Littlebourne Church of England Primary School, Canterbury
Littlebourne Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Canterbury. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 28 schools in Canterbury with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- 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 27 Oct 2026
Littlebourne Church of England Primary School in detail
Littlebourne Church of England Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Littlebourne Church of England Primary School! My name is Simon Hillier - Headteacher here at Littlebourne having been appointed to the role in September 2024. At Littlebourne, we lay the foundations for individuality and independence and build happy, secure children who are equipped to face the many adventures that lie ahead of them."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 3 November 2026, an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026 and an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 80% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Littlebourne Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 36 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Littlebourne Church of England Primary School are Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School (0.9 miles); Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 73% maths); Wingham Primary School (2 miles, Good, 81% reading, 84% maths); and Adisham Church of England Primary School (2.6 miles, Outstanding, 75% reading, 81% maths).
Littlebourne Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary SchoolWickhambreaux Church of England Primary SchoolWingham Primary SchoolAdisham Church of England Primary School
What parents say
19 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Littlebourne Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 79% would recommend the school, 90% 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 (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
34.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 20 pupils (19.6%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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.
Staffing
Littlebourne Church of England Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bekesbourne Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church Road (adjacent), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and drug offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Littlebourne Church of England Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 10.6 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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Some aspects are not as strong as at the last graded inspection.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are eager to come to school and keen to learn. They embrace and enjoy the opportunities the school offers from the early morning breakfast club through to their enthusiastic singing in assembly.
The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour, to which they willingly rise. Pupils feel safe and secure as they happily go about their daily business. They are confident and courteous. Pupils are encouraged to respect and accept difference. They are warm, friendly and engaging with their friends and visitors alike. Pupils aspire to the school's positions of responsibility, such as 'well-being warriors', and learn to conduct themselves responsibly in any situation.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school is calmly continuing through another challenging period of significant changes to staffing at all levels, including governance. The new headteacher has rapidly formed an accurate picture of the school's strengths and where it needs to do more. While the school has ensured that pupils continue to have a positive experience and enjoy school, aspects of the quality of education are more variable than they should be.
Although pupils gain an increasing range of useful knowledge and skills, the school does not promote positive progress consistently well through the curriculum. For example, most younger pupils successfully use the phonics they have learned to read and spell well. However, there is not enough emphasis on checking carefully that all children keep up with their phonics learning from the start.
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 May 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
34.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
19 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 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 73% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 60% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.5
Avg class size
15.0
Infant (KS1)
15.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Littlebourne Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Littlebourne Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Littlebourne 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Littlebourne Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Littlebourne Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Littlebourne Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Littlebourne 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 Littlebourne 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
99%
Near capacity
104 pupils
105 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Canterbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Canterbury
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
20
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
19.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
102
Total Pupils
51
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
14.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,506
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,344
Per pupil
£738k
Total funding
£52k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
20.9%
Persistent absence
91
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Littlebourne Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Littlebourne Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Littlebourne Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Littlebourne Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Littlebourne 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 Littlebourne Church of England Primary School?
Littlebourne Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School average 18.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Littlebourne Church of England Primary School?
Littlebourne Church of England Primary School has around 102 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School?
7.2% of sessions were missed at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 20.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Littlebourne Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Littlebourne 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 Littlebourne Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Littlebourne Church of England Primary School?
Littlebourne Church of England Primary School is at Church Road, Littlebourne, Canterbury, Kent, CT3 1XS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)