Sellindge Primary School Review 2026, High-attaining village primary with standout Early Years

In a small Kent village between Ashford and the coast, Sellindge Primary School pairs a calm, purposeful feel with results that sit comfortably above England averages. Recent cohorts have performed strongly at Key Stage 2, and the school’s own work on early reading and mathematics shows through in the data.

Leadership is stable, with Miss Joanne Wren in post since September 2016. A growing roll has brought structural change too. The move to single year-group classes from Reception to Year 6 is recent, and it matters, as it allows tighter sequencing of knowledge and clearer progression across subjects.

For families, the headline is simple. This is a state school with no tuition fees, but demand is real, and Reception entry is managed through Kent’s coordinated admissions system.

Sellindge’s identity is unusually easy to summarise because the school uses a clear phrase that also reads like a daily standard, Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day. That shows up in small operational details. Expectations of behaviour and learning routines are high, and pupils are expected to contribute positively to school life, including those who need additional support.

Community is not an abstract idea here. Earlier official reports describe an inclusive family atmosphere and close local links, and that thread continues in more recent commentary about pupils’ pride in their work and their willingness to share it. The tone is ambitious but not showy. Children are encouraged to explain their thinking, take responsibility, and be welcoming to new joiners, including those who may need extra help because English is new to them.

There are also clues in the way school improvement is described. The language of reflection is prominent, and curriculum leadership is treated as a shared craft rather than something done only by senior leaders. In practice, that can be reassuring for parents who want consistency. It can also be demanding for staff and pupils, especially in the upper juniors where the curriculum moves quickly and expectations are explicit.

The results profile is strong, and it is broad rather than narrow. In 2024, 91% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 29.67% reached greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. Reading and mathematics scaled scores were also high, at 109 for reading and 106 for maths, with an average GPS (grammar, punctuation and spelling) score of 107.

Rankings back up that picture. Sellindge Primary School is ranked 2,651st in England and 8th in Ashford for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That places performance above England average, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

A useful way to interpret these figures is in terms of consistency. High combined attainment, alongside high scaled scores and a strong greater depth proportion, usually indicates a school that teaches securely across the ability range. For families, that can mean two things at once. Children who need extra structure are likely to find clear routines and well-sequenced teaching, while confident learners are likely to be stretched rather than held back by the pace of the class.

Recent external evidence points to a school that takes curriculum thinking seriously, and the internal vocabulary around review cycles suggests staff are asked to be precise about what pupils should know, and when. The shift to single year-group classes from September 2022 is significant because it removes some of the complexity of mixed-age curriculum planning and can make progression clearer across subjects.

Early reading is treated as a core priority. A structured phonics programme is in place and staff are described as delivering it expertly, with children in Reception quickly building the sound knowledge needed for fluency. For parents, the practical implication is that reading practice at home tends to align well with school routines. When phonics is systematic and consistent, it usually reduces the number of children who get stuck in the early stages.

Mathematics is another clear strength. Teaching is described as ambitious, with staff adapting instruction confidently when pupils need additional support. That matters in a small primary because it reduces the likelihood that children quietly fall behind. The more subtle strength is the culture around recalling prior learning, including pupils being encouraged to look back through their own work to re-anchor understanding. That kind of deliberate retrieval is often what turns “good at maths this term” into long-term confidence.

Curriculum development is not finished, and that is worth seeing as a sign of honesty rather than weakness. Plans in some subjects have been identified as needing clearer mapping of key knowledge over time, with physical education and design and technology highlighted as areas where staff confidence is still building. The constructive reading for parents is that core subjects are already strong, and leaders are actively tightening the foundation in the wider curriculum.

As a village primary, Sellindge feeds into a wider secondary landscape than some urban primaries where one or two secondaries dominate. Most families will be looking at a mix of non-selective options within reach, alongside Ashford-area grammar routes for those considering selection at 11-plus.

What matters is how the transition is handled. A school with strong Key Stage 2 outcomes typically prepares pupils well for the step up in workload and independence in Year 7, especially when writing stamina, reading fluency, and core numeracy are secure. The best transition experiences are usually the quiet ones, where pupils arrive able to organise themselves, ask for help, and move between lessons confidently.

Parents who want to stress-test the likely Year 7 pathways should use FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages to compare nearby secondaries side by side, then use Map Search to model realistic travel times. Secondary options and catchment patterns can shift over time as local demand changes, so it is worth checking each autumn rather than relying on older assumptions.

Reception entry is coordinated through Kent County Council rather than being handled directly by the school. The key dates for September 2026 entry follow the county timetable. Applications open on 07 November 2025, the national closing date is 15 January 2026, and offers are issued on 16 April 2026. Parents then have until 30 April 2026 to accept or refuse the offered place.

Demand is already visible in the numbers. For the most recent admissions cycle there were 58 applications for 28 offers, which equates to 2.07 applications per place. That is a meaningful level of pressure for a small primary. In practice, it means that families who are open to more than one local option will usually feel less exposed to a single outcome on offer day.

The school’s website signposts parents back to Kent’s admissions process and its own published admissions policy. Families should read the oversubscription criteria carefully, and where distance is a deciding factor, use a mapping tool to measure from the same reference point the local authority uses. Many disappointments arise from families using a different front gate point, or measuring “as the crow flies” rather than following the published method.

A calm culture is not accidental. Sellindge’s approach combines high expectations with clear routines. More recent official commentary describes pupils as feeling safe, including safe from bullying, and being confident that staff deal with problems quickly and well. That is the type of safeguarding culture parents tend to notice indirectly, through consistent messages, predictable routines, and staff who act early rather than letting issues drift.

There is also a social side to wellbeing that matters just as much. Earlier evidence highlights systems such as peer “buddy” support and an active school council, which indicates that pupils are given structured ways to help shape school life. The long-term benefit is that children practise leadership in age-appropriate ways, and quieter pupils still have routes to be heard.

The latest inspection confirmed safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Sellindge’s enrichment is at its most distinctive when it uses the site and local context. Earlier official reports reference the Diggers and Dippers club, linked to gardens and allotments. That is not just a nice extra. Gardening clubs tend to be quietly powerful for primary-aged pupils because they combine responsibility, practical knowledge, and a different kind of confidence from classroom success.

Another specific routine mentioned in recent inspection evidence is the communal Daily Mile. For parents, the value is not fitness alone. Daily movement breaks can improve concentration for some pupils, and they often reduce low-level restlessness in the middle of the day. When a whole school does it together, it can also feel like a shared ritual rather than a punishment for being energetic.

Wraparound provision also shapes extracurricular life for many families. Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am each school day, and the Swan Club provides after-school care from 3.15pm to 5.15pm. These are practical supports, but they also create space for informal play, mixed-year friendships, and quieter hobby time that some children find easier than highly competitive clubs.

For parents judging “beyond the classroom”, the best question is not how long the activity list is, but whether the activities feel coherent with the school’s goals. Here, they do. Outdoor learning, structured movement, and responsibility-based clubs align with the school’s emphasis on behaviour, routines, and engagement.

The school day is clearly set out. Gates open at 8:45, school starts at 9am, and pick-up is 3.15pm. Wraparound care is available from 7.45am to 5pm daily, with Breakfast Club starting earlier in the morning and after-school provision available through the Swan Club.

Sellindge is a village setting, so many families will be arriving by car, on foot, or via local bus routes that connect the Ashford and Hythe areas. Parking and walking routes can be a pinch point at drop-off in small communities, so it is worth checking the immediate approach roads at the times you would typically travel.

• Demand for places. With 58 applications for 28 offers in the latest admissions dataset, competition can be real for a small primary. Families should plan a sensible range of preferences rather than relying on a single outcome.

• Curriculum refinement still underway. Core areas such as early reading and maths are strong, but some wider-subject curriculum plans have been identified as needing sharper sequencing, particularly in PE and design and technology. This is being addressed, but parents should ask how it is progressing.

• High expectations suit many, but not all. The culture described in official evidence is purposeful, with strong routines and a clear behavioural standard. Most children thrive in that structure; a minority may prefer a looser style and need careful transition support.

Sellindge Primary School offers a convincing combination for local families, strong Key Stage 2 outcomes, clear routines, and an Early Years experience that has been recognised as a standout strength. It suits families who want an academically secure state primary with structured teaching and a calm culture, and who are comfortable with a high-expectation approach to behaviour and learning. The main barrier is admission rather than quality.