Thornton Primary School, Bradford
Thornton Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bradford, part of Focus Academy Trust (uk) Ltd. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 81st-highest of the 110 schools in Bradford with published results, and 11,866th of 14,452 across England. It was 65% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- 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 Bradford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thornton Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils at Thornton Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Bradford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (76% in reading, 55% in maths).
Getting a place at Thornton Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 51 families put Thornton Primary School as their first choice and 81 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 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 Thornton Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thornton Primary School are Foxhill Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 87% reading, 90% maths); Keelham Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 88% reading, 81% maths); The Academy At St. James (1.3 miles, Good, 68% reading, 59% maths); and Ley Top Primary School (1.6 miles, Requires improvement, 65% reading, 47% maths).
Thornton Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Foxhill Primary SchoolKeelham Primary SchoolThe Academy At St. JamesLey Top Primary School
The trust
Thornton Primary School is one of 15 schools run by Focus Academy Trust (uk) Ltd, an academy trust.
What parents say
62 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Thornton Primary School (as of September 2025): 81% would recommend the school, 84% say their child is happy there and 65% 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) (65%).
Who goes there
4.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%), Asian (13%) and Mixed (8%).
Thornton Primary School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 12 places, 11 pupils on roll.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Thornton Primary School.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thornton Primary School, 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 56 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bradford (404).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Thornton Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 1.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Thornton Primary School are Beckfoot Thornton (1.4 miles) and Trinity Academy Bradford (1.8 miles).
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
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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from January 2020, 6 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Thornton Primary School is a warm, caring place where your child will feel happy and supported. Reading is taught exceptionally well from the early years, and the school has an ambitious curriculum that helps children build strong knowledge. The school also provides excellent support for children with additional needs, ensuring all pupils can participate and succeed.
Key Strengths
- Reading is taught extremely well with effective phonics instruction and regular knowledge checks
- The curriculum is ambitious and well-sequenced, helping pupils build knowledge as they progress
- Strong support for pupils with SEND through adapted provision and inclusive practices
- Pupils develop character through meaningful leadership roles in school and community
- High expectations for behaviour are mostly followed, with pupils understanding the 'Thornton 3 Always' values
Areas for Improvement
- Some gaps in older pupils' foundational knowledge in mathematics and writing have not been fully addressed
- Behaviour expectations are not always applied consistently across the school
- Some pupils did not achieve as well as they could in 2024 published outcomes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Active ambassadors (sports and games leadership), dementia ambassadors (singing and dancing with local care home residents), pupil parliament, first aid training, water safety education
Thornton Primary School has maintained good standards since its previous inspection in 2020. This is a welcoming, inclusive school where pupils develop strong relationships with caring staff and are ambitious to achieve highly.
At a Glance
31.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
62 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 declined from 76% to 62% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 55% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 76% to 56% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.9
Avg class size
25.8
Infant (KS1)
28.4
KS2
16
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thornton Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thornton Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thornton Primary School is in Bradford; for families living there:
- Bradford's school travel policy: Home to school travel and transport policy for children of compulsory school age
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
3 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 Bradford is 30 (the median across 233 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 Thornton Primary School
Will you get a place at Thornton Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thornton Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thornton Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thornton Primary School.
- Bradford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Thornton Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Thornton Primary School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bradford 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
65%
Available places
431 pupils
660 places
229 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bradford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bradford
Across Bradford council
Places available
7,475
Applications
6,301
Got 1st preference
92.3%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Bradford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
22
EHC Plans
16.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Thornton Primary School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 12 places, 11 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
449
Total Pupils
226
Boys
223
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
19.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,751
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,254
Per pupil
£2588k
Total funding
£180k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
15.2%
Persistent absence
396
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
Thornton Primary School
Questions parents ask about Thornton Primary School
What are SATs results like at Thornton Primary School?
Of the pupils at Thornton Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 62% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is Thornton Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Thornton Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Thornton Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Thornton Primary School is oversubscribed, Bradford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thornton Primary School?
Thornton Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 65% of its 660 places.
How big are the classes at Thornton Primary School?
Classes at Thornton Primary School average 23.9 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Thornton Primary School?
Thornton Primary School has around 449 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Thornton Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Thornton Primary School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 12 places, 11 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Thornton Primary School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Thornton Primary School in 2024/25. 15.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thornton Primary School?
Apply through Bradford's coordinated admissions process, naming Thornton 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.
How many road collisions happen near Thornton Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 3 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 Bradford is 30 (the median across 233 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thornton Primary School?
Thornton Primary School is at Thornton Road, Thornton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD13 3NN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)