Herne Bay Infant School, Herne Bay
Herne Bay Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Herne Bay. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. It was 89% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below 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 26 Oct 2026
Herne Bay Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Herne Bay Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 56 families put Herne Bay Infant School as their first choice and 118 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Herne Bay Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Herne Bay Infant School are Herne Bay Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 56% reading, 40% maths); Hampton Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 59% reading, 61% maths); Herne Church of England Junior School (1.2 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 90% maths); and Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School (1.3 miles, Outstanding).
Herne Bay Junior SchoolHampton Primary SchoolHerne Church of England Junior SchoolHerne Church of England Infant and Nursery School
What parents say
42 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Herne Bay Infant School (as of September 2025): 88% 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 (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
39.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 33 pupils (12.7%) received SEN support and 4 (1.5%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Herne Bay Rail Station, about 850 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Queen's Roundabout south (n-bound), 280 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Herne Bay Infant School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 247 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Herne Bay Infant School issued 30 suspensions, 10.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from April 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Herne Bay Infant School is a joyful, welcoming place where children thrive. Staff have high expectations and support each child's academic learning alongside building their character and confidence. The school offers a rich range of experiences including visits to local sites, cultural celebrations, and opportunities for pupils to take on meaningful responsibilities.
Key Strengths
- Pupils behave well and form very positive relationships with one another, creating a family feel in the school community
- Strong early years provision with children engaging enthusiastically in meaningful, hands-on activities
- Effective support for pupils who fall behind in reading, ensuring they catch up well
- Rich curriculum with visits beyond school and visitors from the community, developing pupils' cultural understanding
- Staff provide compassionate support helping pupils to self-manage their behaviour
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects beyond English and mathematics, pupils do not have enough opportunities to record and practise key vocabulary, making it harder for them to remember and use new words
- Attendance has been low in the past, though the school is now working to improve this
- Need to ensure pupils consistently produce work that helps them rehearse vocabulary across all subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits to local sites including church and seafront, emergency services visitors, Bollywood dance workshop, Hindu festival celebrations (Holi), play ranger roles, library roles
Herne Bay Infant School is a friendly and caring school where pupils are happy and safe. The school has maintained good standards and continues to prioritise both academic achievement and character development.
At a Glance
39.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
42 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
27.7
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Herne Bay Infant School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Herne Bay Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Herne Bay Infant 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
- 43
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 38 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 Herne Bay Infant School
Will you get a place at Herne Bay Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Herne Bay Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Herne Bay Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Herne Bay Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Herne Bay Infant 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
89%
Available places
240 pupils
270 places
30 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Herne Bay
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Herne Bay
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)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
14.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
259
Total Pupils
126
Boys
133
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,573
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,816
Per pupil
£1631k
Total funding
£145k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.7%
Overall absence
24.1%
Persistent absence
191
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
Herne Bay Infant School
Questions parents ask about Herne Bay Infant School
What is Herne Bay Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Herne Bay Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Herne Bay Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Herne Bay Infant 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 Herne Bay Infant School?
Herne Bay Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Herne Bay Infant School?
Classes at Herne Bay Infant School average 27.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Herne Bay Infant School?
Herne Bay Infant School has around 259 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Herne Bay Infant School?
6.7% of sessions were missed at Herne Bay Infant School in 2024/25. 24.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Herne Bay Infant School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Herne Bay Infant 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 Herne Bay Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 38 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Herne Bay Infant School?
Herne Bay Infant School is at Stanley Road, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5SH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)