Schools in Herne Bay
Kent · 9 schools
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 6 days
Deadline Monday 2 November 2026. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
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.
Schools in Herne Bay (9)
- Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School
Primary · Ages 3-7 · CT6 7AH
Ofsted: Outstanding (2021)New report card71% of first choices got in - Herne Church of England Junior School
Primary · Ages 7-11 · CT6 7AL
Ofsted: Outstanding (2016)KS2: 89% expected (2025) - Reculver Church of England Primary School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · CT6 6TA
Ofsted: Outstanding (2018)KS2: 75% expected (2025)92% of first choices got in - Hampton Primary School
Primary · Ages 3-11 · CT6 8NB
Ofsted: Good (2020)KS2: 60% expected (2025)92% of first choices got in - Thornden Wood Primary School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · CT6 7RS
Ofsted: Good (2024)KS2: 86% expected (2025) - SALT COLLEGE
Special · Ages 16-24 · CT6 8JZ
By type:Primary schools in Herne Bay (7)Special schools in Herne Bay (1)Secondary schools in Herne Bay (1)
9
7 primary · 1 secondary
4,290
89% capacity used
2
0 outstanding · 2 good
4,819
529 spare places
Ofsted Ratings
Best Schools in Herne Bay
View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more
Best Schools in Kent
Compare all schools across the county
Area Performance (2026)
Attainment 8
35.5
GCSE Eng+Maths
22.9%
School Capacity & Demand
Housing Growth Detected
472 new homes approved nearby. This could generate an estimated +118 primary and +85 secondary pupils.
Source: MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years)
Primary Schools
91% occupied · 292 spare places
Secondary Schools
101% occupied · 13 over capacity
Questions parents ask about schools in Herne Bay
How many schools are there in Herne Bay?
Herne Bay has 9 open schools: 7 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through and 1 special.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Which schools in Herne Bay are rated Outstanding?
3 schools in Herne Bay were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School, Reculver Church of England Primary School and Herne Church of England Junior School. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 8 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.
Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery SchoolReculver Church of England Primary SchoolHerne Church of England Junior School
Source: Ofsted
Which primary schools in Herne Bay have the best SATs results?
Of the 5 primary schools in Herne Bay with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Herne Church of England Junior School (88% in reading, 90% in maths); Thornden Wood Primary School (87% in reading, 84% in maths); and Reculver Church of England Primary School (79% in reading, 71% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.
Herne Church of England Junior SchoolThornden Wood Primary SchoolReculver Church of England Primary School
Source: DfE school performance data
Are there grammar schools in Herne Bay?
No. None of the state secondary schools in Herne Bay selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Do schools in Herne Bay have catchment areas?
Most state schools in Herne Bay have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.
How do I apply for a school place in Herne Bay?
Apply to Kent through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.