Thurston Church of England Primary Academy, Bury St. Edmunds
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Bury St. Edmunds, part of The Tilian Partnership. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 7 schools in Bury St. Edmunds with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was 80% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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 Suffolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 75% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Suffolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 71% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 56 families put Thurston Church of England Primary Academy as their first choice and 84 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 Thurston Church of England Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thurston Church of England Primary Academy are Norton CEVC Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, 90% reading, 83% maths); Elmswell Community Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths); Woolpit Primary Academy (2.6 miles, Good, 47% reading, 47% maths); and Ixworth Church of England Primary School (3.3 miles, Good, 80% reading, 85% maths).
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Norton CEVC Primary SchoolElmswell Community Primary SchoolWoolpit Primary AcademyIxworth Church of England Primary School
The trust
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy is one of 15 schools run by The Tilian Partnership, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
58 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Thurston Church of England Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 62% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (97%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (62%).
Who goes there
3.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Elmswell Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is War Memorial (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Thurston Church of England Primary Academy issued 24 suspensions, 7.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2012, 13 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 November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Parents can be confident that their children will learn to read well in a friendly environment where behaviour is taken seriously and everyone is made welcome. The school provides excellent support for children who need extra help, including those with additional needs, and has created a culture where kindness and respect are central to school life.
Key Strengths
- Reading is a priority with excellent daily reading practice and support for struggling readers
- Strong behaviour culture through the 'Thurston Way' with clear expectations and positive rewards
- Effective support for pupils with SEND who learn well alongside their peers
- Broad, ambitious curriculum that builds progressively from early years to Year 6
- Welcoming, inclusive environment where new pupils settle in quickly
Areas for Improvement
- Some curriculum changes are still embedding, occasionally leading to work that is not demanding enough for higher-achieving pupils
- Gaps in learning are not always closed quickly enough in some subjects
- Persistent absence among some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, means they fall behind and miss enrichment opportunities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear policies and procedures in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Playground book nook, reflective garden, lunchtime monitors, pupil playground working party activities including table football
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy is a friendly, inclusive school where pupils enjoy learning and behave well. The school has a broad, ambitious curriculum with reading at its heart, and is successfully managing a rapidly expanding pupil roll.
At a Glance
20.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
58 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 improved from 71% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 73% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
28.1
KS2
13
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thurston Church of England Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Thurston Church of England Primary Academy.
- Norton After School Club460m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Suffolk's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thurston Church of England Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thurston Church of England Primary Academy is in Suffolk; for families living there:
Apply to Suffolk for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 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 Thurston Church of England Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thurston Church of England Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thurston Church of England Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thurston Church of England Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Suffolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy for 2016 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Suffolk 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
80%
Available places
337 pupils
420 places
83 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bury St. Edmunds
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bury St. Edmunds
Across Suffolk council
Places available
8,806
Applications
6,492
Got 1st preference
94.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Suffolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
66
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
23.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
349
Total Pupils
183
Boys
166
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,305
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1848k
Total funding
£102k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
11.3%
Persistent absence
301
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Thurston Church of England Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Thurston Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Thurston Church of England Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Thurston Church of England Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Suffolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy?
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy?
Classes at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy average 26.8 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Thurston Church of England Primary Academy?
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy has around 349 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Thurston Church of England Primary Academy in 2024/25. 11.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thurston Church of England Primary Academy?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Thurston Church of England Primary Academy 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 Thurston Church of England Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Thurston Church of England Primary Academy: Norton After School Club (460m away, 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 Thurston Church of England Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thurston Church of England Primary Academy?
Thurston Church of England Primary Academy is at Pond Field Road, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP31 3FT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)