Thornton Primary School
Primary · Public · EMIS 102309358
Thornton, Metro Central, Western Cape
At a glance
- Fees
- Fee-paying
- Language
- English
Source: DBE EMIS Q3 2025 · NSC School Performance Report 2025 · Processed 8 Aug 2026
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Grade R, 1 and 8 admissions for 2027 closed on 14 April 2026. Late applications: Western Cape admissions portal · Provincial default, check the school · How admissions work
What kind of school is Thornton Primary School?
Thornton Primary School is a public primary school in Thornton, within the Metro Central education district of the Western Cape. EMIS records it as a medium-sized school with 695 enrolled learners and 25 educators, giving a learner-to-educator ratio of 28:1.
It is classified as Quintile 5 — a government classification based on the surrounding community's socioeconomic profile, not a measure of school quality. Fees are set by the School Governing Body, and families who cannot afford fees may apply for exemption.
The school falls within the City of Cape Town local municipality. Among 278 Q5 Primary schools in Western Cape, it has a learner-educator ratio close to the median for similar schools. EMIS classifies the location as urban.
The school is at 23 Manatoka Road Thornton 7460, and can be reached on 021 534 1769.
Language of instruction: English
As recorded by the Western Cape Education Department. See Methodology.
Note: The Urban/Rural classification is sourced directly from EMIS and may reflect historical registration data. See Data Limitations.
School fees at Thornton Primary School
Thornton Primary School is recorded as a fee-charging school. The school governing body proposes the amount and a majority of parents at the yearly budget meeting must approve it.
We do not have the amount. The principal must tell parents the yearly fee when a child is admitted, so ask the school office.
Fee status as recorded by the Department of Basic Education.
If you cannot afford the fees
At a public school that charges fees, parents can apply to pay less or nothing. This is called an exemption. A public school may not refuse to admit a child because the parent cannot pay the fees or has not paid them.
- You pay nothing if one child's yearly fees, plus any other money the school asks you to pay for that child, are 10% (one tenth) or more of the parents' combined yearly income before tax.
- You pay less if the fees and other payments are between 3.5% and 10% of that income. Below 3.5%, you pay less only if you have several children at public schools that charge fees: at least 2 children at 3%, 4 at 2.5%, or 6 at 2%. The regulations' table goes up in half percents and does not settle the figures between its rows, so the calculator below shows both rows.
- Below 2% the formula gives no exemption. If you still cannot pay because of something outside your control, tell the governing body. It may agree to an exemption with conditions.
- You pay nothing, no matter how much you earn, if you receive a social grant for the child, if the child is placed in a foster home, a youth care centre, a place of safety or an orphanage, if you are a relative caring for an orphan, or for a child whose parents have abandoned them and who has no means of support, or if the child heads the household. You must give the governing body proof: an affidavit, a letter from a social worker, or a court order.
Work out what the formula gives you
Use amounts for a whole year. If you pay monthly, multiply by the number of months the school charges. Nothing you type leaves your device.
How to apply: ask the principal for the exemption form and give it to the chairperson of the school governing body. You apply every year. If the other parent cannot be found or will not give their income, you can say so in an affidavit and apply on your own. The governing body must decide within 30 days and tell you in writing. If you are not satisfied, you can appeal in writing to the head of the provincial education department, within 30 days of getting the decision.
Source: Regulations relating to the Exemption of Parents from Payment of School Fees in Public Schools (Government Notice R1052 of 2006, as amended by Notice 1149 of 2006), and sections 5 and 41 of the South African Schools Act. More about fee exemptions.
What we don't have yet
- Exact fee amount
- Admissions process, open days or deadlines
- Whether the school uses WhatsApp
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Learner numbers reported to the Department, by year
These counts are not a measure of quality. A number can change because a school adds or drops grades, because new schools open nearby or boundaries change, or because of an error in what was reported.
See the number for each year
| Year | Learners |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 443 |
| 2008 | 465 |
| 2009 | 472 |
| 2010 | 463 |
| 2011 | 486 |
| 2012 | 489 |
| 2013 | 509 |
| 2016 | 601 |
| 2018 | 616 |
| 2019 | 597 |
| 2020 | 634 |
| 2021 | 642 |
| 2022 | 639 |
| 2023 | 673 |
| 2025 | 695 |
These are counts of learners from the Department of Basic Education’s national school lists. A few figures that look like recording errors are left out. We found no list with figures for 2014, 2015, 2017, 2024. How we read these lists.
What is the learner-to-educator ratio at Thornton Primary School?
How many learners there are per educator, compared to schools in the same quintile and phase. The educator count includes teachers, heads of department, and principals, so real class sizes are usually larger than this number suggests.
Fewer learners per educator than 40% of similar schools
(Q5 Primary schools in Western Cape)
Link to this page
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Web address
https://schoolseek.co.za/school/thornton-primary-school-102309358/For a web page (HTML)
<a href="https://schoolseek.co.za/school/thornton-primary-school-102309358/">Thornton Primary School on SchoolSeek</a>Location
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What other schools are near Thornton Primary School?
Other schools within a few kilometres. Proximity does not imply similarity: these schools may serve different phases, quintiles, or communities.
Combined · Independent
Fewer learners per educator than 31% of similar schools
Skills · Public
Among the highest learner-educator ratios of 23 similar schools
Primary · Public · Quintile 4
Fewer learners per educator than 80% of similar schools
Secondary · Public · Quintile 4
Fewer learners per educator than 84% of similar schools
Primary · Public · Quintile 4
Fewer learners per educator than 77% of similar schools
Schools serving similar communities
Other public primary schools in Western Cape with Quintile 5.
Grouped by quintile, phase and province. These schools face similar resource constraints to Thornton Primary School. This grouping is for browsing and is broader than the peer group used for the matric percentile above.
Primary · Public · Quintile 5
Fewer learners per educator than 86% of similar schools
Primary · Public · Quintile 5
Fewer learners per educator than 82% of similar schools
Primary · Public · Quintile 5
Fewer learners per educator than 18% of similar schools
Frequently Asked Questions
School data: DBE EMIS Q3 2025. Matric results: NSC School Performance Report 2025. Subject results: NSC School Subject Reports 2024 & 2025. Infrastructure: NEIMS/EFMS 2021 (historical). Learner-educator comparisons group schools by quintile, phase and province; matric comparisons group by sector and province, plus quintile for public schools. The learner-educator ratio includes all staff classified as educators, so actual class sizes may differ. Learn about our methodology
Some data fields may not be available for all schools. Missing data is shown as '—' or 'Not available'. Source: DBE EMIS Q3 2025.
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