St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School, Dover
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Dover. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 21 schools in Dover with published results, and 10,359th of 14,452 across England. It was 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School in detail
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our school. St Margaret’s‑at‑Cliffe Primary School is a place where children grow, thrive, and develop a lifelong love of learning. We are a close‑knit community, and we take great pride in the warm, supportive relationships that underpin everything we do."
The school runs after-school care, from £3 per session.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 3 February 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 88% in reading and 92% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School as their first choice and 34 named it as one of their preferences, for 19 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 St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School are Langdon Primary School (2 miles, Good, 86% reading, 86% maths); Kingsdown and Ringwould Church of England Primary School (2.4 miles, Outstanding, 91% reading, 94% maths); Guston Church of England Primary School (2.6 miles, Good, 65% reading, 80% maths); and Guston Church of England Primary School (2.6 miles).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School.
Langdon Primary SchoolKingsdown and Ringwould Church of England Primary SchoolGuston Church of England Primary SchoolGuston Church of England Primary School
What parents say
84 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 73% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (73%).
Who goes there
11.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 18 pupils (10.5%) received SEN support and 5 (2.9%) 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
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School had 11 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 Martin Mill Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Reach Road (adjacent), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 18 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe 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
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 July 2015, 11 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 January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a caring, inclusive school where children thrive in a supportive environment. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use high-quality training to deliver engaging lessons, particularly in reading. Pupils have excellent behaviour and attitudes to learning, and the school's clear values help them succeed both academically and personally.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between pupils and adults built on care and respect - pupils feel safe and supported
- High-quality teaching of phonics and reading, with a language-rich environment from early years
- Well-embedded school values (resilience, resourcefulness, respect, tolerance, responsibility, reflection) that pupils understand and live by
- Excellent behaviour and attendance - classrooms are calm and pupils are polite and keen to learn
- Strong pastoral support that helps pupils succeed academically
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum links between prior and current learning are not clear enough in some subjects - pupils need better connections to help them remember what they've learned
- Assessment of the weakest readers is not precise enough - some struggling readers are not getting the specific help they need
- Checking what pupils know and remember is not yet systematic across the school - misconceptions are sometimes missed
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with strong safeguarding culture and policies in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Leadership roles (red caps, early years buddies), Year 6 residential trip to France, curriculum-linked trips and visits
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School is a friendly village primary school where pupils are happy, settled, and supported by caring staff with high expectations. The school has been working to refine its curriculum since a new leadership team arrived in September 2024.
At a Glance
11.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
84 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 88% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 92% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 92% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.5
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
6
Total classes
2 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 St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Margaret's-at-Cliffe 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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 St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School
Will you get a place at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Margaret's-at-Cliffe 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 St Margaret's-at-Cliffe 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
79%
Available places
165 pupils
210 places
45 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dover
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dover
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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
18
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
13.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
171
Total Pupils
81
Boys
90
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
15.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,109
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,159
Per pupil
£927k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
5.8%
Persistent absence
154
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Margaret's-at-Cliffe 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 St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School?
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School?
Classes at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School average 28.5 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School?
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School has around 171 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School in 2024/25. 5.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming St Margaret's-at-Cliffe 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 St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School?
St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School is at Sea Street, St Margaret's-At-Cliffe, Dover, Kent, CT15 6SS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)