St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School, Grays
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Grays, part of Christus Catholic Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 16 schools in Grays with published results, and 6,288th of 14,452 across England. It was 91% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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 Thurrock (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in detail
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our school upholds the central value that Christ is at the heart of what we teach and everything we do. Founded in 1886, St Thomas' serves the community of Grays. Whilst embracing diversity, it provides a caring and inclusive environment with supportive, enthusiastic and dedicated staff, parents, governors and parish."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 81% in Thurrock and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (79% in reading, 80% in maths).
Getting a place at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 41 families put St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 111 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
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 Quarry Hill Academy (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 97% maths); Little Thurrock Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 77% reading, 75% maths); Deneholm Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 78% maths); and Tudor Court Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths).
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Quarry Hill AcademyLittle Thurrock Primary SchoolDeneholm Primary SchoolTudor Court Primary School
The trust
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is one of 7 schools run by Christus Catholic Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
38.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (53%), White British (13%) and Mixed (10%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Grays Rail Station, about 0.7 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hathaway Road (s-bound), 290 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 477 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Thurrock (163), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School issued 13 suspensions, 2.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School are The Hathaway Academy (0.2 miles), Grays Convent High School (0.2 miles), Thames Park Secondary School (0.9 miles) and Orsett Heath Academy (1 mile).
The Hathaway AcademyGrays Convent High SchoolThames Park Secondary SchoolOrsett Heath Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from July 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
18.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 68% to 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.5
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
27.7
KS2
14
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
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.
- Amazon Learn850m away · Not yet graded
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 Thurrock; for families living there:
- Thurrock's school travel policy: Home to school travel and transport policy
- How to apply: apply for school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 17 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 on a bicycle.
7 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 Thurrock is 12 (the median across 58 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 Thurrock, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School for 2020 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Thurrock 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
91%
Near capacity
573 pupils
630 places
57 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Grays
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Grays
Across Thurrock council
Places available
2,543
Applications
2,192
Got 1st preference
90.1%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across Thurrock council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
101
SEN Support
23
EHC Plans
23.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
530
Total Pupils
272
Boys
258
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
20.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,772
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,262
Per pupil
£3400k
Total funding
£171k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
11.1%
Persistent absence
549
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
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, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% 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 June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2012, 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, Thurrock 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 91% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School average 27.5 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 of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School has around 530 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 11.1% 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 Thurrock'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 within a kilometre of St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School: Amazon Learn (850m away, 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 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 17 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 on a bicycle. 7 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 Thurrock is 12 (the median across 58 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School?
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School is at Ward Avenue, Grays, Essex, RM17 5RW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)