the school's expectations, and staff have not received sufficiently rigorous feedback to improve
- Inconsistent monitoring of teaching quality in some subjects means gaps in teaching quality hinder some pupils' progress
- Leaders have not evaluated the effectiveness of training as stringently as they could in all subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Community leaders roles, Eco committee
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School is a good quality primary school where pupils flourish in a supportive community atmosphere and achieve well by the end of Year 6. The school has made significant improvements since its previous inspection, with outstanding behaviour, attitudes, and personal development.
At a Glance
14.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
27 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 improved from 89% to 98% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 93% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 73% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.1
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
8
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School.
- St Thomas Aquinas After School ProjectAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School is in Milton Keynes; for families living there:
- Milton Keynes's school travel policy: School Travel Support Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
2 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 Milton Keynes is 8 (the median across 125 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 St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School.
- Milton Keynes publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Milton Keynes 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
78%
Available places
231 pupils
295 places
64 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Milton Keynes
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Milton Keynes
Across Milton Keynes council
Places available
4,130
Applications
3,155
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Milton Keynes council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
15.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
201
Total Pupils
101
Boys
100
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
15.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,303
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,576
Per pupil
£1410k
Total funding
£47k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
6.2%
Persistent absence
209
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
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 98% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Milton Keynes allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School?
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 78% of its 295 places.
How big are the classes at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School average 25.1 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School?
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School has around 201 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 6.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Milton Keynes's coordinated admissions process, naming St Thomas Aquinas Catholic 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.
Does St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: St Thomas Aquinas After School Project (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 2 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 Milton Keynes is 8 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School?
St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School is at St Mary's Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK3 5DT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)