St Ethelbert's Catholic Primary School

About St Ethelbert's Catholic Primary School

If you're a parent weighing up St Ethelbert's Catholic Primary School, the first thing you'll notice is how strongly current families feel about it. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering September 2024 to September 2025, a striking 91% of the 46 respondents said they would recommend the school to other parents. That's a very high vote of confidence. Digging into the detail, 96% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 94% felt their child is safe. The school is also clearly popular on the ground: for 2025/26 admissions, it received 59 applications for just 30 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.97. Of those, 35 were first-preference applications, and all 30 offers went to first-preference families. So while getting a place isn't guaranteed, if you live nearby and are a practising Catholic, the odds are in your favour.

Academically, St Ethelbert's performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Kent local authority average of just 63%. That places the school 5th out of 25 primary schools in the Thanet district, putting it in the top 20% locally. Looking at individual subjects, 89% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, with 25% reaching the higher standard. In maths, 79% hit the expected mark, and 18% achieved the higher standard. Average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 103 in maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in May 2025, confirmed that standards are being maintained, and it continues to hold a Good rating across all graded areas, including leadership and management and early years provision.

Beyond the classroom, St Ethelbert's offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of its size, including a library, ICT suite, art studios, music rooms, a sports hall, a sensory room and even a chapel. There's a Forest School programme, and the sports on offer include swimming, cricket, netball and football. Clubs range from chess and drama to book club and film club. The school also provides nursery provision for children from age three. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, social and emotional mental health, and physical disabilities. With 204 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school is nearly full, and 37.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average. This is a school that suits families who value a strong Catholic ethos, solid academic results and a community where parents are overwhelmingly positive about their children's experience.

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