Thomas Russell Junior School, Burton-on-Trent
Thomas Russell Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Burton-on-Trent. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 23 schools in Burton-on-Trent with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
- Capacity
- 93% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Thomas Russell Junior School in detail
Thomas Russell Junior School in its own words
In its own words: "Following the cancellation of key stage 2 statutory national curriculum assessments in summer 2020 and those due to be held in summer 2021, there will not be any performance measures available for these years. Please follow the link below to access performance data for our school: Please follow the link below to access financial benchmarking information for our school:"
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils at Thomas Russell Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 77% in Staffordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (86% in reading, 88% in maths).
Getting a place at Thomas Russell Junior School
Across Staffordshire, 95% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Staffordshire lodged 86 appeals against primary school offers; 53 reached a hearing and 8 succeeded (15.1% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thomas Russell Junior School are Thomas Russell Infants School (0.2 miles, Good); Walton On Trent CofE Primary and Nursery School (1.6 miles, Good, 68% reading, 53% maths); All Saints Church of England Primary and Nursery School (2.4 miles, 97% reading, 91% maths); and Rykneld Primary School (2.7 miles, Good, 92% reading, 92% maths).
Thomas Russell Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Thomas Russell Infants SchoolWalton On Trent CofE Primary and Nursery SchoolAll Saints Church of England Primary and Nursery SchoolRykneld Primary School
What parents say
98 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Thomas Russell Junior School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
3.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (87%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 29 pupils (11.5%) received SEN support and 6 (2.4%) 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 moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Thomas Russell Junior School.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Arden Road (opposite), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Thomas Russell Junior School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 13 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86).
Suspensions and exclusions
Thomas Russell Junior School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 January 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Thomas Russell Junior School creates a warm, nurturing environment where every pupil is expected to reach their full potential. The school excels at teaching reading, writing and maths to high standards whilst providing excellent emotional support that keeps pupils calm, settled and keen to attend. Staff are outstanding role models who treat all pupils with high levels of respect, resulting in exemplary behaviour and a strong school community.
Key Strengths
- Pupils learn to read and write to a very high standard, with excellent support for early readers- Pupils are confident mathematicians who retain important facts and calculations- Exemplary pupil behaviour and second-to-none attitudes to learning- Strong support for pupils with emotional or learning needs, resulting in excellent attendance- Wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills and become responsible citizens
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment systems for learning are not consistently well embedded across all subjects, meaning some pupils' learning gaps are not identified and addressed promptly
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
After-school clubs
Thomas Russell Junior School is a high-performing school where pupils achieve very well in a warm and nurturing environment. The school has successfully maintained the outstanding standards identified at its previous inspection in January 2019.
At a Glance
3.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
98 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 86% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 88% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
31.5
Avg class size
31.5
KS2
8
Total classes
7 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Thomas Russell Junior School
Micro:bits
13 May 2026
Chocolate Bingo - Mon 16th March 3.45pm
25 Feb 2026
Safer Internet Day - AI
5 Feb 2026
Feelings
28 Jan 2026
Outdoor fun
8 Jan 2026
Christmas Dinner Day
11 Dec 2025
From Thomas Russell Junior School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Thomas Russell Junior School
Term dates
Thomas Russell Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Staffordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thomas Russell Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thomas Russell Junior School is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire 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
- 1
- 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, 1 serious and 0 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
252 pupils
270 places
18 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Burton-on-Trent
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Burton-on-Trent
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
10,768
Applications
8,344
Got 1st preference
95.1%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
29
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
13.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
252
Total Pupils
133
Boys
119
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
18.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,663
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,078
Per pupil
£1346k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.0%
Overall absence
3.1%
Persistent absence
254
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
Thomas Russell Junior School
Questions parents ask about Thomas Russell Junior School
What are SATs results like at Thomas Russell Junior School?
Of the pupils at Thomas Russell Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 94% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Thomas Russell Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Thomas Russell Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Thomas Russell Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Thomas Russell Junior School is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thomas Russell Junior School?
Thomas Russell Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Thomas Russell Junior School?
Classes at Thomas Russell Junior School average 31.5 pupils (2025/26). 7 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Thomas Russell Junior School?
Thomas Russell Junior School has around 252 pupils on roll. 3% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Thomas Russell Junior School?
3% of sessions were missed at Thomas Russell Junior School in 2024/25. 3.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thomas Russell Junior School?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Thomas Russell Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
What are Thomas Russell Junior School's term dates?
Thomas Russell Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Staffordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Thomas Russell Junior 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, 1 serious and 0 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thomas Russell Junior School?
Thomas Russell Junior School is at Gilmour Lane, Barton-Under-Needwood, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE13 8EU.
Sources: Staffordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)