St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School

About St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School

St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary School is a state primary in the Kent local authority, serving 163 pupils aged 4-11 in the Dover borough. Within the Dover area, it ranks 5th out of 37 primary schools, placing it comfortably in the top 10 locally. The top-performing peers in the same local authority include Stelling Minnis Church of England Primary School, Leigh Academy Dartford, and Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School, which set a high benchmark. The school is non-religious and is led by headteacher Craig Ward. It is a popular choice for local families: for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 37 applications for 24 places, with all 24 first-preference applicants offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.54. This level of demand suggests it is a well-regarded option among Dover parents, though it is not the nearest outstanding-rated school in the area — that distinction belongs to Kingsdown and Ringwould Church of England Primary School, 3.9 km away.

Academically, the school performs well above the Kent local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 83% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to a local authority average of just 63%. Individual subject scores are strong: 92% met expectations in both maths and writing, and 88% in reading. At the higher standard, 29% of pupils achieved above the expected level in reading and 21% in maths, though no pupils reached the higher threshold in writing. Average scaled scores were 106 in both reading and maths. Nationally, the school ranks 1,023rd out of 13,686 primaries, placing it in the top 8% of schools across the country. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025 rated the school Good across all areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a change from its previous Outstanding rating in 2015.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, playing fields, art studios, a sensory room, an outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports provision covers cricket, rounders, tennis, dance, cross country and football, while clubs include science, film, book and coding. For children with additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 84 families between September 2024 and September 2025 show strong satisfaction: 92% would recommend the school, and 95% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy. However, SEND support received more mixed feedback — 33% agreed and 33% strongly agreed, but 17% disagreed and 17% strongly disagreed. This school will suit families in the Dover area looking for a well-performing, oversubscribed village primary with strong academic results and a broad range of activities, particularly those who can secure a place through first preference.

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