Thornden Wood Primary School
Greenhill Road, Herne Bay, CT6 7RSOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Thornden Wood Primary School is a primary school in Herne Bay for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 692 schools in Kent. It ranks 2nd of 5 primary schools in Herne Bay. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in February 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 20 February 2024, report published 21 March 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 20 February 2024
Pupils are thriving at this inclusive, nurturing and successful school. There is a keen sense of community, which results in happy staff and pupils. The school has high expectations and staff create an environment where respect and kindness are commonplace. Each pupil is known as an individual and pupils have strong, trusting relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils are confident, articulate and well behaved. Pupils know they can talk about any concerns they might have and that these will be dealt with swiftly. Disruption is rare, so pupils can concentrate and focus on their learning. They work hard and produce work of high quality. Pupils are well motivated to assume a wide range of roles across the school. They enjoy these responsibilities and feel that they are making an impact on their school community by helping others. For example, the 'restorative justice' mentors support friendship issues. Sports leaders set up playground activities and the school council has created a 'buddy bench' to provide support for their peers when needed. Wonderful manners are displayed across the school by pupils. Teachers praise pupils through the Golden Globe awards and gold book certificates. Consequently, pupils are keen to impress and enjoy coming to school.
What the school should improve
- In some areas of the curriculum, including phonics, staff are still developing ways of checking pupils' understanding and knowledge systematically. This means that pupils sometimes have gaps in their learning and do not always learn as much as they could. The school should continue to provide training and support for staff to ensure that they use the assessment checks being put in place.
- Some pupils are not yet attending school as regularly as they should. As a result, they are missing out on crucial learning. The school needs to continue to strengthen its actions to support improvement in the attendance of these pupils.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
31 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
337 pupils on roll, with places for 420
Schools near Thornden Wood Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Primary School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good to outstanding | 50% met the expected standard |
| Herne Bay Infant School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Herne Bay Junior School | 1 mile | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | 34% met the expected standard |
| Herne Church of England Junior School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 81% met the expected standard |
| Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School | 2 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- EKC SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Kate Espley
- Phone
- 01227373095
- Address
- Greenhill Road, Herne Bay, CT6 7RS
- Local authority
- Kent
- URN
- 147751
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.