Thornden Wood Primary School, Herne Bay
Thornden Wood Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Herne Bay, part of Ekc Schools Trust Limited. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 5 schools in Herne Bay with published results, and 3,246th of 14,452 across England. It was 73% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Thornden Wood Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Thornden Wood Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 90% in reading and 88% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Thornden Wood Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Thornden Wood Primary School as their first choice and 131 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 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 Thornden Wood Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thornden Wood Primary School are Hampton Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 59% reading, 61% maths); Herne Bay Infant School (1.3 miles, Good); Herne Bay Junior School (1.4 miles, Good, 56% reading, 40% maths); and Herne Church of England Junior School (1.5 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 90% maths).
Thornden Wood Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Hampton Primary SchoolHerne Bay Infant SchoolHerne Bay Junior SchoolHerne Church of England Junior School
The trust
Thornden Wood Primary School is one of 12 schools run by Ekc Schools Trust Limited, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
41.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 72 pupils (21.4%) received SEN support and 6 (1.8%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Herne Bay Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rowland Drive (adjacent), 100 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Thornden Wood Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 2.3 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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
41.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 88% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.9
Avg class size
25.5
Infant (KS1)
26.3
KS2
13
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thornden Wood Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thornden Wood Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thornden Wood 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
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 Thornden Wood Primary School
Will you get a place at Thornden Wood Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thornden Wood Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thornden Wood Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thornden Wood 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 Thornden Wood Primary School for 2021 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
73%
Available places
306 pupils
420 places
114 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Herne Bay
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Herne Bay
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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
72
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
23.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
337
Total Pupils
170
Boys
167
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
19.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,779
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,640
Per pupil
£1961k
Total funding
£182k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
19.2%
Persistent absence
291
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
Thornden Wood Primary School
Questions parents ask about Thornden Wood Primary School
What are SATs results like at Thornden Wood Primary School?
Of the pupils at Thornden Wood Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Thornden Wood Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Thornden Wood Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024.
What is the catchment area for Thornden Wood Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Thornden Wood 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 Thornden Wood Primary School?
Thornden Wood Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 73% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Thornden Wood Primary School?
Classes at Thornden Wood Primary School average 25.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Thornden Wood Primary School?
Thornden Wood Primary School has around 337 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Thornden Wood Primary School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Thornden Wood Primary School in 2024/25. 19.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thornden Wood Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Thornden Wood 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 Thornden Wood 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: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 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 Thornden Wood Primary School?
Thornden Wood Primary School is at Greenhill Road, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 7RS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)