Sturry Church of England Primary School

About Sturry Church of England Primary School

Sturry Church of England Primary School is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11, and it is clearly a popular choice among local families. The school has a capacity of 420 places and currently houses 413 pupils, so it is running very close to full. For the 2025/26 intake, the school offered 55 places and received 88 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.6. Of those applications, 53 were first-preference offers, meaning almost every place went to a family who had named Sturry as their top choice. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 27.4%, which is notably higher than the national average for primary schools and suggests the school serves a relatively diverse socioeconomic mix. This is a Church of England school, and its headteacher is M Mannings. The school sits within the Kent local authority and the Canterbury borough, and it is one of 54 primary schools in the LA to hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted.

Academically, Sturry Church of England Primary School performs solidly, though not at the very top of the local rankings. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 62% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is just one percentage point below the Kent local authority average of 63%, so the school is broadly in line with its peers. Looking at individual subjects, 73% met the expected standard in reading, 68% in maths, and 80% in writing. At the higher standard, 7% of pupils achieved the higher benchmark across all three subjects, with 25% reaching that level in reading, 20% in maths, and 17% in writing. The average scaled scores were 104 for reading and 102 for maths. In the Canterbury local authority ranking, the school sits 12th out of 30 primary schools, placing it in the 40th percentile. Nationally, it ranks 7,104th out of 13,686 primary schools, which puts it just above the midpoint.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, conducted in February 2025, awarded Outstanding grades across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a clean sweep of top marks, and it matches the Outstanding rating the school held in its previous inspection in 2015. Parent feedback is generally positive, with 72% of respondents saying they would recommend the school. On the question of whether their child is happy, 86% either agreed or strongly agreed, and a similar proportion felt their child is safe. The school offers a good range of facilities including a library, sports hall, playing fields, forest school, art studios, and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, football, cricket, swimming, and athletics, while clubs include drama, choir, and film club. For children with special educational needs, the school supports a wide range of needs including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 27% of responding parents indicating their child has SEND, this is a school that clearly caters to a broad spectrum of learners. Given its strong Ofsted record and oversubscribed status, Sturry is a good fit for families who want a well-regarded local primary with a Church of England character and a genuinely inclusive intake.

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