St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School, Walsall
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Walsall. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 51 schools in Walsall with published results, and 637th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Walsall (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in detail
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, cricket, gymnastics, cross-country and dance.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 95% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in Walsall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 79% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 9 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School are Edgar Stammers Primary Academy (0.2 miles, Good, 68% reading, 70% maths); Goldsmith Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 84% reading, 77% maths); North Walsall Primary Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 77% reading, 73% maths); and Christ Church Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles).
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Edgar Stammers Primary AcademyGoldsmith Primary AcademyNorth Walsall Primary AcademyChrist Church Church of England Primary School
What parents say
14 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Staffing
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School had 19 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Walsall Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Thomas RC School (adjacent), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.3 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 workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a genuinely caring home-like environment where children feel valued and happy. Teachers have high expectations for every child and provide excellent support to help them succeed, whether through extra help for those falling behind or adapted teaching for children with special needs. Almost all pupils participate in exciting clubs and activities - from bee-keeping to county sports competitions - ensuring there really is something for everyone.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional pupil behaviour with strong respect for others and outstanding attendance rates
- Well-designed curriculum with progressive learning sequences that help pupils build deep knowledge over time
- Highly effective approach to early reading and phonics, with most children fluent readers by Year 2
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND who actively participate and make strong progress
- Comprehensive extra-curricular programme with clubs and experiences for almost all pupils
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Bee colony maintenance, county sporting tournaments, high-quality clubs and enrichment experiences
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is a caring and inclusive school where pupils flourish in a joyful environment built on strong community values. Evidence suggests the school's work has improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection.
At a Glance
23.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
14 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 79% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 85% to 95% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 82% to 88% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.3
Avg class size
19.2
Infant (KS1)
21.9
KS2
15
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School.
- Simply Out Of SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Walsall's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is in Walsall; for families living there:
Apply to Walsall for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 14 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 Walsall is 20.5 (the median across 134 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 of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Walsall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Walsall 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
81%
Available places
270 pupils
332 places
62 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Walsall
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Walsall
Across Walsall council
Places available
3,855
Applications
3,340
Got 1st preference
93.8%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Walsall council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(13)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
56
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
23.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
296
Total Pupils
141
Boys
155
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
15.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,261
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,861
Per pupil
£1739k
Total funding
£103k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.3%
Overall absence
2.4%
Persistent absence
245
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 of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 95% did so in maths.
What is St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Thomas of Canterbury 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 February 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Walsall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 332 places.
How big are the classes at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School average 19.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School has around 296 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
2.3% of sessions were missed at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 2.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Walsall's coordinated admissions process, naming St Thomas of Canterbury 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 of Canterbury Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Simply Out Of School (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 of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 14 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Walsall is 20.5 (the median across 134 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is at Dartmouth Avenue, Coalpool, Walsall, West Midlands, WS3 1SP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)