Thorney Close Primary School, Sunderland

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~419m)Possible (~599m)Unlikely (~779m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Catherine Jones
Pupils:289 / 315 capacity
LA:Sunderland
Phone:01915250808
Address:Torquay Road, Sunderland, SR3 4BB
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:108828
UKPRN:10077168
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Houghton and Sunderland South
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Thorney Close Primary School provides a calm, caring environment where children thrive academically and personally. The dedicated leadership team ensures every pupil receives support tailored to their needs, with staff working closely with families and outside agencies. Pupils develop excellent behaviour and attitudes to learning while enjoying a broad curriculum with engaging, cross-curricular activities.

Key Strengths

  • Strong leadership team with clear vision for continuous improvement and staff development
  • Pupils make good progress from early years through to Year 6, with above-average attainment in key stage 1
  • Effective safeguarding procedures with thorough staff training and detailed record-keeping
  • Positive behaviour and excellent pupil attitudes to learning
  • Good attendance rates achieved through targeted, personalised approaches with families

Areas for Improvement

  • Need to increase the proportion of pupils reaching greater depth in mathematics at key stage 1
  • Further development of leadership skills needed for all subject leaders, particularly those responsible for foundation subjects
  • Continue to build on recent improvements in early years writing

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective with thorough staff and governor training, detailed checks on all workers, and pupils feeling safe and confident to seek help from any adult in school.

Extracurricular Activities

Trip to pirate ship

Thorney Close Primary School continues to be good, with strong leadership that has maintained educational quality since the last inspection in 2013. The school has established a calm, purposeful environment where pupils feel safe and confident to learn.

At a Glance

55.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

HI - Hearing Impairment

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
ReadingMaths-2ppWriting-2pp

Reading has remained stable at around 80%. Maths has remained stable at around 78%. Writing has remained stable at around 73%.

Class Sizes

23.8

Avg class size

25.0

Infant (KS1)

23.5

KS2

9

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

North Moor (N-Bound)
200m · 3 min walk
Thorndale Road - Thorney Close Rd (NE-Bound)
242m · 4 min walk
Thorndale Road-Telford Road (SE-Bound)
273m · 4 min walk
Telford Road-Tanfield Road (SW-Bound)
279m · 5 min walk
Thorney Close Road (SE-Bound)
282m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

92%

Near capacity

289 pupils

315 capacity

26 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Sunderland

Low pressure
New homes approved:2,785
Projected new pupils:696

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Sunderland

Admissions Demand - Sunderland

Low demand0.80x oversubscription

Places available

3,460

Applications

2,785

Got 1st preference

95.4%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Primary admissions across Sunderland (2025/26)

Inspection History(107)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.99482%

Overall absence

21.64502%

Persistent absence

231

Enrolments

Authorised4.54164%
Unauthorised1.45318%
Persistent (10%+)21.64502%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

4.64908%
18/19
3.47128%
20/21
7.65504%
21/22
7.0346%
22/23
6.60642%
23/24
5.99482%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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