Cliffe Woods Primary School

About Cliffe Woods Primary School

Parents at Cliffe Woods Primary School are overwhelmingly positive about their experience, with 97% of respondents to the Ofsted Parent View survey saying they would recommend the school. That survey, which ran from September 2024 to September 2025 and collected 106 responses, showed particularly strong feelings around safety and happiness: 86% strongly agreed that their child feels safe, and 81% strongly agreed that their child is happy. The school is clearly popular in the local area too. For the 2025/26 reception intake, Cliffe Woods received 163 applications for just 59 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.76. Of those 60 first-preference applications, 57 were offered a place, meaning that while the school is heavily oversubscribed, most families who put it first did get in. Parents also felt the school supports wider personal development well, with 68% strongly agreeing on that point.

Academically, Cliffe Woods is a solidly performing primary school within Medway. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 62% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which matches the local authority average of 62%. The school sits 30th out of 55 primary schools in Medway on this measure, placing it in the middle of the pack. Looking at individual subjects, reading scores were a relative strength: the average scaled score was 106, with 79% reaching the expected standard and 26% achieving the higher standard. Maths was slightly lower, with an average score of 104 and 72% at the expected level. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2025 judged it Good overall, with Outstanding marks for personal development and for behaviour and attitudes. That's a change from its previous Outstanding rating in 2015, but inspectors noted that leadership and management, and the quality of education, remain Good.

Cliffe Woods is a community primary school with no religious character, serving 422 pupils aged 4 to 11, which is just above its official capacity of 420. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is low at 5.9%, well below the national average. The school offers a range of facilities including a forest school area, an ICT suite, a gymnasium and an outdoor playground. Sports provision includes gymnastics, swimming, dance and cricket, while clubs extend to choir, gardening, eco club and coding. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for a wide range of needs including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and specific learning difficulties like dyslexia. Given its popularity and strong parent satisfaction scores, this is a school that suits families looking for a well-regarded local primary with a clear focus on pupil wellbeing and behaviour, though those outside the immediate catchment should be aware of the competition for places.

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