Greatstone Primary School

About Greatstone Primary School

Greatstone Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families, with 51 applications chasing just 21 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.43. Of those applicants, 18 put the school as their first preference, and 18 first-preference offers were made. While the school doesn't publish a parent recommendation percentage, the high demand suggests a strong local reputation. The school is a mixed, state primary for children aged 2 to 11 in Folkestone and Hythe, Kent, with a capacity of 250 and currently 244 pupils on roll. Just over a quarter of pupils (26.4%) are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average. The headteacher is Jaclyn Kay, and the school has no religious character. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2022, rated it Good across all five categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision, matching its previous Good rating from 2012.

Academically, Greatstone's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 are modest compared with the local authority average. Only 25% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well below the Kent average of 63%. In reading, 54% met the expected standard and 12% achieved a higher standard; in writing, 50% met the expected standard and 8% a higher standard; in maths, 41% met the expected standard and 5% a higher standard. Average scores were 100 in reading and 99 in maths. The school ranks 35th out of 35 schools in the Folkestone and Hythe local authority area for its combined expected standard score, placing it in the bottom 50 nationally. Progress measures for reading, writing and maths are not available, so it's hard to say how much value the school adds, but the raw attainment figures are notably lower than those of nearby peers.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including an outdoor playground, dining hall, art studios and a library, plus sports such as football, cricket, dance, netball, rounders and tennis. Clubs include choir, drama, gardening, coding, art club and eco club. There is nursery provision for children from age 2. For children with additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. Given its oversubscription and below-average attainment, this is a school that local families clearly value for its inclusive, community feel rather than purely academic outcomes. It may particularly suit families looking for a nurturing primary with strong early years provision and a wide range of extracurricular activities.

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