Thistle Hill Primary School, Sheerness
Thistle Hill Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Sheerness, part of The Stour Academy Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 10 schools in Sheerness with published results, and 13,056th of 14,452 across England. It was 82% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thistle Hill Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils at Thistle Hill Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 71% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Thistle Hill Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Thistle Hill Primary School as their first choice and 78 named it as one of their preferences, for 38 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 Thistle Hill Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thistle Hill Primary School are Minster in Sheppey Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 93% reading, 91% maths); St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 83% reading, 63% maths); Halfway Houses Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 86% reading, 81% maths); and Richmond Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 70% reading, 63% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Thistle Hill Primary School.
Minster in Sheppey Primary SchoolSt Georges CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolHalfway Houses Primary SchoolRichmond Primary School
The trust
Thistle Hill Primary School is one of 9 schools run by The Stour Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
93 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Thistle Hill Primary School (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 65% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (65%).
Who goes there
49.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 8.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Black (9%).
In 2026, 115 pupils (33%) received SEN support and 27 (7.7%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Thistle Hill Primary School has a resourced provision for autism: 20 places, 10 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Thistle Hill Primary School had 23 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Queenborough Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heron Drive (opposite), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Thistle Hill Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 3.3 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; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2018, 8 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are happy and feel safe at this inclusive school, where everyone is welcome. The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour, and pupils rise to meet these well. Pupils treat one another with care. They know that their school values of showing support, togetherness, ambition, respect and success (STARS) allow them to shine. Pupils strive to live out these values daily and are keen to earn recognition for demonstrating these, such as earning certificates, points and the chance to attend the weekly 'golden lunch'.
Staff know pupils well and are ambitious for what all can achieve, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has made significant improvements to its provision over the last few years. Pupils achieve well. Parents also recognise these improvements, noting the 'warm and stable environment' with staff, who go 'above and beyond' for their children whose 'achievements are celebrated'.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a curriculum that carefully identifies the essential knowledge and skills that pupils need to know. This builds effectively from the early years upwards, meaning that children in Reception are given firm foundations from which their next stages of learning are developed.
Staff subject knowledge is strong and clear explanations support pupils in understanding their learning. In most lessons, careful checks are made to ensure that pupils have understood their learning. In most subjects, but especially in English and mathematics, tasks in lessons are well designed to support the intended learning. However, in some wider subjects, these links are not always as consistently strong.
From Ofsted's November 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its May 2018 inspection.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
49.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
93 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 declined from 80% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 71% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.0
Avg class size
26.5
Infant (KS1)
25.7
KS2
11
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thistle Hill Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thistle Hill Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thistle Hill 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
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 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 Thistle Hill Primary School
Will you get a place at Thistle Hill Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thistle Hill Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thistle Hill Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thistle Hill 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 Thistle Hill Primary School for 2015 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
82%
Available places
343 pupils
420 places
77 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sheerness
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sheerness
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
115
SEN Support
27
EHC Plans
40.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Thistle Hill Primary School has a resourced provision for autism: 20 places, 10 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
349
Total Pupils
167
Boys
182
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
15.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£40,789
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,605
Per pupil
£2189k
Total funding
£233k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
22.5%
Persistent absence
338
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
Thistle Hill Primary School
Questions parents ask about Thistle Hill Primary School
What are SATs results like at Thistle Hill Primary School?
Of the pupils at Thistle Hill Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 59% reached the expected standard in reading and 59% did so in maths.
What is Thistle Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Thistle Hill Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2018, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Thistle Hill Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Thistle Hill 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 Thistle Hill Primary School?
Thistle Hill Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 82% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Thistle Hill Primary School?
Classes at Thistle Hill Primary School average 26 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Thistle Hill Primary School?
Thistle Hill Primary School has around 349 pupils on roll. 50% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Thistle Hill Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Thistle Hill Primary School has a resourced provision for autism: 20 places, 10 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Thistle Hill Primary School?
7% of sessions were missed at Thistle Hill Primary School in 2024/25. 22.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thistle Hill Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Thistle Hill 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 Thistle Hill Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thistle Hill Primary School?
Thistle Hill Primary School is at Aspen Drive, Minster-on-Sea, Sheerness, Kent, ME12 3UD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)