Water Meadows Primary School, Canterbury
Water Meadows Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Canterbury, part of The Stour Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 13th-highest of the 28 schools in Canterbury with published results, and 6,591st of 14,452 across England. It was 83% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below 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
Water Meadows Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at Water Meadows Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% 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 82% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Water Meadows Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Water Meadows Primary School as their first choice and 36 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 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 Water Meadows Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Water Meadows Primary School are Hoath Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 79% maths); Sturry Church of England Primary School (1.5 miles, Outstanding, 81% reading, 84% maths); Chislet Church of England Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 67% reading, 80% maths); and Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School (2.5 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 73% maths).
Water Meadows Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Hoath Primary SchoolSturry Church of England Primary SchoolChislet Church of England Primary SchoolWickhambreaux Church of England Primary School
The trust
Water Meadows Primary School is one of 9 schools run by The Stour 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
32 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Water Meadows Primary School (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 47% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (47%).
Who goes there
37.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 59 pupils (31.4%) received SEN support and 3 (1.6%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Water Meadows Primary School had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sturry Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Sycamores (adjacent), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 20 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Water Meadows Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 3.4 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; 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 March 2019, 7 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
Water Meadows is a warm, inclusive school where children feel valued and happy to learn. Teachers have high expectations and check understanding carefully to help every child, including those with additional needs, succeed. The school places real emphasis on kindness and personal development, helping children understand their emotions and grow in confidence.
Key Strengths
- Strong teaching in English and mathematics with high expectations and effective checking of pupil understanding
- Well-structured phonics programme helping most pupils learn to read quickly and confidently
- Highly inclusive culture with strong emphasis on kindness, respect and celebrating diversity
- Effective support for pupils with special educational needs, enabling them to access the curriculum and succeed
- Consistent behaviour policy applied fairly by all staff, with excellent emotional support for pupils who need it
Areas for Improvement
- Some teachers do not always focus tasks sharply enough on the key knowledge pupils need to learn in the wider curriculum
- Subject leaders across the wider curriculum need more training to check and evaluate how well pupils are learning over time
- Pupil attendance, while improving, remains below where it should be and needs continued focus
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff quickly resolving any concerns and pupils reporting they do not worry about bullying.
Extracurricular Activities
Digital leader roles, before- and after-school clubs
Water Meadows Primary School has successfully maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. The school provides a nurturing, inclusive environment where pupils are happy, behave well, and achieve particularly strongly in English and mathematics.
At a Glance
37.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
32 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 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 71% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.9
Avg class size
24.7
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
7
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 Water Meadows Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Water Meadows Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Water Meadows 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
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
2 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 Water Meadows Primary School
Will you get a place at Water Meadows Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Water Meadows Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Water Meadows Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Water Meadows 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 Water Meadows 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
83%
Available places
174 pupils
210 places
36 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
33.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
188
Total Pupils
84
Boys
104
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,717
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,898
Per pupil
£1212k
Total funding
£103k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.8%
Overall absence
25.3%
Persistent absence
170
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
Water Meadows Primary School
Questions parents ask about Water Meadows Primary School
What are SATs results like at Water Meadows Primary School?
Of the pupils at Water Meadows Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is Water Meadows Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Water Meadows Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Water Meadows Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Water Meadows 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 Water Meadows Primary School?
Water Meadows Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Water Meadows Primary School?
Classes at Water Meadows Primary School average 26.9 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 Water Meadows Primary School?
Water Meadows Primary School has around 188 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Water Meadows Primary School?
6.8% of sessions were missed at Water Meadows Primary School in 2024/25. 25.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Water Meadows Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Water Meadows 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 Water Meadows Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 2 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 Water Meadows Primary School?
Water Meadows Primary School is at Shaftesbury Road, Hersden, Canterbury, Kent, CT3 4HS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)