Herne Church of England Junior School, Herne Bay
Herne Church of England Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Herne Bay. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 5 schools in Herne Bay with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 102% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2016)
- Capacity
- Full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Herne Church of England Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Herne Church of England Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 92% in reading and 92% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Herne Church of England Junior School
Across Kent, 90% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Kent lodged 237 appeals against primary school offers; 166 reached a hearing and 18 succeeded (10.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Herne Church of England Junior School are Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School (0.1 miles, Outstanding); Herne Bay Infant School (1.2 miles, Good); Herne Bay Junior School (1.3 miles, Good, 56% reading, 40% maths); and Thornden Wood Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 87% reading, 84% maths).
Herne Church of England Junior School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery SchoolHerne Bay Infant SchoolHerne Bay Junior SchoolThornden Wood Primary School
Who goes there
15.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Herne Bay Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Streetfield (adjacent), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 57 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Herne Church of England Junior School issued 2 suspensions, 0.5 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from March 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2016 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
15.5%
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 declined from 92% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 92% to 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
31.2
Avg class size
31.2
KS2
10
Total classes
8 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Herne Church of England Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Herne Church of England Junior School.
- Invicta School Club at Herne Infants School240m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Herne Church of England Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Herne Church of England Junior 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
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
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, 1 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
102%
Over capacity
368 pupils
360 places
8 pupils over capacity 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.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
19.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
375
Total Pupils
203
Boys
172
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,927
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,935
Per pupil
£1976k
Total funding
£88k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
6.2%
Persistent absence
373
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 Church of England Junior School
Questions parents ask about Herne Church of England Junior School
What are SATs results like at Herne Church of England Junior School?
Of the pupils at Herne Church of England Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is Herne Church of England Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Herne Church of England Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2016, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Herne Church of England Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Herne Church of England Junior 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 Church of England Junior School?
Herne Church of England Junior School was full in 2025, at 102% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Herne Church of England Junior School?
Classes at Herne Church of England Junior School average 31.2 pupils (2025/26). 8 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Herne Church of England Junior School?
Herne Church of England Junior School has around 375 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Herne Church of England Junior School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Herne Church of England Junior School in 2024/25. 6.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Herne Church of England Junior School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Herne Church of England Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Herne Church of England Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Herne Church of England Junior School: Invicta School Club at Herne Infants School (240m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Herne Church of England Junior 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, 1 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 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 Herne Church of England Junior School?
Herne Church of England Junior School is at School Lane, Herne, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 7AL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)