The Craylands School, Swanscombe
The Craylands School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Swanscombe. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 100th-highest of the 432 schools in Kent with published results, and 3,694th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
The Craylands School in detail
The Craylands School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Monday 9 November 2026 and an open day on Monday 23 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at The Craylands School reached the expected standard in reading and 85% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (82% in reading, 87% in maths).
Getting a place at The Craylands School
For September 2026 entry, 57 families put The Craylands School as their first choice and 148 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Craylands School are Manor Community Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 81% reading, 76% maths); Knockhall Primary School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 77% reading, 74% maths); Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 88% maths); and Ebbsfleet Green Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 97% reading, 97% maths).
The Craylands School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Manor Community Primary SchoolKnockhall Primary SchoolLeigh Academy Cherry OrchardEbbsfleet Green Primary School
What parents say
106 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Craylands School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 84% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (95%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (80%).
Who goes there
7.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (64%), Black (8%) and Mixed (8%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Swanscombe Rail Station, about 610 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Rising Sun (opposite), 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Craylands School issued 6 suspensions, 1.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Craylands School are Alkerden Church of England Academy (0.5 miles) and Leigh Academy Ebbsfleet (0.6 miles).
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2016, 10 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 Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Craylands School creates a welcoming community where pupils are proud to learn and behave positively. Teachers are knowledgeable and adapt their lessons to challenge all learners, with strong support for those who need it. The school values each child as an individual and offers plenty of enrichment through trips, clubs, and activities that excite pupils and help them discover new interests.
Key Strengths
- Teachers have secure subject knowledge and adapt teaching based on what pupils know, with effective challenge for all learners
- Swift identification of pupils with SEND and tailored strategies enable them to access learning well
- Strong phonics teaching and consistent reading instruction from Reception onwards
- Positive behaviour and relationships supported by school values - pupils are respectful and help each other
- Wide range of trips, residential visits, and extra-curricular clubs enriches pupils' learning
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils need quicker support with phonics gaps to prevent delayed reading fluency
- Handwriting teaching lacks consistency - teachers do not always address letter formation, affecting pupils' writing fluency
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating a positive culture that prioritises pupils' interests.
Extracurricular Activities
School trips, residential visits, choir, extra-curricular clubs, play leader roles, running track activities, meadow outdoor learning
The Craylands School has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. Pupils are proud of their school community, behave positively, and achieve well with high teacher expectations.
At a Glance
33.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
106 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 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 83% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
29.8
Infant (KS1)
29.4
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from The Craylands School
SEND | The Craylands School | Swanscombe
20 Sep 2026
Newsletters | The Craylands School | Swanscombe
18 Sep 2026
Admissions | The Craylands School | in Swanscombe
15 Sep 2026
School Policies | The Craylands School | Swanscombe
14 Sep 2026
Year 4 Classes | The Craylands School | Swanscombe
28 Jul 2026
5 Classes | The Craylands School | Swanscombe
28 Jul 2026
From The Craylands School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Craylands School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to The Craylands School, with their latest published grades:
- Bright Horizons Swanscombe Day Nursery and Preschool - Day nursery, under 0.1 milesOfsted report card, 26 May 2026: Strong standard in 3 areas, Expected standard in 3 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Cygnets Pre-School/Nursery - Pre-school, 0.3 milesOfsted, 22 June 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Feet of Ebbsfleet - Pre-school, 0.4 milesOfsted, 23 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Jumping Beans Pre-School Ltd Greenhithe - Pre-school, 0.5 milesOfsted, 26 April 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Darlings Daycare - Day nursery, 0.6 miles
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Craylands School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Craylands 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
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 15 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
3 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at The Craylands School
Will you get a place at The Craylands School?
For 2026 entry it had 57 first choices for 60 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
413 pupils
420 places
7 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Primary - Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet planning area (Kent) will need 199 more primary places than it is due to have in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
62
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
18.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
414
Total Pupils
223
Boys
191
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
17.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,924
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,806
Per pupil
£2733k
Total funding
£159k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
12.6%
Persistent absence
372
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
The Craylands School
Questions parents ask about The Craylands School
What are SATs results like at The Craylands School?
Of the pupils at The Craylands School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 85% did so in maths.
What is The Craylands School's Ofsted rating?
The Craylands School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in February 2016, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at The Craylands School?
The Craylands School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at The Craylands School?
Classes at The Craylands School average 29.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Craylands School?
The Craylands School has around 414 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Craylands School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at The Craylands School in 2024/25. 12.6% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near The Craylands School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 15 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 3 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 The Craylands School?
The Craylands School is at Craylands Lane, Swanscombe, Kent, DA10 0LP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)