Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School

About Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School

Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School is a small state primary in the Kent local authority, serving just 107 pupils aged 4 to 11 in the Canterbury area. It sits within a competitive landscape of 459 same-type schools across Kent, where 54 hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The school's ranking on the KS2 expected standard in reading, writing and maths places it 382nd in the county, and 27th out of 30 primary schools within Canterbury itself. For context, the top-performing peers in the LA include Stelling Minnis Church of England Primary School, Leigh Academy Dartford, and Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Preston Primary School, 3.7 km away. Despite its modest ranking, Wickhambreaux has its own strengths, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025 awarded it Outstanding across every category judged, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision.

Academically, the school's 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results tell a mixed story. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 42%, notably below the Kent local authority average of 63%. However, individual subject scores show variation: 74% of pupils met the expected standard in reading and in writing, while maths lagged at 47%. At the higher standard, just 5% achieved the combined measure, with 16% reaching that level in reading and writing, and 11% in maths. Average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 99 in maths. The school's national ranking places it in the bottom 50% of primaries, at the 89th percentile nationally. That said, the Ofsted team found the quality of education to be Outstanding, and the school's previous inspection in 2015 also rated it Outstanding overall, suggesting consistent leadership under headteacher Lisa Crosbie.

For families considering Wickhambreaux, the practical picture is one of a small, oversubscribed village school with a strong community feel. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 31 applications for 14 places, with 10 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.21. Facilities include a forest school, sensory room, music rooms, art studios, and a chapel, alongside an ICT suite and dining hall. Sports on offer are football, cricket, tennis, and swimming, and clubs range from drama and art to science, choir, chess, and film club. The school supports children with specific learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. Parent View responses from 45 respondents were overwhelmingly positive: 100% would recommend the school, and 96% strongly agreed their child is happy there. This is a school that suits families who value a Church of England ethos, small class sizes, and a broad range of enrichment activities within a rural Canterbury setting.

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