Preston Primary School, Canterbury
Preston Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Canterbury. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 28 schools in Canterbury with published results, and 5,071st of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- 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
Preston Primary School in detail
Preston Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of the pupils, staff and Governing Body, I am delighted to have this opportunity to welcome you to Preston School. At Preston Primary, our core values are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in fostering a community built on: We are committed to providing a safe, happy, stimulating and inclusive learning environment."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Preston Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 100% in reading and 95% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Preston Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Preston Primary School as their first choice and 49 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Preston Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Preston Primary School are Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School (2.3 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 73% maths); Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School (2.3 miles); Wingham Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 81% reading, 84% maths); and Ash Cartwright and Kelsey Church of England Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 69% reading, 69% maths).
Preston 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 SchoolAsh Cartwright and Kelsey Church of England Primary School
What parents say
46 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Preston Primary School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
13.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Preston Primary School had 8 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
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Preston Primary School.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Green (s-bound), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
Preston Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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
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 July 2013, 13 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 June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Preston Primary School excels at creating a happy, purposeful learning environment where children develop confidence and independence. Teachers use exciting activities and 'flourish days' to help pupils show what they know in their own way. The school prioritises reading from Reception onwards and ensures every child gets the right support to succeed.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious, innovative curriculum carefully structured for mixed-age classes with excellent provision for pupils with special educational needs
- Highly skilled teaching with interesting activities that develop reflective, confident and independent learners
- Exceptional reading provision with systematic phonics teaching from Reception and swift support for those needing extra help
- Exemplary pupil behaviour and positive attitudes to learning, with strong demonstration of the school's RICH values
- Outstanding personal development including a wide range of clubs, visits, visitors and leadership opportunities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a strong open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, visits, visitors to school, breakfast and after-school provision, leadership opportunities
Preston Primary School is an outstanding school where pupils are happy, thrive as well-rounded individuals, and excel academically. The school has exceptionally high expectations and provides a caring environment with a strong culture of kindness.
At a Glance
13.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
46 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 declined from 100% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 95% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 90% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.8
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
24.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Preston Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Preston Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Preston 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 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 Preston Primary School
Will you get a place at Preston Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Preston Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Preston Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Preston 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 Preston 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
86%
Available places
123 pupils
143 places
20 spare places 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(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
21.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
129
Total Pupils
68
Boys
61
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
16.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,446
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,853
Per pupil
£767k
Total funding
£23k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
9.8%
Persistent absence
112
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Preston Primary School
What are SATs results like at Preston Primary School?
Of the pupils at Preston Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Preston Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Preston Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Preston Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Preston 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 Preston Primary School?
Preston Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 143 places.
How big are the classes at Preston Primary School?
Classes at Preston Primary School average 25.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Preston Primary School?
Preston Primary School has around 129 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Preston Primary School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Preston Primary School in 2024/25. 9.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Preston Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Preston 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 Preston Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 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 Preston Primary School?
Preston Primary School is at Mill Lane, Preston, Canterbury, Kent, CT3 1HB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)