Burham Church of England Primary School, Rochester
Burham Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Rochester. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 25 schools in Rochester with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Burham Church of England Primary School in detail
Burham Church of England Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "There has been a school in Burham since 1858 when the then Curate of Burham, the Rev. W. Keith started a church school with funds raised locally. It was originally sited on Rochester Road and at one time held as many as 400 boys and girls."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include guitar and STEM.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care, from £6 per session.
Coming up: an admissions event on Thursday 12 November 2026, an open evening on Thursday 12 November 2026, an open evening on Tuesday 24 November 2026 and an open evening on Wednesday 6 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at Burham Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 78% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Burham Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Burham Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 82 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Burham Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Burham Church of England Primary School are St Mark's Church of England Primary School, Eccles (0.6 miles, Good, 67% reading, 78% maths); Wouldham, All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 60% reading, 57% maths); Valley Invicta Primary School at Holborough Lakes (1.7 miles, Good, 90% reading, 81% maths); and Halling Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 85% reading, 77% maths).
Burham Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Mark's Church of England Primary School, EcclesWouldham, All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolValley Invicta Primary School at Holborough LakesHalling Primary School
Who goes there
14.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 27 pupils (15.1%) received SEN support and 2 (1.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Snodland Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bell Lane (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 24 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Burham Church of England Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 2.4 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are happy at this school. They talk confidently about what respect means and why it is important. The new school values of 'SHINE' (success, happiness, independence, new experiences and engagement) and the school's Christian values of 'CRAFT' (compassion, responsibility, acceptance, forgiveness and trust) have been embedded well by the new leadership team. These values underpin all aspects of the school's work around education and behaviour.
Pupils enjoy learning the curriculum. There are high expectations for all pupils to achieve well, including pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This has been strengthened in recent times. The school is in the process of refining parts of the curriculum. This is because, in a few subjects, there needs to be clearer links between what pupils learn, the way that they learn it and how teachers can check that they have learned it.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has developed a curriculum which is accessible for all pupils and it has high aspirations, including for those pupils with SEND. Staff understand pupils' barriers to learning and help them to overcome these through effective adaptations and support. This enables all pupils to successfully access the curriculum. In some subjects, such as mathematics, pupils confidently remember their learning and teachers know how to check this. In other subjects, such as history, there is some further work to do. In these subjects, pupils often remember activities instead of the specific knowledge that they have learned. Tasks are not designed to help pupils connect their learning together as effectively as they could.
Teachers have good subject knowledge and have benefited from high-quality training. The curriculum in early years is well developed and focuses on children becoming exploratory, independent learners. Some teachers routinely check pupils' understanding during lessons. They use this information to support pupils, particularly those with SEND, to access future learning. However, this is not yet consistent or precise enough. This means that some pupils have gaps in their learning. This is preventing these pupils from achieving as highly as they could. The school recognises this and is already identifying ways to share the best practice more widely.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2014 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
14.5%
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 78% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 78% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.8
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
25.7
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Burham Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Burham Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Burham 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Burham Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Burham Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Burham Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Burham Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Burham 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 Burham 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
169 pupils
196 places
27 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rochester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochester
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
27
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
16.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
179
Total Pupils
93
Boys
86
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,553
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,518
Per pupil
£983k
Total funding
£33k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
11.1%
Persistent absence
144
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Burham Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Burham Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Burham Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Burham Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Burham Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Burham Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Burham 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 Burham Church of England Primary School?
Burham Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 196 places.
How big are the classes at Burham Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Burham Church of England Primary School average 24.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Burham Church of England Primary School?
Burham Church of England Primary School has around 179 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Burham Church of England Primary School?
5% of sessions were missed at Burham Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 11.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Burham Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Burham 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 Burham Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Burham Church of England Primary School?
Burham Church of England Primary School is at Bell Lane, Burham, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3SY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)