St Peter's Catholic Primary School

About St Peter's Catholic Primary School

St Peter's Catholic Primary School in Swale outperforms the Kent local authority average for Key Stage 2 by a clear margin. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 63 per cent, St Peter's achieves 72 per cent. That nine-point gap places the school comfortably above the typical primary in the area. In the Swale local authority ranking, St Peter's comes 15th out of 48 primary schools, putting it in the top third locally. Nationally, it sits in the top 25 per cent of all primary schools on the same metric. The school's overall Ofsted rating is Good, awarded after its most recent graded inspection in February 2024. That represents a change from its previous inspection in 2010, when it was rated Outstanding across the board. The current inspection report notes that personal development and behaviour and attitudes are both Outstanding, while quality of education, early years provision and leadership and management are all rated Good.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the school's strengths are spread unevenly across subjects. Reading is a particular standout: 84 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard, and 41 per cent achieved the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 107. Writing also saw 84 per cent at the expected level, though only 9 per cent reached the higher bar. In maths, 81 per cent met the expected standard and 22 per cent hit the higher threshold, with an average score of 104. The combined expected standard figure of 72 per cent is well above the LA average, but the proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects is just 9 per cent, which suggests the school is strong at getting most pupils to a solid level but less effective at pushing a large cohort into the top tier. The school ranks 126th out of 459 primary schools in Kent overall, and 457th out of 2,034 in the South East region.

St Peter's is a one-form entry Catholic primary with 209 pupils on roll, just one short of its capacity of 210. It is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 92 applications for 30 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.07. Only 35 of those applicants listed it as their first preference, and all 30 first-preference offers were taken up. The school serves a relatively low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 10 per cent. Facilities include a library, forest school area, sensory room, ICT suite and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, cross country, tennis, football, rounders, cricket and athletics, while clubs range from science club and drama to choir and eco club. The school provides support for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. For families who prioritise strong core academic outcomes in a faith-based setting, and who are prepared to navigate a competitive admissions process, St Peter's is a solid choice.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Peter's Catholic Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents