Kemsley Primary Academy, Sittingbourne
Kemsley Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Sittingbourne, part of Reach2 Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 19th-highest of the 24 schools in Sittingbourne with published results, and 11,486th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Kemsley Primary Academy in detail
Kemsley Primary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Kemsley Primary Academy, a successful and ambitious one-form entry primary school, nestled at the heart of Kemsley, in Sittingbourne. At Kemsley, we ardently believe that every child deserves the very best education and that's what we aim to provide - excellence for all."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, dance and Lego.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at Kemsley Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 63% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 70% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Kemsley Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Kemsley Primary Academy as their first choice and 50 named it as one of their preferences, for 21 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 Kemsley Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Kemsley Primary Academy are Regis Manor Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 71% reading, 63% maths); Milton Court Primary Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths); Iwade School (1.1 miles, Good, 76% reading, 69% maths); and Bobbing Village School (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, 82% reading, 79% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Kemsley Primary Academy.
Regis Manor Primary SchoolMilton Court Primary AcademyIwade SchoolBobbing Village School
The trust
Kemsley Primary Academy is one of 65 schools run by Reach2 Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
55 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kemsley Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 76% would recommend the school, 84% say their child is happy there and 46% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (89%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (46%).
Who goes there
35% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Kemsley Rail Station, about 250 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Coldharbour Lane West (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Kemsley Primary Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Kemsley Primary Academy issued 8 suspensions, 3.6 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 multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2015, 11 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils enjoy attending this friendly school. Pupils enact the school's values of exploration and positivity. They behave well and form trusting relationships with one another. Older pupils play imaginative games with younger pupils at playtime. They show empathy towards one another, creating an atmosphere where everyone feels included. Pupils take on opportunities to lead projects across the school. For example, pupils elected to eco-council encourage others to recycle within the school. Pupils are safe. They are confident that if they have a worry, they can speak with a member of staff who they trust will resolve it. One pupil echoed the views of many when they said, 'Teachers are always there for you when you need help.'
The school has high expectations for all pupils. Children in the early years settle quickly into life at school. They explore what they learn through a range of well-constructed activities. Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects. They produce high-quality work that adorns the corridors. They delight in sharing what they learn in school with their parents and carers. The school prepares pupils for their transition to secondary school well. For example, they meet and compete with pupils from schools in the locality.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school provides a curriculum that matches the needs and interests of pupils well. The progression of knowledge is mapped out clearly. This ensures that teachers are clear about what to teach and when. Teachers receive training that refines the way they teach. Trust leaders and governors work closely with the school. They help school leaders to identify and act upon improvements needed. Leaders support teachers to manage their workload effectively. They provide guidance to teachers that helps them to manage their time in class well.
Pupils gain a broad range of knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Children in the early years develop a love of stories. They learn through a range of well-planned activities. Pupils develop their reading skills confidently. Teachers support pupils who have fallen behind in their reading to catch up quickly. Pupils read widely and often. They apply the knowledge they have learned in reading when writing. They produce high-quality written work across the curriculum. Older pupils use their mathematical knowledge across the wider curriculum well. For example, they use graphs in science and draw on their knowledge of time in history. However, the knowledge and recall of multiplication facts is not secure for some older pupils. The school is aware of what needs to be done to address this.
From Ofsted's October 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 February 2015 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
35.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
55 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 remained stable at around 70% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 70% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 78% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Kemsley Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Kemsley Primary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Kent
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Kemsley Primary Academy.
- Kemsley Primary School BC/ASCAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kemsley Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kemsley Primary Academy 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 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 Kemsley Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Kemsley Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Kemsley Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Kemsley Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Kemsley Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Kemsley Primary Academy 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 - Sittingbourne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sittingbourne
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
41
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
23.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
217
Total Pupils
116
Boys
101
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
24.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,229
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,581
Per pupil
£1315k
Total funding
£106k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
15.8%
Persistent absence
183
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Kemsley Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Kemsley Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Kemsley Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 70% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is Kemsley Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Kemsley Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Kemsley Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Kemsley Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Kemsley Primary Academy?
Kemsley Primary Academy was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Kemsley Primary Academy?
Classes at Kemsley Primary Academy average 27 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Kemsley Primary Academy?
Kemsley Primary Academy has around 217 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Kemsley Primary Academy?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Kemsley Primary Academy in 2024/25. 15.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kemsley Primary Academy?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Kemsley Primary Academy 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.
Does Kemsley Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Kemsley Primary Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kemsley Primary School BC/ASC (registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Kemsley Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 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 Kemsley Primary Academy?
Kemsley Primary Academy is at Coldharbour Lane, Kemsley, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 2RP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)