School Chooser

Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury

Primary · ages 4-11MixedRoman Catholic207 pupilsBristolSouth Gloucestershire
School Chooser Score
28
Below
similar schools
Likely range 13 to 55, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 31% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2022
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance95.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families18%A bit fewer than most schools
Places3 spare207 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher23.0School workforce census

Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Bristol for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 207 pupils and room for 210. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 29 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Easton Hill Road, Thornbury, Bristol, BS35 1AW01454 866680christthekingprimary.co.ukMrs Mary Mainwaring headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 4 May 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

23 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1157%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 47%47%20172018: 48%48%20182019: 38%38%20192023: 62%62%20232024: 44%44%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: +10%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017South GloucestershireEngland
Pupils tested232726212119
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%44%62%38%48%47%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%12%0%0%5%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0105.0105.0101.0105.0105.0105.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0101.0105.0100.0100.0101.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0101.0104.0100.0103.0105.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard70%70%77%62%76%79%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard61%56%77%52%57%63%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)74%52%69%48%62%53%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.1-0.9+2.5+3.1
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.7-1.6-2.2-1.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged57%43%17%17%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged56%45%75%47%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
57%56%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
56%57%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full204 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
97% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 6% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

How places were given out for September 2026.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3058LA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll207Census January 2026
Places21099% full
Pupils from low-income families18%18% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English14%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%43 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.06 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils50%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)16%£52,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls101 / 106
White British pupils79%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 32.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (21), language and communications needs (12), Autistic spectrum disorder (8), Moderate learning difficulty (7), Specific learning difficulty (2), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll207204197200191184
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%19%20%22%22%18%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language14%16%18%24%18%17%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%20%19%16%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%6%6%5%7%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school11.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.0%5.8%6.9%6.5%4.6%5.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%4.4%5.0%4.8%3.2%4.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.5%1.9%1.7%1.4%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence11.0%13.6%19.9%20.0%7.8%11.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.01.01.60.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers9.0full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher23.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,501
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.62024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,907England £7,738. Total £1.4m
Income per pupil£6,232England £7,697. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,903England £3,480
Money in reserve-2%In the red: -£24k, -£119 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£138kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,907spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m15012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate67 per 1,000 people26% lower than the England average
Typical house price£340,000South Gloucestershire
Nearest bus stop60 mEaston Hill Road School, 24 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Crossways Infant SchoolAcademy350 m160Requires improvement 2023Compare
Crossways Junior SchoolAcademy360 m249Good 2024Compare
Manorbrook Primary SchoolCouncil690 m288Good 202365Compare
Gillingstool Primary SchoolAcademy770 m211Good 202217Compare
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, ThornburyChurch of England0.7 miles197No overall grade 202511Compare
St Helen's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 milesNot inspectedCompare
Oldbury on Severn Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.5 miles83Good 202216Compare
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, CromhallChurch of England2.9 miles69Report card 20266Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats31%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 29 is 20 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 48 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Paul's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic6.8 miles208Good 201945Compare
Two Rivers Church of England PrimaryFree school13.9 miles227Outstanding 2023100Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 29 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 29% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 13 to 55. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 23 pupils
Ofsted inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.02
DfE progress measure; 23 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.10
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 182 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 23 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury a good school?

The figures are weak. Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury scores 29 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 31% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 13 to 55, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury good at its last full inspection on 4 May 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 57% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury have?

207 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 99% full.

Is Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury?

Pupils were in school 95.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Thornbury?

The average class had 29.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 50% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Easton Hill Road, Thornbury, Bristol, BS35 1AW
Telephone
01454 866680
Website
www.christthekingprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Mary Mainwaring
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Clifton
Local authority
South Gloucestershire
Ward
Thornbury
Constituency
Thornbury and Yate
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
109267 · LAESTAB 8033436 · UKPRN 10074400

Where these figures come from