St Thomas Church of England Primary School

Bury · BL9 7EY

General information Primary School · 3-11 years Who goes here 459 pupils, 25.3% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 8.9% on SEN support Behaviour 5.5% absence rate Staff 10.1% turnover Financials £7,212 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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St Thomas Church of England Primary School

General Information

Address: Pimhole Road, Bury, BL9 7EY – View on map
Phone: 01617647565
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mr Martin Van Hecke
Age range: 3-11 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

459 pupils out of 420 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 103
% eligible for free school meals: 25.3%
Pupil mix: 3 in 10 (less mixed than the Bury average)
English as an additional language: 78% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 10.1% a year (Bury 13%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 17% moved to another school, 83% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Bury: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 1 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Bury, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 5.5%
Persistently absent pupils: 13.6%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 8.9%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 3.9%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 27 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 5 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 4 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 3 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 2 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 9 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 6 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil
Physical disability: 1 pupil
Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2024 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 66% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 13% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: in line with the Bury average (65%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (3-year average 64% against an expected 67%)
3-year average (expected standard): 64%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 77% · Writing 68% · Maths 79% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 77%
Average test scores: reading 105, maths 106
Based on: 47 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolBury averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was in line with the Bury average (65%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 22nd of 55 junior and primary schools in the area

=22Springside Primary School66%
=22St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, Prestwich66%
=22St Thomas Church of England Primary School66%
#26St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Ramsbottom, a Voluntary Academy65%
=27Chapelfield Primary School64%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Chantlers Primary School97%
#2Hazlehurst Primary Academy90%
#3Gorsefield Primary School88%
#4Greenhill Primary School86%
#5Unsworth Primary School82%
#6Christ Church CofE Primary School79%
#7Sunny Bank Primary School75%
=8Holly Mount Roman Catholic Primary School, Bury74%
=8St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy74%
=8St Margaret's Church of England Primary School74%
#11Yesoiday Hatorah Boys Academy72%
=12Our Lady of Grace RC Primary School71%
=12Park View Primary School71%
=12Peel Brow School71%
=15Chesham Primary Academy70%
=15Hollins Grundy Primary School70%
=15Yesoiday Hatorah Girls Academy70%
#18St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Radcliffe69%
=19Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School67%
=19Heaton Park Primary School67%
=19St Stephen's Church of England Primary School67%
=22Lowercroft Primary School66%
=22Springside Primary School66%
=22St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, Prestwich66%
=22St Thomas Church of England Primary School66%
#26St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Ramsbottom, a Voluntary Academy65%
=27Chapelfield Primary School64%
=27St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy64%
=27St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw64%
=27St Peter's Church of England Primary School64%
=31Butterstile Primary School63%
=31Radcliffe Primary School63%
=31Whitefield Community Primary School63%
=31Woodbank Primary School63%
=35East Ward Community Primary School62%
=35Elton Community Primary School62%
=35Higher Lane Primary School62%
#38Cams Lane Primary School61%
#39Wesley Methodist Primary School60%
=40All Saints Church of England Primary School, Stand59%
=40Tottington Primary School59%
#42St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy58%
=43Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School56%
=43Ribble Drive Community Primary School56%
=43St John's Church of England Primary School, Radcliffe56%
=43St Luke's CofE Primary School56%
=47Mersey Drive Community Primary School50%
=47Radcliffe Hall Church of England Methodist Primary School50%
=47St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Ramsbottom50%
=47St Hilda's Church of England Primary School50%
#51St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy46%
=52St John with St Mark CofE Primary School43%
=52St Paul's Church of England Primary School43%
#54Holy Trinity Primary School37%
#55Summerseat Methodist Primary School31%

View full Ofsted inspection report

38th of 50 primary schools in Bury for Ofsted rating

#36St Luke's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#37St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyGood
#38St Thomas Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#39Summerseat Methodist Primary SchoolGood
#40Sunny Bank Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1St. Marie's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyOutstanding
#2Yesoiday Hatorah Girls AcademyOutstanding
#3All Saints Church of England Primary School, StandGood
#4Butterstile Primary SchoolGood
#5Cams Lane Primary SchoolGood
#6Chantlers Primary SchoolGood
#7Chapelfield Primary SchoolGood
#8Christ Church Ainsworth Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#9Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolGood
#10Elton Community Primary SchoolGood
#11Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#12Fairfield Community Primary SchoolGood
#13Gorsefield Primary SchoolGood
#14Greenhill Primary SchoolGood
#15Heaton Park Primary SchoolGood
#16Hollins Grundy Primary SchoolGood
#17Holly Mount Roman Catholic Primary School, BuryGood
#18Holy Trinity Primary SchoolGood
#19Lowercroft Primary SchoolGood
#20Mersey Drive Community Primary SchoolGood
#21Old Hall Primary SchoolGood
#22Our Lady of Grace RC Primary SchoolGood
#23Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyGood
#24Park View Primary SchoolGood
#25Radcliffe Hall Church of England Methodist Primary SchoolGood
#26Radcliffe Primary SchoolGood
#27Ribble Drive Community Primary SchoolGood
#28Sedgley Park Community Primary SchoolGood
#29St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, RadcliffeGood
#30St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#31St Hilda's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#32St John with St Mark CofE Primary SchoolGood
#33St John's Church of England Primary School, RadcliffeGood
#34St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#35St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Ramsbottom, a Voluntary AcademyGood
#36St Luke's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#37St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyGood
#38St Thomas Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#39Summerseat Methodist Primary SchoolGood
#40Sunny Bank Primary SchoolGood
#41Tottington Primary SchoolGood
#42Unsworth Primary SchoolGood
#43Wesley Methodist Primary SchoolGood
#44Whitefield Community Primary SchoolGood
#45Woodbank Primary SchoolGood
#46Yesoiday Hatorah Boys AcademyGood
#47St Paul's Church of England Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#48St Stephen's Church of England Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#49Chesham Primary AcademyInadequate
#50Hazlehurst Primary AcademyInadequate

Financials

Spending per pupil: £7,212 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

17th of 58 primary schools in Bury for spending per pupil

#15Chesham Primary Academy£7,352
#16St Stephen's Church of England Primary School£7,244
#17St Thomas Church of England Primary School£7,212
#18St Peter's Church of England Primary School£7,137
#19St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Ramsbottom£7,135

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School£10,360
#2Peel Brow School£9,562
#3Summerseat Methodist Primary School£9,462
#4St Paul's Church of England Primary School£9,348
#5Mersey Drive Community Primary School£9,304
#6Hazlehurst Primary Academy£8,948
#7Unsworth Primary School£8,150
#8Ribble Drive Community Primary School£7,882
#9Christ Church CofE Primary School£7,748
#10Gorsefield Primary School£7,714
#11St John's Church of England Primary School, Radcliffe£7,693
#12Radcliffe Primary School£7,683
#13St Michael's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£7,440
#14Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School£7,440
#15Chesham Primary Academy£7,352
#16St Stephen's Church of England Primary School£7,244
#17St Thomas Church of England Primary School£7,212
#18St Peter's Church of England Primary School£7,137
#19St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Ramsbottom£7,135
#20Holy Trinity Primary School£7,128
#21Whitefield Community Primary School£7,030
#22East Ward Community Primary School£7,017
#23St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Ramsbottom, a Voluntary Academy£7,000
#24Cams Lane Primary School£6,940
#25Heaton Park Primary School£6,902
#26St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Radcliffe£6,901
#27Woodbank Primary School£6,890
#28St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw£6,885
#29St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy£6,853
#30St Hilda's Church of England Primary School£6,768
#31Elton Community Primary School£6,706
#32Radcliffe Hall Church of England Methodist Primary School£6,657
#33Park View Primary School£6,654
#34Chantlers Primary School£6,629
#35Butterstile Primary School£6,588
#36Chapelfield Primary School£6,487
#37St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, Prestwich£6,455
#38Our Lady of Grace RC Primary School£6,442
#39St John with St Mark CofE Primary School£6,442
#40St Joseph and St Bede RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£6,366
#41St Margaret's Church of England Primary School£6,355
#42St Luke's CofE Primary School£6,308
#43Sunny Bank Primary School£6,199
#44Higher Lane Primary School£6,150
#45Springside Primary School£6,146
#46Hollins Grundy Primary School£6,116
#47All Saints Church of England Primary School, Stand£6,084
#48Holly Mount Roman Catholic Primary School, Bury£5,982
#49St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£5,979
#50Lowercroft Primary School£5,960
#51Wesley Methodist Primary School£5,886
#52Greenhill Primary School£5,883
#53Yesoiday Hatorah Boys Academy£5,881
#54Tottington Primary School£5,863
#55Yesoiday Hatorah Girls Academy£5,760
#56Old Hall Primary School£4,032
#57Greenmount Primary School£3,621
#58Sedgley Park Community Primary School£3,480

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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