Thornhill Primary School, Southampton

Ofsted's report card from its 24 March 2026 inspection grades Thornhill Primary School on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders' work to improve attendance is making a tangible difference."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The school's curriculum is interesting and ambitious."

Early years - Expected standard. "Many children start in the early years with wide gaps in their language and communication skills."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that pupils' needs are identified swiftly and accurately."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and trustees are ambitious for the school and the community it serves."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a well-ordered personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum that supports pupils to be ready for their futures."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, have not achieved as well as they should in national examinations at the end of key stage 2."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff have the expertise to make timely adjustments in teaching, so that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from the support that they need to access the curriculum equally well in all subjects"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers check for, and address, any gaps in pupils' knowledge, including their phonics knowledge, with precision, so that pupils' learning builds securely in all subjects"; "Leaders should continue to take effective action to address any gaps in older pupils' knowledge of reading, writing and mathematics, so that these pupils achieve highly and leave school well prepared for the next stage of their education"; "Leaders should continue to reduce rates of persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that they benefit from all that the school has to offer"; "Leaders should continue to embed the improvements they have made to ensure consistently high standards across the school, particularly in pupils' achievement".

In its own words: "Together we grow successful learners, responsible citizens and safe and happy individuals. Our school logo of a tree reminds us that every day we grow together. The children are rewarded for keeping to our school values of being a successful learner, responsible citizen and safe and happy individual."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Our aim is to create a positive, secure and stimulating environment in which everyone feels valued and can become successful learners. You can see evidence of our warm and caring ethos."

The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care, from £4 per session.

In 2025, 44% of Year 6 pupils at Thornhill Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 41% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 71% and 70% in Southampton and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 44% in reading and 24% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 25 families put Thornhill Primary School as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Thornhill Primary School are Kanes Hill Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 84% reading, 77% maths); Sholing Junior School (0.7 miles, Good, 71% reading, 72% maths); Harefield Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 72% reading, 72% maths); and Sholing Infant School (0.7 miles, Outstanding).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Thornhill Primary School.

Thornhill Primary School is one of 37 schools run by Hamwic Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

14 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Thornhill Primary School (as of April 2026): 79% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

65.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Sholing Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is North East Road (opposite), 240 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Thornhill Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Thornhill Primary School issued 53 suspensions, 15.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Thornhill Primary School are Woodlands Community College (0.7 miles), Oasis Academy Sholing (0.8 miles), Oasis Academy Mayfield (1.3 miles) and Weston Secondary School (1.7 miles).