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Best Schools in Swanley

Kent · 7 schools ranked by Ofsted Rating

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 7 days

Deadline Monday 2 November 2026. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Kent →
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Schools in Swanley ranked

1

Horizon Primary Academy

BR8 7BTAges 4-11195 pupils
Primary
Academy sponsor led
Good
2

Hextable Primary School

BR8 7RLAges 4-11605 pupils
Primary
Community school
Good
3

High Firs Primary School

BR8 8NRAges 4-11210 pupils
Primary
Community school
Good
4

St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

BR8 7BUAges 2-11279 pupils
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Good
5

Orchards Academy

BR8 7TEAges 11-18554 pupils
Secondary
Academy converter
Good
6

Downsview Community Primary School

BR8 8AUAges 4-11140 pupils
Primary
Community school
Requires Improvement
7

St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School, Swanley

BR8 7AYAges 5-11318 pupils
Primary
Academy converter

Special schools and alternative provision in Swanley

These schools serve pupils with particular needs, so they aren't ranked against mainstream schools on exam results. Places are usually arranged through the council, often via an Education, Health and Care plan.

Questions parents ask about schools in Swanley

How many schools are there in Swanley?

Swanley has 10 open schools: 6 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through and 3 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in Swanley?

None of the 9 graded schools in Swanley currently holds an Outstanding rating. 8 are rated Good, so 89% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Source: Ofsted

Which primary schools in Swanley have the best SATs results?

Of the 5 primary schools in Swanley with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Horizon Primary Academy (88% in reading, 81% in maths); Hextable Primary School (76% in reading, 79% in maths); and High Firs Primary School (77% in reading, 73% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Horizon Primary AcademyHextable Primary SchoolHigh Firs Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Swanley?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Swanley selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Swanley have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Swanley have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Swanley?

Apply to your council - Kent or Kensington and Chelsea, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.