Whaley Thorns Primary School, Mansfield
Whaley Thorns Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Mansfield, part of Learners' Trust. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 37th-highest of the 42 schools in Mansfield with published results, and 13,336th of 14,452 across England. It was 73% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Whaley Thorns Primary School in detail
Whaley Thorns Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to welcome you to Whaley Thorns Primary School. It is a privilege to serve as Principal of such a caring, committed, and ambitious school community. At Whaley Thorns, we believe that every child deserves the very best start in life."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils at Whaley Thorns Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 85% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Whaley Thorns Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Whaley Thorns Primary School as their first choice and 13 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Whaley Thorns Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Whaley Thorns Primary School are Langwith Bassett Primary Academy (1.4 miles, Good, 63% reading, 63% maths); Cuckney CofE Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 84% reading, 79% maths); Brookfield Primary School (1.7 miles, Requires improvement, 29% reading, 43% maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (1.9 miles, Outstanding, 79% reading, 91% maths).
Whaley Thorns Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Langwith Bassett Primary AcademyCuckney CofE Primary SchoolBrookfield Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
The trust
Whaley Thorns Primary School is one of 21 schools run by Learners' Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Whaley Thorns Primary School (as of September 2025): 23% would recommend the school, 46% say their child is happy there and 44% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (62%); the weakest, that they would recommend the school (23%).
Who goes there
53.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Langwith - Whaley Thorns Rail Station, about 490 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Woodland View (adjacent), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Whaley Thorns Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Whaley Thorns Primary School issued 17 suspensions, 12.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Whaley Thorns Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in June 2020. Before that, as Whaley Thorns Primary School (URN 112793), it was rated Requires Improvement in December 2019.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school has high expectations for all pupils. However, these expectations are not fully realised. The quality of education that pupils receive is variable. Pupils do not always have secure knowledge of the subjects they study. As a result, they are not as well prepared for next steps as they should be.
Pupils know and respect the school's motto of 'everyone is different, everyone is special'. They understand the importance of treating people of all backgrounds equally. The school's 'kindness curriculum' helps pupils to reflect on values, such as humility, honesty and empathy. Most of the time, pupils demonstrate these values.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum is ambitious and sets out what pupils should learn and when, including opportunities for pupils to reflect on the most complex aspects of the subjects they study. The school has developed a model for teaching designed to help pupils build their knowledge. However, teachers do not use this model consistently to help pupils learn the school's curriculum. Despite this, pupils' achievements at the end of key stage 2 are improving.
There are variations in how well teachers deliver the curriculum. Teachers use modelling effectively to help pupils think. They often identify subject-specific vocabulary that pupils need to know. However, at times, teachers' explanations and their use of resources do not focus clearly enough on the important knowledge that pupils should learn. Some teachers do not routinely identify and resolve gaps and misconceptions in pupils' knowledge. Pupils cannot always recall and connect their current and prior learning. As a result, pupils develop gaps in what they can remember.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
At a Glance
53.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 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 85% to 55% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 73% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 81% to 50% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.7
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
19.7
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Whaley Thorns Primary School
Term dates
Whaley Thorns Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Derbyshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Whaley Thorns Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whaley Thorns Primary School is in Derbyshire; for families living there:
- Derbyshire's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy 2026 to 2027 - 465KB
- How to apply: Apply for home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 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 Whaley Thorns Primary School
Will you get a place at Whaley Thorns Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Whaley Thorns Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Whaley Thorns Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Whaley Thorns Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Whaley Thorns Primary School for 2021 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Derbyshire 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
73%
Available places
115 pupils
158 places
43 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Mansfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Mansfield
Across Derbyshire council
Places available
9,875
Applications
7,189
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Derbyshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
21
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
22.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
118
Total Pupils
53
Boys
65
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
16.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,254
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,872
Per pupil
£962k
Total funding
£105k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.1%
Overall absence
25.9%
Persistent absence
108
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Whaley Thorns Primary School
What are SATs results like at Whaley Thorns Primary School?
Of the pupils at Whaley Thorns Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 55% reached the expected standard in reading and 59% did so in maths.
What is Whaley Thorns Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Whaley Thorns Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in June 2020. Before that, as Whaley Thorns Primary School (URN 112793), it was rated Requires Improvement in December 2019.
What is the catchment area for Whaley Thorns Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Whaley Thorns Primary School is oversubscribed, Derbyshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Whaley Thorns Primary School?
Whaley Thorns Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 73% of its 158 places.
How big are the classes at Whaley Thorns Primary School?
Classes at Whaley Thorns Primary School average 19.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Whaley Thorns Primary School?
Whaley Thorns Primary School has around 118 pupils on roll. 53% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Whaley Thorns Primary School?
8.1% of sessions were missed at Whaley Thorns Primary School in 2024/25. 25.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Whaley Thorns Primary School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Whaley Thorns 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 Whaley Thorns Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Whaley Thorns Primary School?
Whaley Thorns Primary School is at Portland Road, Langwith, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG20 9HB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)