Thornton Public School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Thornton, New South Wales 2322 · Maitland LGA
#1190 of 1,619 primary schools in NSW
#3706 of 4,908 nationally
About Thornton Public School
Thornton Public School is a public primary school located in Thornton, New South Wales (2322), within the Maitland local government area. It caters for students from K to 6 and in 2025 enrolled 826 students (381 girls and 445 boys).
Thornton Public School has an ICSEA value of 974, indicating a socio-educational profile close to the national average of 1000. That places it in the 35th percentile of Australian schools. 8% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 37% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 45 teachers (46.8 full-time equivalent) and 17 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 17.6 to 1. Enrolments have grown by 8% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Thornton Public School scores 36.0 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of primary schools nationally and 1190th of 1,619 primary schools in NSW (12th of 19 in the Maitland area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 974
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)8% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)17.6 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)+8% enrolments since 2020 (area median +7%)
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)+9 ICSEA points since 2020
The Success Index summarises the academic environment of a school community using official ACARA data. It is not a measure of teaching quality or student results. Read the methodology.
Student profile
Distribution of students across socio-educational advantage (SEA) quarters, plus community characteristics.
Enrolments by year level
How Thornton Public School's 826 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Thornton Public School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track at Thornton Public School?
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Schools near Thornton Public School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
Aspect Hunter School
Thornton · Independent special · U
290 students · ICSEA 1008 · 491 m away
St Aloysius Catholic Primary School
Chisholm · Catholic primary · K-6
614 students · ICSEA 1064 · 2.7 km away
Francis Greenway High School
Beresfield · Government high school · 7-12
742 students · ICSEA 912 · 2.8 km away
St Bede's Catholic College
Chisholm · Catholic high school · 7-12
910 students · ICSEA 1030 · 2.9 km away
Metford Public School
Metford · Government primary · K-6
265 students · ICSEA 887 · 3.0 km away
Hunter River Community School
Metford · Government special · U
70 students · ICSEA 958 · 3.0 km away
Beresfield Public School
Beresfield · Government primary · K-6
262 students · ICSEA 918 · 3.0 km away
Woodberry Public School
Woodberry · Government primary · K-6
221 students · ICSEA 817 · 3.2 km away
Arise Christian College
Metford · Independent special · U
61 students · ICSEA 971 · 3.2 km away
Maitland Christian School
Metford · Independent combined · K-12
832 students · ICSEA 1047 · 3.2 km away
Similar schools
Government primary schools in NSW with a comparable ICSEA.
Kurrajong East Public School
East Kurrajong · Government primary · K-6
81 students · ICSEA 974
Urunga Public School
Urunga · Government primary · K-6
179 students · ICSEA 974
Balarang Public School
Oak Flats · Government primary · K-6
268 students · ICSEA 974
Neville Public School
Neville · Government primary · K-6
9 students · ICSEA 974
Marra Creek Public School
Nyngan · Government primary · K-6
8 students · ICSEA 974
Canley Vale Public School
Canley Vale · Government primary · P-6
752 students · ICSEA 973
Frequently asked questions
Is Thornton Public School a public or private school?
Thornton Public School is a public (government) school run by the New South Wales education department.
What year levels does Thornton Public School offer?
Thornton Public School offers K to 6. It is classified by ACARA as a primary school.
How many students attend Thornton Public School?
In 2025, Thornton Public School had 826 enrolled students (381 girls, 445 boys), a change of 8% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Thornton Public School?
Thornton Public School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 974. The national average is 1000, so this indicates a socio-educational profile close to the national average of 1000. ICSEA reflects the school community, not teaching quality.
How does Thornton Public School rank in NSW?
Thornton Public School ranks 1190th of 1,619 primary schools in New South Wales on the Success Index (36.0/100), and 3706th of 4,908 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Thornton Public School?
Thornton Public School has about 17.6 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How many students start Kindergarten at Thornton Public School each year?
In 2025, Thornton Public School had 114 students in Kindergarten and 118 in Year 6.
Is Thornton Public School co-ed?
Yes. Thornton Public School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Thornton Public School?
There are 10 other schools within 15 km of Thornton Public School in our database. Scroll up to the "Nearby schools" section to compare them by Success Index, ICSEA and enrolments, or use the Compare tool.
Where can I get tutoring near Thornton Public School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Belmont, about 27 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.