School Chooser

St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill

Primary · ages 3-7MixedChurch of England85 pupilsNurseryNewburyHampshire
School Chooser Score
49
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 22 to 76, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, January 2023
Attendance95.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families7%Far fewer than most schools
Places27 spare85 pupils, 112 places
Pupils per teacher21.3School workforce census
Pupils on roll85Census January 2026

St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Newbury for boys and girls aged 3 to 7. It has 85 pupils and room for 112. About 7 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 49 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Woolton Hill, Newbury, RG20 9XF01635 253431stthomasinfant.co.ukMr Paul Davies headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 January 2023, 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

Results

No published results yet for this school.

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 places98 pupils for 135 places, 2024/25
73% full

37 places were empty (27% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (23 offers for 30 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary304023all offeredLA
2025 Primary453922all offeredLA
2024 Primary454627all offeredLA
2023 Primary455429all offeredLA
2022 Primary455842all offeredLA

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 roll85Census January 2026
Places11276% full
Pupils from low-income families7%7% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%14 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.33 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)8%£10,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls40 / 45
White British pupils95%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (9), emotional and mental health (5), Specific learning difficulty (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll85959911110199
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals7%6%7%14%14%10%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%1%2%1%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%19%12%5%5%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%1%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.2%4.6%3.6%4.8%1.6%3.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%3.9%3.1%4.3%1.4%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%0.7%0.5%0.4%0.2%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.6%8.3%4.2%5.1%0.0%4.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.30.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers4.0full-time equivalent, 4 people
Pupils per teacher21.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,576
Teachers who left in the year40%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.42024/25

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£7,665England £7,738. Total £728k
Income per pupil£7,517England £7,697. Total £714k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,347England £3,480
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £29k, £306 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£14kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,665spent 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 m2412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate41 per 1,000 people55% lower than the England average
Typical house price£372,000Basingstoke and Deane
Nearest bus stop330 mGainsborough Stud Farm, 6 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
Woolton Hill Junior SchoolCouncil230 m129Good 202362Compare
St Martin's East Woodhay Church of England (Aided) Primary SchoolChurch of England1.1 miles101Good 202372Compare
Enborne C.E. Primary SchoolChurch of England1.9 miles77Not inspected98Compare
Falkland Primary SchoolCouncil2.5 miles422No overall grade 202562Compare
Burghclere Primary SchoolCouncil2.5 miles95No overall grade 202576Compare
John Rankin Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy3.1 miles240Good 2023Compare
John Rankin Junior SchoolAcademy3.1 miles311No overall grade 2024Compare
Highwood Copse Primary SchoolFree school3.2 miles149Good 202391Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill 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.

Beats42%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 49 is 8 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 57 · highest 99100

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 St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill, 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
Burghclere Primary SchoolCouncil2.5 miles95No overall grade 202576Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 49 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 49% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 22 to 76. 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 years0%no data
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.6 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.25
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.21
2024/25; 71 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
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 Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill a good school?

It is about average. St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill scores 49 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 22 to 76, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill good at its last full inspection on 24 January 2023.

How many pupils does St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill have?

85 pupils aged 3 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 112 places, so it is 76% full.

Is St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill oversubscribed?

Probably not. 37 places were empty in 2024/25 (27% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill?

Pupils were in school 95.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Thomas' Church of England Infant School, Woolton Hill?

The average class had 28.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Woolton Hill, Newbury, RG20 9XF
Telephone
01635 253431
Website
www.stthomasinfant.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Paul Davies
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-7, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Winchester
Local authority
Hampshire
Ward
Evingar
Constituency
North West Hampshire
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
116328 · LAESTAB 8503177 · UKPRN 10079686

Where these figures come from