Cheriton Primary School, Folkestone
Cheriton Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Folkestone. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 19 schools in Folkestone with published results, and 2,822nd of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Cheriton Primary School in detail
Cheriton Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Cheriton Primary School is situated at the western side of the seaside town of Folkestone. We have served the local community since 1968 and many parents of children who attend the school now, did so themselves as children. The school site has large grounds that include a wildlife area, sports field, play areas and outdoor learning spaces."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Cheriton Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 75% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Cheriton Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 63 families put Cheriton Primary School as their first choice and 128 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Cheriton Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cheriton Primary School are Folkestone, St Martin's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 87% reading, 77% maths); All Soul's Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 68% maths); Harcourt Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 62% reading, 65% maths); and Morehall Primary School and Nursery (0.8 miles, Good, 85% reading, 80% maths).
Cheriton Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Folkestone, St Martin's Church of England Primary SchoolAll Soul's Church of England Primary SchoolHarcourt Primary SchoolMorehall Primary School and Nursery
What parents say
90 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cheriton Primary School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
30.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (60%) and Asian (27%).
In 2026, 77 pupils (19.7%) received SEN support and 10 (2.6%) 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
The nearest railway station is Folkestone West Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bowden Crescent (adjacent), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Cheriton Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Cheriton Primary School are Turner Free School (0.8 miles), The Harvey Grammar School (1.1 miles) and The Folkestone School for Girls (1.1 miles).
Turner Free SchoolThe Harvey Grammar SchoolThe Folkestone School for Girls
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2011, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Cheriton is a caring school where children thrive and enjoy coming to school. Pupils develop strong reading and maths skills while exploring a broad curriculum linked to trips and real-world learning. The school works hard to ensure all pupils, including those who need extra support, can access clubs and activities that enrich their education.
Key Strengths
- Pupils develop reading and mathematical knowledge well, with strong support for those who fall behind
- Teachers create a calm, purposeful learning environment with high expectations for behaviour
- The school offers a wide range of clubs, activities and trips linked to the curriculum, with support for disadvantaged pupils to access them
- Early years children get a positive start with engaging activities that help them transfer to key stage 1 with confidence
- Staff care deeply for pupils and help them grow into responsible, respectful citizens
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching is not always adapted well enough to support pupils with special educational needs - this affects how well some pupils achieve
- Teachers do not consistently check what pupils know and remember, particularly important subject content and vocabulary
- Questions from teachers are often focused on a limited number of pupils, meaning not all pupils get enough opportunities to embed learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong safeguarding culture and procedures in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Choir, Rock Band, clubs, competitions, breakfast club, after-school club, trips linked to curriculum
Cheriton Primary School is a friendly, ambitious primary school where pupils enjoy learning across a broad range of subjects. The school has been rated Good across all key areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
At a Glance
30.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
90 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 75% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 70% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 70% to 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.9
Avg class size
11
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Cheriton Primary School
Gilwell Residential 2026
18 May 2026
Forest School Rebuild
20 Mar 2026
Young Voices 2026
19 Jan 2026
Easter Trail
2 Apr 2025
Time Capsule
25 Mar 2024
From Cheriton Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Cheriton Primary School
Getting There
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cheriton Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cheriton 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
- 39
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 37 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Cheriton Primary School
Will you get a place at Cheriton Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cheriton Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cheriton Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cheriton 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 Cheriton 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
96%
Near capacity
403 pupils
420 places
17 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Folkestone
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Folkestone
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
77
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
22.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
391
Total Pupils
208
Boys
183
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
18.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,390
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,240
Per pupil
£2408k
Total funding
£156k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
13.4%
Persistent absence
372
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Cheriton Primary School
Questions parents ask about Cheriton Primary School
What are SATs results like at Cheriton Primary School?
Of the pupils at Cheriton Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Cheriton Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Cheriton Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Cheriton Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Cheriton 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 Cheriton Primary School?
Cheriton Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Cheriton Primary School?
Classes at Cheriton Primary School average 27.9 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Cheriton Primary School?
Cheriton Primary School has around 391 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cheriton Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Cheriton Primary School in 2024/25. 13.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cheriton Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Cheriton 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 Cheriton Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 37 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Cheriton Primary School?
Cheriton Primary School is at Church Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 3EP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)