Callis Grange Nursery and Infant School

About Callis Grange Nursery and Infant School

Callis Grange Nursery and Infant School, a state primary for children aged 3 to 7 in Thanet, Kent, stands out for its strong personal development and behaviour ratings, even as its overall Ofsted grade of Good aligns with the majority of schools in the local authority. The school’s most recent inspection in 2022 awarded top marks of Outstanding for both personal development and behaviour and attitudes, while quality of education, early years provision, and leadership and management were all rated Good. This is a notably strong profile compared with the Kent average for primary schools, where only 54 out of 459 schools hold an Outstanding overall rating. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 217 applications for 90 places, with 85 first-preference offers made. That oversubscription ratio of 2.41 suggests a school that local families actively seek out, likely drawn by its focused early years provision and the strong pastoral reputation hinted at by those Outstanding behaviour and personal development scores.

Academic outcomes at Callis Grange are not directly measured by Key Stage 2 SATs, as the school only covers infants up to Year 2, so no Progress 8 or KS2 data is available for comparison against the Kent LA average of 63% reaching the expected standard. However, the school’s nursery provision and early years foundation stage were rated Good in the 2022 inspection, with inspectors noting strong personal development from the start. The school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake: 21.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, above the national average for primary schools. Despite this, the inspection report highlighted that pupils behave exceptionally well and feel safe, with an Outstanding rating for behaviour and attitudes. The previous inspection in 2007 had rated the school Outstanding overall, so the current Good rating represents a slight decline in overall effectiveness, but the Outstanding personal development and behaviour marks show the school has maintained its strongest areas.

The school offers a range of facilities including an ICT suite, sports hall, art studios, sensory room, music rooms, gymnasium, and a chapel, alongside sports such as tennis, swimming, cross country, and netball. Clubs include Eco Club, coding, drama, and science club. For children with additional needs, the school provides support for specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With a capacity of 296 and 281 pupils on roll, the school is nearly full. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is St Peter-in-Thanet CofE Junior School, just 0.1 km away, which may be a natural next step for families after Year 2. Callis Grange suits families who value strong pastoral care and behaviour standards in a smaller infant setting, and who are comfortable with the high competition for places.

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