St Godrics Catholic Primary School, Thornley

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Thornley Road, Wheatley Hill, Durham, DH6 3NROpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Godrics Catholic Primary School, Thornley is a primary school in Durham for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 271 schools in County Durham. It ranks 24th of 42 primary schools in Durham. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2019.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 13 March 2019, report published 1 April 2019

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 November 2024

Pupils love attending this nurturing and welcoming school. They thrive in an environment where staff care deeply for them. Staff know their pupils very well. Adults foster strong, lasting and positive relationships with pupils. Pupils feel happy and safe in this warm and supportive setting. They have confidence in adults who they know will support them if they do have worries. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievements. Pupils meet these expectations. The curriculum prepares pupils extremely well for their next steps. Pupils take pride in everything they do. They are eager to learn and they epitomise the school's mission statement to shine 'like stars lighting up the sky'. Behaviour throughout the school is exemplary. Children in Reception follow well- established routines very well. These children demonstrate a strong sense of pride in themselves and their environment. They work and learn together in a highly positive way. Older pupils thrive in the culture of belonging that spreads throughout the whole school community. They show equally high levels of pride in everything they do at school. For instance, in their roles as monitors, pupils encourage their peers to wipe their feet, wash their hands and enter classrooms sensibly.

What the school should improve

  • Some aspects of the schools' work to promote pupils' personal development do not widen pupils' understanding and attributes as well as others. The school should further refine these aspects of its work so that pupils fully benefit from the experiences on offer.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

7 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths43%

43%, 19 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths14%

14%, 6 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score103

103, 3 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score105

105, the same as the England average.

Pupil numbers and mix

75 pupils on roll, with places for 105

Eligible for free school meals28%

28%, 1.5 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language10.7%

10.7%, 10.9 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support14.7%

14.7%, 0.1 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan6.7%

6.7%, 0.7 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Godrics Catholic Primary School, Thornley

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Wheatley Hill Community Primary School0.2 milesOfsted: Good68% met the expected standard
Thornley Academy0.9 milesOfsted: Good54% met the expected standard
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Shotton2 milesOfsted: Good71% met the expected standard
Deaf Hill Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good69% met the expected standard
Ludworth Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good64% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
BISHOP CHADWICK CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mrs Julie Hill
Address
Thornley Road, Wheatley Hill, Durham, DH6 3NR
Local authority
County Durham
URN
147928

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.