Thorndown Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Hill Rise, St Ives, PE27 6SEOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Thorndown Primary School is a primary school in St Ives for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 309 schools in Cambridgeshire. It ranks 1st of 4 primary schools in St Ives. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in April 2017.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 26 April 2017, report published 19 May 2017

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

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 November 2022

Pupils at Thorndown Primary School thrive within its supportive, caring, and inclusive environment. Relationships are warm and respectful. Pupils are kind and considerate towards each other. Pupils feel safe. They know that adults will help them if they have any worries. Pupils say that bullying hardly ever happens but if it does, adults sort things out quickly. Pupils enjoy their learning and take pride in this. They are eager to talk about learning and share their achievements. Pupils work hard. They respond positively to adults' high expectations. Pupils listen carefully in lessons. They share their ideas well when working in pairs or groups. Pupils behave well in lessons, and during playtimes. Leaders have planned a wide range of activities and opportunities beyond the taught curriculum. Pupils are enthusiastic about the many different clubs available to them. They particularly enjoy curriculum enrichment days. Pupils have many opportunities to take on responsibilities. These include as school council and eco council representatives. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school and would recommend the school to others. They typically say the school 'has been brilliant for my children.'

What the school should improve

  • In some foundation subjects there are new curriculum plans in place. These new plans are not yet fully embedded across all year groups. As a result of this, some pupils struggle to remember the new and novel content. Leaders should complete the work they have started to fully implement curriculum plans in these subjects. This will ensure that pupils remember their learning long term.
  • Leaders do not have a system to monitor and evaluate patterns of poor behaviour across the school. As a result, leaders are not able to identify trends and patterns of behaviour before they become more prevalent. Leaders need to implement their plans to introduce a monitoring system and put strategies in place to enable them to effectively monitor and address patterns of poor behaviour.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

75 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths61%

61%, 1 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths5%

5%, 3 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score108

108, 2 above the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score108

108, 3 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

478 pupils on roll, with places for 630

Eligible for free school meals17.8%

17.8%, 8.7 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language14.6%

14.6%, 7 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support8.4%

8.4%, 6.4 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.3%

3.3%, 2.7 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Thorndown Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Wheatfields Primary School0.6 milesOfsted judgements: Good57% met the expected standard
Westfield Junior School0.7 milesOfsted: Good48% met the expected standard
Eastfield Infant and Nursery School0.8 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Wyton on the Hill Community Primary School1 mileOfsted: Good39% met the expected standard
Hemingford Grey Primary School1 mileOfsted: Good66% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Community school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mr Christopher Snape
Address
Hill Rise, St Ives, PE27 6SE
Local authority
Cambridgeshire
URN
136814

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.