School Chooser

St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy

Primary · ages 7-11MixedAcademyChurch of England120 pupilsRamsgateKent
School Chooser Score
14
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 8 to 26, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 46% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2024
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance91.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families73%Far more than most schools
Places136 spare120 pupils, 256 places
Pupils per teacher17.1School workforce census

St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy is a sponsored academy in Ramsgate for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 120 pupils and room for 256. About 73 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 14 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Newington Road, Ramsgate, CT11 0QX01843 592257stlaurencejuniors.co.ukMrs Louise Buckland headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 19 March 2024, 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”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

46 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 level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 63%63%20172018: 55%55%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 46%46%20232024: 43%43%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: -6%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KentEngland
Pupils tested464457636463
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%43%46%67%55%63%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%0%2%13%5%3%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0101.0100.0105.0103.0103.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.098.099.0107.0101.0103.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.099.098.0107.0103.0104.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard59%64%54%76%75%73%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard65%50%58%81%64%73%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)74%70%53%79%80%81%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.8-1.4-1.4-1.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.5+0.7-2.7-2.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged48%38%37%61%43%63%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged68%50%63%73%64%64%

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. 3 of the 4 gaps are 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
48%68%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
54%59%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
33%57%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 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 Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places135 pupils for 240 places, 2024/25
56% full

105 places were empty (44% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 35% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Kent council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll120Census January 2026
Places25647% full
Pupils from low-income families73%73% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English9%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%28 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.04 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils25%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)73%£136,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls66 / 54
White British pupils81%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (17), emotional and mental health (5), Other difficulty or disability (3), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3), language and communications needs (3), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll120129155177207205
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals73%64%62%61%51%48%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language9%12%8%6%5%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%23%20%16%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%5%4%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance91.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school22.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils14.72024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission3.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.1%9.4%8.4%8.4%5.4%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.1%6.6%5.8%5.7%4.2%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.0%2.8%2.6%2.7%1.2%1.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence22.1%27.7%22.8%30.8%18.5%12.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate14.77.720.32.47.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.0full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher17.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,962
Teachers who left in the year25%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.22024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£9,078England £7,128. Total £1.2m
Income per pupil£9,605England £7,587. Total £1.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,085England £3,405
Money in reserve20%A healthy amount put by: £245k, £1,898 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£68kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,078spent 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 m40212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate124 per 1,000 people36% higher than the England average
Typical house price£292,500Thanet
Nearest bus stop120 mTelham Avenue, 17 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
Ellington Infant SchoolCouncil300 m155Good 20224Compare
Ramsgate Arts Primary SchoolFree school620 m409Good 202358Compare
Newington Community Primary SchoolAcademy710 m692Not inspected6Compare
Priory Infant SchoolCouncil850 m124Good 20233Compare
Christ Church Church of England Junior School, RamsgateAcademy0.7 miles223Good 202135Compare
Dame Janet Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles291Good 202447Compare
Chilton Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles418Not inspected86Compare
Newlands Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles257Good 202266Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats46%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 14 is 3 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 17 · highest 95100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 14 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 14% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 26. 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%well below
-0.28
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 46 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.20
DfE progress measure; 46 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.16
2024/25; 145 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 46 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 St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy scores 14 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 26, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy good at its last full inspection on 19 March 2024.

How good are St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy'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%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy have?

120 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 256 places, so it is 47% full.

Is St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 105 places were empty in 2024/25 (44% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy?

Pupils were in school 91.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy?

The average class had 30.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 25% 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
Newington Road, Ramsgate, CT11 0QX
Telephone
01843 592257
Website
www.stlaurencejuniors.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Louise Buckland
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Canterbury
Multi-academy trust
The Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust (18 schools)
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Newington
Constituency
East Thanet
Setting
Urban: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 December 2012 (new provision)
URN
138592 · LAESTAB 8862014 · UKPRN 10038488
Formerly
St Laurence in Thanet Church of England Junior School

Where these figures come from