Benenden Church of England Primary School, Cranbrook
Benenden Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Cranbrook. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 9 schools in Cranbrook with published results, and 3,885th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Benenden Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at Benenden Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 76% in reading and 76% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Benenden Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Benenden Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 91 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Benenden Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Benenden Church of England Primary School are Rolvenden Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths); Sandhurst Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); Hawkhurst Church of England Primary School (3 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths); and Cranbrook Church of England Primary School (3.1 miles, Good, 63% reading, 60% maths).
Benenden Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Rolvenden Primary SchoolSandhurst Primary SchoolHawkhurst Church of England Primary SchoolCranbrook Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
11.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 17 pupils (8%) received SEN support and 5 (2.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Benenden Church of England Primary School.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Green (opposite), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 5 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Benenden Church of England Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 years agoThis judgement is from December 2016, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2016 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 76% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 76% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 83% to 96% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.4
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.8
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Benenden Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Benenden Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Benenden Church of England Primary School is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Benenden Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Benenden Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Benenden Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Benenden Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Benenden Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Benenden Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kent got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
210 pupils
210 places
No spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Cranbrook
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cranbrook
Across Kent council
Places available
18,893
Applications
16,593
Got 1st preference
89.7%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
17
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
10.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
213
Total Pupils
104
Boys
109
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
19.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,180
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,167
Per pupil
£1214k
Total funding
£33k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
9.5%
Persistent absence
189
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Benenden Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Benenden Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Benenden Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is Benenden Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Benenden Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Benenden Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Benenden Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Benenden Church of England Primary School?
Benenden Church of England Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Benenden Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Benenden Church of England Primary School average 30.4 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Benenden Church of England Primary School?
Benenden Church of England Primary School has around 213 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Benenden Church of England Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Benenden Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 9.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Benenden Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Benenden Church of England Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Benenden Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Benenden Church of England Primary School?
Benenden Church of England Primary School is at Rolvenden Road, Cranbrook, TN17 4EH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)