Thornhill Primary School, Dunstable
Thornhill Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Dunstable. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 20 schools in Dunstable with published results, and 5,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 69% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Thornhill Primary School in detail
Thornhill Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are very excited to welcome you to Thornhill Primary School; a school set across two sites expanding to 3 forms of entry. Grove Road Site - This site is for our Preschool, Reception and Year 1 children. Silver Birch Site - This is the brand new school that opened in September 22."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Thursday 5 November 2026 at 4pm and an open evening on Thursday 5 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Central Bedfordshire
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Thornhill Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 85% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 66% in Central Bedfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (80% in reading, 83% in maths).
Getting a place at Thornhill Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 93 families put Thornhill Primary School as their first choice and 188 named it as one of their preferences, for 89 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Thornhill Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thornhill Primary School are Lime Tree Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 60% maths); St Vincent's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 93% reading, 80% maths); Tithe Farm Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 58% reading, 54% maths); and Chalton Lower School (0.8 miles, Good).
Thornhill Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Lime Tree Primary AcademySt Vincent's Catholic Primary SchoolTithe Farm Primary SchoolChalton Lower School
What parents say
56 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Thornhill Primary School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 88% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (98%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (88%).
Who goes there
53.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (35%), Asian (19%) and Black (16%).
In 2026, 32 pupils (6.2%) received SEN support and 15 (2.9%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leagrave Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Silver Birch Park (s-bound), 250 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 140 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Thornhill Primary 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 May 2011, 15 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 Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Thornhill Primary School excels at creating an inclusive, respectful community where children thrive both academically and personally. Pupils achieve strong results in English and mathematics while enjoying an exceptionally broad curriculum with enriching activities. The school's outstanding approach to personal development means children learn to value each other's uniqueness and take meaningful leadership roles.
Key Strengths
- Broad and ambitious curriculum that is well-sequenced, particularly strong in English and mathematics where pupils achieve well in national tests
- Exceptional personal development provision with high levels of respect, excellent care for each other, and a large Junior Leadership Team that makes a real difference to school life
- Effective phonics teaching and strong reading provision throughout the school, with well-resourced library and reading spaces
- Quick identification and effective support for pupils with special educational needs, including access to external agencies when needed
- Strong staff subject knowledge that encourages pupils to explore topics with excitement
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, teaching is not always adapted to meet pupils' individual needs, so pupils don't learn as much as they could
- Attendance remains a concern for a small number of pupils, though the school is working positively with families to improve this
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils feeling safe and knowing they have trusted adults and pupil 'worry busters' to support them.
Extracurricular Activities
Street dance, crochet, photography, glockenspiel, electives programme with lunchtime and additional lessons
Thornhill Primary School is a growing, diverse primary school where most pupils enjoy attending and achieve strong outcomes in national tests. The school has been rated Good across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management, with Outstanding personal development provision.
At a Glance
16.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
56 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 remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.8
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thornhill Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Thornhill Primary School.
- Kidz Zone ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
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 Central Bedfordshire; for families living there:
- Central Bedfordshire's school travel policy: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 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 Central Bedfordshire, 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 Central Bedfordshire 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
69%
Available places
432 pupils
630 places
198 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dunstable
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dunstable
Across Central Bedfordshire council
Places available
4,158
Applications
3,678
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across Central Bedfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
32
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
9.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
516
Total Pupils
269
Boys
247
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
20.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£40,944
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,359
Per pupil
£2429k
Total funding
£103k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
8.1%
Persistent absence
359
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, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 85% did so in maths.
What is Thornhill Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Thornhill Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Thornhill Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Thornhill Primary School is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire 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 not full in 2025: it ran at 69% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Thornhill Primary School?
Classes at Thornhill Primary School average 27.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Thornhill Primary School?
Thornhill Primary School has around 516 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Thornhill Primary School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Thornhill Primary School in 2024/25. 8.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thornhill Primary School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire'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.
Does Thornhill Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kidz Zone Club (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Thornhill Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thornhill Primary School?
Thornhill Primary School is at Grove Road, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 5PE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)