Preston Primary School, Canterbury Review 2026: Small rural primary with exceptional KS2 outcomes

A small village primary with a big-results profile, this school combines mixed-age classes with very high Key Stage 2 outcomes. In 2024, 95% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. A third reached the higher standard too, which is far above the England average of 8%.

Leadership is stable and clearly defined. Mrs Helen Clements is Executive Headteacher and Head of School, and took up her role in November 2021.

Parents considering Reception should assume competition for places. In the most recent admissions year 44 applications were made for 20 offers, which is around 2.2 applications for each place.

The school’s identity is strongly tied to its setting. It describes itself as a small rural school in the village of Preston near Wingham, with five classes and mixed year groups in four of them. The main building dates to 1906, later extended in the 1990s, and the school makes practical use of local community space, including a large adjoining recreation ground and the village hall opposite for physical education.

Values are presented through the RICH framework: Respect, Inclusive, Creative, Hardworking. These are not treated as decorative language. External evaluation describes pupils and staff consistently applying these values in day-to-day routines and learning habits.

Small-school culture shows up in the way classes are organised and named, and in the programme of whole-school moments. The calendar highlights themed learning weeks and specialist activities, such as a curiosity themed week and a forensics workshop in January 2026. Those details matter, because they point to a curriculum that relies on visitors, themed immersion, and structured enrichment rather than scale.

The headline story is Key Stage 2 performance. In 2024, 95% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 33% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 8%. Reading attainment is especially striking, with 100% reaching the expected standard.

Rankings reinforce that picture. Ranked 2,117th in England and 3rd in Canterbury for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results sit above the England average and comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

Subject detail is also strong. Average scaled scores are high across reading, maths, and grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS), and the combined reading, GPS and maths total score is 323. A large share of pupils hit higher scores in reading (45%) and maths (40%), suggesting a meaningful depth cohort as well as a strong “expected standard” baseline.

For parents comparing options locally, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you see how these outcomes sit alongside nearby primaries, using the same underlying benchmarks.

Curriculum design has to work harder here than in a typical one-form entry primary, because mixed-age organisation demands careful sequencing. The school publishes curriculum overviews as a two-year rolling programme for its mixed-year classes, which is a sensible structural choice. The implication for families is consistency, you are less reliant on a single year’s topic plan and more likely to see coherent progression as pupils move through paired year groups.

There is also a clear emphasis on retrieval and connection-making across subjects. The most recent inspection describes routine revisiting of prior learning and deliberate linking across the wider curriculum, with pupils building secure subject knowledge rather than treating topics as isolated projects. It also describes a staged approach that culminates in flourish days, where pupils choose how to show what they know using their strengths. This is a practical model for mixed-age teaching because it allows common “end points” while giving flexibility in how pupils get there.

Early reading is positioned as a central priority. Reception children begin learning letter-sound correspondences immediately, and pupils who need extra help are identified quickly and supported in a targeted way. The stated outcome is fluent, confident readers able to use reading to access the wider curriculum.

As a state primary, the typical route is progression into Kent secondary provision, with families applying through the standard local authority process for Year 7. The best indicator of preparedness is the balance of academic and personal development described in formal evaluation: pupils are expected to meet high academic standards while also building independence, resilience, and responsible learning habits, which are the skills that tend to matter most in the transition to a larger secondary environment.

Support for transition is also reflected in published SEND guidance, which references practical preparation such as practising a secondary timetable, building independent organisation, and structured transition days, with additional support for pupils who need it.

Because the school is small, it is worth asking directly about the most common secondary destinations for recent cohorts if this is important to your planning, and about how transition information is shared with Year 6 families.

This is a community school with admissions determined by Kent local authority arrangements. The oversubscription criteria are clearly summarised as: children in care or with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, then siblings, then distance from the school.

Competition for Reception places looks real. In the most recent dataset year provided, there were 44 applications for 20 offers, with first preference demand also exceeding offers (a ratio of 1.4). That combination usually means that living close enough, and applying correctly and on time, matters.

For September 2026 entry, the Kent primary application deadline was Thursday 15 January 2026, with National Offer Day on Thursday 16 April 2026. If you are looking further ahead, treat these dates as the established pattern and confirm each year’s timetable as it is published.

The school has recently run Reception open sessions in November, for example for the September 2026 cohort. For the next cycle, expect a similar autumn window, and check the school’s latest notices for confirmed dates and booking instructions. Parents wanting to sanity-check proximity should consider using FindMySchoolMap Search to understand travel time and practical day-to-day feasibility, especially in a rural setting where transport options can be limited.

Pastoral culture is described as calm, purposeful, and grounded in relationships. Pupils are expected to behave well and to take learning seriously, and the school builds this through clear routines and an explicit values language.

The strongest pastoral signal is the integration of care with classroom life rather than treating wellbeing as a separate add-on. Relationships between staff and pupils are described as highly trusting, with pupils reporting that they feel safe and cared for, and with staff attending closely to early identification of needs so pupils can access the full curriculum.

If you have a child who needs additional support, the practical question to explore is how help is delivered without narrowing access to the wider curriculum, especially in mixed-age classes where differentiation is structurally more complex than in single-year cohorts.

Enrichment here tends to be programme-led rather than scale-led. The school highlights visitors, themed weeks, and structured experiences as part of how learning is made memorable. A recent example is the scheduled forensics workshop, which signals science-led enrichment delivered through specialist input.

Outdoor learning is also strongly branded. Forest School is positioned as a distinctive strand of school life, and the presence of a dedicated Forest School area suggests pupils have regular access to outdoor, skills-based sessions that complement classroom learning. The implication for families is a curriculum that does not rely only on desk-based outcomes, but uses outdoor and practical work to develop confidence, independence, and teamwork.

Performing arts has visible fingerprints too. The Drama Club page references a Peter Pan production, which indicates pupils get structured opportunities to rehearse, perform, and take on roles that require commitment over time, not just one-off assemblies. Alongside this, the school emphasises clubs and activities as part of pupils’ personal development, with leadership opportunities and a pupil voice model that is taken seriously.

The school day is clearly set out. Gates open at 8:35am and close at 8:45am, and the school day finishes at 3:15pm. Morning and afternoon session timings differ slightly between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

Wraparound care is available. Early Birds (breakfast provision) runs from 7:45am to 8:30am, and OWLS after-school provision runs from 3:15pm to 5:30pm.

For transport, the rural village setting means many families will plan around car drop-off, walking routes within the village, or informal lift-sharing. If you are commuting into Canterbury or beyond, the 5:30pm end time for after-school provision is an important practical constraint to test against your workday.

• Competition for places. With 44 applications for 20 offers in the most recent dataset year, entry is likely to be the limiting factor. Families should apply on time through Kent’s coordinated system and be realistic about distance-based allocation.

• Mixed-age classes are a defining feature. This can work very well with strong curriculum design, but it will not suit every child. Ask how stretch and support are handled within paired year groups, especially for pupils who are either working well above expectation or who need extra scaffolding.

• Small school means smaller cohorts. Some children thrive in a close-knit setting, others prefer the breadth of larger year groups. It is worth thinking about friendship groups, sporting teams, and the range of peer interests available year by year.

• Wraparound hours may not match all commutes. Breakfast provision starts early, but after-school care ends at 5:30pm. If you need later coverage, you may need to plan additional childcare options.

This is a high-performing state primary with a distinctive small-school model. Strong Key Stage 2 outcomes, a carefully structured approach to mixed-age teaching, and a clear values-driven culture combine into a very compelling offer for the right family. It suits children who respond well to clear expectations, enjoy taking responsibility for their learning, and benefit from a close-knit village-school feel. The challenge lies in admission rather than what follows.