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Thornton Primary School has been serving the local community in Ward End since 1930. Generations of families have entrusted the education of their children to the school which is very popular and oversubscribed in every year group. The school is unique in as much as we have a one-form entry Key Stage 1 but in Key Stage 2, we have five forms of entry (150 children in each year group) as we take 120 children each year from Sladefield Infant School. Over time the school will become once again a Junior School as, following consultation, we no longer take children into Thornton in the Early years. Last year, the children’s playgrounds had a complete refurbishment, to create a safe and exciting place for the children to play and have their PE lessons. We have also installed new fencing around the school site to improve security and further developed the school reception, outdoor spaces, corridors, and classrooms. We now have an amazing school library, stocked with a wide range of splendid books. We are thankful to the Foyle Foundation for providing a grant of £5,000 to enable this dream to be realized. At Thornton, we are very proud of the relationship that has developed between the parents and the school. We welcome parents’ views and support and have an open-door policy. Parent workshops are a regular feature of our work and we also have lots of parent volunteers who support teachers in class. Over the past two years, the school staffing structure has been developed a Pastoral Manager, Learning Mentor, Sports Coach, and School Nurse have all been appointed to provide enhanced support for pupils’ personal development, behavior, and welfare. The introduction of these staff members also helps to ensure the overall health and well-being of all the pupils in school. For example, the quality of Sports both within the curriculum and also extra-curricular activities has also been vastly improved by our Sports Coach and a healthy lifestyle is strongly encouraged for both staff and pupils. Weekly Tea parties, held by the Headteacher for Star Pupils, are designed to motivate children in positive ways and promote overall high expectations. Our computer hardware and software are constantly being updated to ensure that children have access to the latest technology. Every class has a 75” interactive, touch screen computer and 15 iPads so that technology is a high focus in-class teaching. We also have a well-equipped ICT suite where children can develop their IT and computing skills. At Thornton Primary School we pride ourselves on a friendly environment where all staff and pupils treat one another with respect and form positive relationships which ensure a happy and safe atmosphere. School Aims: To be an inclusive school, giving support to every child so that they reach their full potential. To provide an inspiring curriculum, grounded in the basic skills of English and mathematics and enriched with first-hand experiences, that will help children develop lively, enquiring minds encouraging them to think for themselves and to develop perseverance, motivation, enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity. To foster excellent attitudes to learning so that children are confident, self-assured learners who are proud of their achievements. To encourage excellent attendance and punctuality so that not a moment of learning is lost. To ensure that bullying is frowned upon and dealt with decisively and swiftly. To have an open culture that actively promotes all aspects of pupils’ welfare. To keep pupils safe and make sure they feel safe at all times. Ensuring that pupils understand how to keep themselves safe in different situations, including online, staying safe from abuse and exploitation, and trust adults in school to help them when they have concerns. To ensure that pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe online and of the dangers of inappropriate use of mobile technology and social networking sites. To encourage pupils to lead an active lifestyle and ensure that they can articulate how to keep themselves healthy, making informed choices about healthy eating, fitness, and their emotional and mental well-being, developing an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. To ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development permeates all areas of the school’s work and equips them to be thoughtful, caring, and active citizens in school and wider society. To develop the school as a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practiced, respected, protected, and promoted. At Thornton, our school ethos is based upon the principle of belonging, whereby every person - pupils, staff, parents, and governors - is a member of the Thornton family. Each person is an important individual with a positive contribution to make. The School attempts to create a warm, secure 'family' atmosphere in which every child is safe. The School encourages all children to respect other people and their beliefs regardless of race or religion to respect the building and the resources within it and to respect the wider environment through active involvement with conservation and preservation. The School encourages a full partnership with parents and seeks to further develop strong parental links from throughout the school so that the learning of pupils is fully understood and supported. The School recognizes that the commitment of the staff, and the example that is set to the children through the daily ethos, is largely responsible for the high motivation and achievement of the pupils. View full school

Thornton College, located between Milton Keynes and Buckingham, is set on beautiful grounds. Our main school building is a Manor House which dates back to the fourteenth century. The building became a school in 1917, just over one hundred years ago, and was founded by the Sisters of Jesus and Mary, who have schools and colleges in twenty-eight countries across the world. We are very proud of our rich history, our exceptional pastoral care for the individual, and our strong emphasis on core Christian values but we are also proud of the fact that we are a forward-looking school, with exciting opportunities both in and outside the classroom. We believe that a happy child is a successful child and Thornton College is a school where your daughter’s happiness does matter to us. We are, in fact, much more than just a school. Thornton is a family, where we learn and grow together, respecting the value of each member of our community, regardless of background. As well as acknowledging who each of our girls is, we encourage them to aspire to what they can become. Much of what we do at Thornton is appropriately summed up in the words of our Mission Statement. We aim to educate our girls to ‘meet the challenges of life courageously. In an increasingly competitive and increasingly fractured world, we realize that we cannot, much as we would like to, avoid life’s challenges. We need the inner strength to enable us to face life and the resilience to cope. We also encourage our girls to ‘use their talents to the full.’ At Thornton, we recognize that we are all very different. We are an incredibly diverse and multi-talented community, where each girl is cherished and supported in being the very best version of herself. We want to encourage your daughter to know herself, to play to her strengths, and to develop her talents in a whole range of ways. Finally, we pride ourselves on being a family where we commit to living and learning together as we endeavor to work out what it means to ‘live out the values of Christ’s Gospel’ in how we treat one another and in how we respond to life in our twenty-first-century society and the wider world. We are non-selective, recognizing, in line with our ethos, that children develop at different rates and stages of their lives and in each one there is potential to excel. A strong work ethic, exceptional teaching, and excellent pastoral care provide a secure environment where your daughter will be known and encouraged to develop her strengths, her social skills, and her ability to pursue, with confidence, the next stage of life. Our wide subject choice, particularly in Sixth Form, allows girls to follow individual interests and strengths as well as to embrace new challenges. We monitor progress continuously, challenging and supporting at the right level and at the right time. But, this is only one aspect of the education your daughter will receive at Thornton. Our small classes ensure that your daughter will be known and encouraged in all aspects of her education here and an extensive co-curricular program encourages the exploration of new interests and challenges. View full school

Thornton Academy is an independent, private day and boarding school for students in grades 6 through 12. Thornton is co-educational and non-sectarian. Since its founding in 1811, Thornton Academy has been a center of inspiration, innovation, and community in Saco, Maine. We prepare students for a changing world through our curriculum, facilities, extra-curricular opportunities, and student support. Students are encouraged to step outside their comfort zones, try courses that challenge and intrigue them, and take deep dives into subjects that spark curiosity. Engagement continues after-school through many clubs, activities, community service, and athletics. The majority of our diverse student body comprises day students from nearby Saco, Dayton, Arundel, and other towns in the Greater Portland area. They are joined by students from more than 40 countries who live in dormitories or local family homes. Our students form lasting relationships, reflecting a blend of cultures, a welcoming community that values individuality, and provides ongoing support to ensure that students thrive academically, emotionally, and physically. A strong college-preparatory academic program is at the heart of every student's Thornton Academy education. Our teachers present classes that are engaging, rigorous, and supportive. More than 200 available courses prepare students to thrive in a changing world, chart their futures, and find their passions. Through AP classes and coursework, students even have the opportunity to enter one of several universities as a sophomore. At Thornton Academy, students can express individuality while discovering their future aspirations. Our school community is warm and welcoming. We are a school where students build strong relationships with dedicated teachers and student friendships that last a lifetime. Our faculty and staff recognize that each child has strengths and challenges and considers the well-being of individuals at each stage of social, emotional, and intellectual development. With students from more than 30 local towns and more than 40 countries worldwide, we value our community's diversity and multiculturalism. The geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity of our student body creates a unique and dynamic learning environment that fosters a greater appreciation of our differences and the values we share. Among those shared values are Thornton Academy's Core Pillars — Respect, Responsibility, Compassion, and Investment. These values guide our work and reflect on how we treat one another within our school community. Bearing in mind today's competitive global economy, our experienced college counselors work with students one-on-one in grades 9-12 to plan college and career trajectories. Our Career Center supports real-world experience through internships, job shadows, and part-time work. Our university partnerships offer students the opportunity to test out areas of study even before university enrollment. View full school