St. Clement's CofE Primary School

About St. Clement's CofE Primary School

St. Clement's CofE Primary School in Swale posts academic outcomes that fall well below the Kent local authority average for primary schools, and this gap is stark. In the most recent KS2 assessments, just 14% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a LA average of 63%. That is a difference of 49 percentage points. The school ranks 48th out of 48 primary schools in Swale and sits in the bottom 50 nationally, placing it in the 100th percentile for its local authority. Individual subject scores tell a similar story: only 18% met the expected standard in maths (LA average 63%), 46% in reading, and 43% in writing. Higher-attaining pupils are very rare — 4% reached a higher standard in maths and reading, and none did so in writing or across all three subjects. The school’s ranking score of 14 out of a possible 100 reflects how far it sits from the top performers in Kent.

The school’s Progress 8 data is not available, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. However, the raw outcomes are clearly very low. The average maths scaled score was 94, and reading averaged 99 — both below the national benchmark of 100. The school is heavily skewed towards disadvantage: 57.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, more than three times the national average for primary schools. This context matters, but the data does not show whether the school is narrowing the gap or not. In terms of Ofsted, no current rating is provided in the data, so parents would need to check the most recent inspection report directly. The school does not have a sixth form or nursery provision, and its age range is 4 to 11.

St. Clement’s is a Church of England primary with 184 pupils against a capacity of 210, so it is not full. Despite this, it was oversubscribed for reception places, with 21 applications for 13 places and all 13 first-preference applicants offered a spot. That suggests strong local demand, likely driven by its faith character and community feel rather than academic results. Facilities include a library, sports hall, playing fields, forest school, ICT suite, gymnasium and chapel. SEND provision covers moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health, speech and language, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder — a broad offer for a small school. Clubs include eco club, coding and drama, and sports on offer are football, athletics, dance, cricket, tennis and swimming. This school will suit families who prioritise a small, church-based setting with strong SEND support and are comfortable with outcomes that are significantly below the local average.

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