Thorns Community Infant School, Kenilworth

Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 47

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~501m)Possible (~716m)Unlikely (~931m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Lizzy Biggs
Pupils:169 / 180 capacity
LA:Warwickshire
Phone:01926853875
Address:Blackthorn Road, Kenilworth, CV8 2DS
Federation:Thorns and Park Hill Federation
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 5 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 28 April 2026View full report
URN:125550
UKPRN:10072748
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Kenilworth and Southam
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Thorns Community Infant School excels at creating a nurturing, inclusive environment where every child feels valued and safe. Teachers are skilled at phonics and early reading, helping pupils to progress quickly, while the school's ambitious approach to enrichment - from forest school to swimming to visits to places of worship - ensures all pupils, including the most disadvantaged, access a rich learning experience. Parents love the caring atmosphere and close partnerships with families.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve well in phonics, reading, writing and number facts, with most ready for junior school by the end of Year 2
  • High attendance rates and very low persistent absence due to effective monitoring and family support
  • Warm, positive relationships throughout the school create a calm learning environment where pupils feel safe
  • Strong inclusion and support for disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs and those known to social care
  • Wide range of enrichment activities including forest school, swimming, coding club and trips that are accessible to all pupils

Areas for Improvement

  • Quality and presentation of work across the wider curriculum remains variable, though this is improving
  • Tasks across the wider curriculum are not always precisely matched to pupils' needs and intended learning outcomes
  • Some early years staff miss opportunities to extend children's language during interactions
  • Support for some older pupils with barriers to learning could have been identified and implemented earlier
  • Some pupils who receive adult support would benefit from greater independence in their learning

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and acted upon, and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Coding club, forest school, swimming, trips, visits to places of worship, parent events

Thorns Community Infant School is a warm, welcoming infant school where pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, and develop secure knowledge across the curriculum. Leaders have established effective systems for safeguarding, inclusion and personal development that help all pupils, especially the most vulnerable, to thrive.

At a Glance

8.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

29.3

Avg class size

29.3

Infant (KS1)

6

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Kenilworth Rail Station
351m · 6 min walk

Bus Stops

Lime Grove (Adj)
245m · 4 min walk
Thornby Avenue (Adj)
257m · 4 min walk
Blackthorne Road (Opp)
266m · 4 min walk
The Gardens (Adj)
286m · 5 min walk
Brookline Travel (Adj)
307m · 5 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

94%

Near capacity

169 pupils

180 capacity

11 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Kenilworth

High pressure
New homes approved:751
Projected new pupils:188

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Kenilworth

Admissions Demand - Warwickshire

Low demand0.86x oversubscription

Places available

7,187

Applications

6,166

Got 1st preference

90.6%

Got preferred school

98.0%

Primary admissions across Warwickshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

28 April 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
1 March 2022
7 February 2017

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

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

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

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.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

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.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.60169%

Overall absence

6.66667%

Persistent absence

120

Enrolments

Authorised2.95258%
Unauthorised0.64912%
Persistent (10%+)6.66667%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.06719%
18/19
2.6532%
20/21
4.134%
21/22
4.54676%
22/23
3.98421%
23/24
3.60169%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.