Thornhill Primary School, Rotherham
Thornhill Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Rotherham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 67 schools in Rotherham with published results, and 3,246th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Rotherham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thornhill Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Thornhill Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 72% in Rotherham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 80% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Thornhill Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Thornhill Primary School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 31 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 Thornhill Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thornhill Primary School are Ferham Primary School (0.4 miles, 29% reading, 33% maths); Kimberworth Community Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 68% reading, 79% maths); St Bede's Catholic Primary School (1 mile, Good, 79% reading, 90% maths); and Meadow View Primary School (1.1 miles, 57% reading, 61% maths).
Thornhill Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Ferham Primary SchoolKimberworth Community Primary SchoolSt Bede's Catholic Primary SchoolMeadow View Primary School
Who goes there
40.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 46.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (37%), White British (23%) and Black (17%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Rotherham Station To Parkgate, about 810 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is New Wortley Road/Henley Rise (adjacent), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Thornhill Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 477 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Rotherham (146), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Thornhill Primary School issued 18 suspensions, 5.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Thornhill Primary School are Winterhill School (1 mile), Wingfield Academy (1.1 miles) and Clifton Community School (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's October 2022 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Thornhill Primary is a caring community where your child will feel safe and supported. Teachers explain things clearly and check that your child understands, and the school has a strong focus on helping all children develop a love of reading. The school does particularly well at welcoming children who start partway through the year and those learning English as an additional language.
Key Strengths
- Pupils behave well, feel safe, and are kind and respectful to one another
- Teachers use clear explanations and check understanding carefully, with pupils speaking knowledgeably about their learning
- Strong focus on developing a love of reading with a new early reading curriculum and regular staff training
- Good support for pupils who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs
- Effective safeguarding arrangements with regular staff training and prompt action on concerns
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not always match phonics teaching to individual pupils' stages of learning, slowing reading progress for some pupils
- Curriculum plans in some subjects like science and history do not clearly set out the specific knowledge pupils should learn in each year group
- Some pupils are taught letter sounds they are not ready for, which hinders their progress
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff receiving regular training to identify risks and leaders acting promptly on concerns whilst working with external agencies.
Extracurricular Activities
Singing club, youth club, sporting competitions with other schools, harvest celebration, regular visits, residential stay
Thornhill Primary School is a good school where pupils feel safe and supported. Leaders have high expectations and have recently worked to improve the curriculum so pupils achieve well.
At a Glance
40.5%
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 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 82% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 57% to 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.3
Avg class size
27.5
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
7
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 Thornhill Primary School
Term dates
Thornhill Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Rotherham. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 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)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thornhill Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thornhill Primary School is in Rotherham; for families living there:
Apply to Rotherham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 11 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
6 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 Rotherham is 13 (the median across 128 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 Thornhill Primary School
Will you get a place at Thornhill Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thornhill Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thornhill Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thornhill Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Rotherham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Thornhill Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Rotherham 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
99%
Near capacity
314 pupils
315 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rotherham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rotherham
Across Rotherham council
Places available
3,506
Applications
2,863
Got 1st preference
94.3%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All primary applications across Rotherham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
14.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
316
Total Pupils
151
Boys
165
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
21.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,037
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,771
Per pupil
£2400k
Total funding
£194k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
18.2%
Persistent absence
286
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
Thornhill Primary School
Questions parents ask about Thornhill Primary School
What are SATs results like at Thornhill Primary School?
Of the pupils at Thornhill Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is Thornhill Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Thornhill Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2022.
What is the catchment area for Thornhill Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Thornhill Primary School is oversubscribed, Rotherham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thornhill Primary School?
Thornhill Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Thornhill Primary School?
Classes at Thornhill Primary School average 24.3 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 Thornhill Primary School?
Thornhill Primary School has around 316 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Thornhill Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Thornhill Primary School in 2024/25. 18.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thornhill Primary School?
Apply through Rotherham's coordinated admissions process, naming Thornhill 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.
What are Thornhill Primary School's term dates?
Thornhill Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Rotherham. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 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). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Thornhill Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 11 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 6 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 Rotherham is 13 (the median across 128 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thornhill Primary School?
Thornhill Primary School is at Clough Bank, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S61 1TD.
Sources: Rotherham term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)