Crockham Hill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Review 2026: High-performing village primary with a clear Church of England ethos

A small, village-sized primary where the numbers tell a confident story. In 2024, 83.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. Its wider attainment profile is also strong, including a 43% higher-standard figure in reading, writing and mathematics (England average: 8%). In FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking, the school sits well above England average (top 10%), ranked 810th in England and 1st locally for the Edenbridge area.

The school day is tightly structured, with gates opening at 8:30am and the compulsory day running from 8:45am to 3:15pm. Collective worship is part of the daily rhythm. Wraparound care is available via an external provider, which matters for commuters weighing a rural setting against working-day realities.

The school’s identity is explicitly Church of England and it presents that as more than a label. Its Christian vision centres on the idea of sowing the seeds for children’s futures, shaped by the parable of the sower, and the values language is consistent and specific: respect, empathy, resilience and aspiration. Those values are framed as practical behaviours, not just aspirational posters, and they are woven into worship, assemblies, and everyday expectations.

Scale is a defining feature. The published admission number is 20 pupils per year group, which naturally creates a school where children are known well and peer groups are relatively stable. That can be reassuring for pupils who thrive on familiarity, and it can also mean fewer “fresh starts” socially if friendships go through a rocky phase. For many families, the upside is the sense of continuity, with staff able to spot small changes in confidence, friendships, or learning habits quickly.

Leadership is clear and visible. Mrs Lisa Higgs is the headteacher and took up post in September 2021. The staffing structure includes a deputy headteacher who is also the special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo), and the wider team includes a play therapist, which signals that pastoral support is treated as a practical service, not a slogan.

The Church link is unusually tangible because the school and Holy Trinity Church are close neighbours. Clergy involvement includes regular collective worship led by the Reverend, and the school uses the church building for services and learning. In 2017, steps were built to symbolise the link between school and church, tied to significant anniversaries. This matters for families who want a faith-informed community feel, and it also matters for families who prefer a lighter-touch approach, because the Christian character is a daily presence rather than an occasional theme.

This is a school with outcomes that compare strongly with England averages, and the pattern is broad rather than narrow. In 2024, 83.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 43% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%.

The subject-level detail is similarly confident. In 2024, 86% met the expected standard in reading, 79% in maths, and 93% in grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS). Average scaled scores were 109 in reading, 108 in maths, and 111 in GPS, which indicates secure attainment across the tested areas.

Rankings should be interpreted carefully, but they are useful for parents comparing local options. Crockham Hill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is ranked 810th in England and 1st in the Edenbridge area for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That places the school well above England average (top 10%) and helps explain why demand is consistently high. Parents comparing nearby primaries can use FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages to view results side by side using the Comparison Tool.

The curriculum intent is ambitious for a small primary, and the 2023 inspection narrative points to deliberate strengthening over time, particularly around curriculum design and sequencing. Teachers are expected to ask pupils to think deeply and produce high-quality work, and the curriculum is described as broad, balanced, and carefully planned so learning builds in a logical order.

Early reading is treated as a core priority from Reception. Phonics teaching is described as consistent, staff training is ongoing, and additional support is used promptly for pupils who are not keeping pace. The library is positioned as an active resource for building reading habits, not simply a room with books. In a small school, this kind of consistency matters because it reduces variation between classes and year groups, which is often where parents notice quality differences in primary settings.

Two improvement themes are worth noting because they help parents understand how the school thinks about “good” and how it aims to get better. The 2023 report highlights that checking pupils’ learning is not always precise enough, and that pupils are not consistently helped to recall prior learning before moving on. If you have a child who benefits from structured recap and lots of retrieval practice, it is sensible to ask how this is being embedded across subjects and year groups.

As a Kent primary, secondary transfer is the next major decision point, and families should plan early if they are considering selective routes as well as non-selective options. The school’s admissions area is not limited to a single village, and families come from parts of both Kent and Surrey, so onward routes often vary by home address and local authority arrangements.

The practical implication is that families should treat Year 5 as the moment to get organised. If you are weighing distance, travel time, and the realities of rural roads at peak times, build a “real week” commute plan rather than relying on best-case driving times. Where admissions criteria are distance-based for particular secondaries, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to measure from your home to likely schools using the same kind of gate-to-gate logic that admissions teams typically apply.

Reception entry is coordinated through the local authority. The school is clear that it is a Kent County Council school, but it also serves families across the border, and applicants should apply through the authority where they live while naming the school on the form. For example, Surrey residents apply via Surrey and include the school as a preference.

Demand is a headline feature. For the entry route covered by the available data, there were 85 applications for 20 offers, which equates to 4.25 applications per place, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed. The first-preference pressure is also meaningful, with first preferences running at 1.44 times the number of first-preference offers. In plain terms, many families are prioritising this as a first choice, not simply listing it as a local fallback.

Oversubscription criteria follow the local authority framework, with priority including looked-after children and previously looked-after children, siblings, and then nearness, alongside specific categories such as medical or social reasons. The school also operates waiting lists where there are no vacancies.

For September 2026 entry in Kent, key dates published by the local authority include: applications opening on Friday 7 November 2025; the closing date on Thursday 15 January 2026; National Offer Day on Thursday 16 April 2026; and the deadline to accept or refuse the offered place on Thursday 30 April 2026.

Open mornings run as a practical, pupil-facing introduction. For the September 2026 cycle, open sessions were scheduled in October and November, with multiple time slots. The pattern suggests that prospective parent visits typically sit in early to mid autumn, and families should check the school’s admissions page for the next set of dates and booking arrangements.

Pastoral support in a small primary often shows up through consistency and early intervention rather than through large, formalised pastoral teams. Here, the staffing model includes a named play therapist and a deputy headteacher who also leads SEND, alongside clear safeguarding roles within the leadership team. For parents, the relevance is practical: when emotional regulation, friendship challenges, or anxiety affects learning, the school’s internal capacity matters.

The latest inspection picture aligns with a calm and safe environment. The 26 April 2023 Ofsted inspection confirmed the school continues to be Good, and safeguarding arrangements were judged effective. Pupils are described as enjoying learning, behaving well, and feeling safe, with bullying addressed effectively.

Faith life links into wellbeing in a way that is typical of Church of England primaries that take worship seriously. Collective worship is set into the daily timetable, and the school explicitly frames worship as inclusive, invitational and inspirational, which usually indicates an approach that welcomes pupils from differing levels of faith observance while retaining a clear Christian structure.

In a small school, extracurricular breadth often depends on smart timetabling and a mix of staff-led and provider-led clubs. That is exactly how this programme is framed. Clubs vary term by term, and the school uses both school-run options and external specialists. The advantage for families is that children can sample different activities across the year rather than being locked into a narrow menu.

The detail is strong. Recent club lists include Cross Country, Hockey, Chess, Lego, Spanish, Quest, Choir and Young Voices, with some activities running before school and others after school. There are also paid options such as tennis and dance through external providers. For pupils who enjoy performing, Choir and Young Voices offers a structured route into concerts, and for pupils who prefer practical problem-solving, Lego and Quest add a clear “doing and making” strand to the week.

Enrichment extends beyond clubs into wider experiences. The 2023 inspection report references a programme designed to enhance learning and personal development, including trips and themed days, and it also notes links with communities in London and Tanzania that help pupils learn about diversity through real relationships rather than abstract lessons. For parents who worry about rural settings feeling socially narrow, this kind of outward-facing work can be an important counterweight.

The compulsory school day runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm, with gates opening at 8:30am. Collective worship is scheduled as part of the morning routine.

Wraparound care is available through an external provider (Wellyboots), and published club information indicates a working-day offer that can extend from 7:30am to 6:15pm. Because this is not an in-house school-run provision, families should confirm availability, booking arrangements, and holiday coverage directly before relying on it for full-time childcare planning.

Transport is the one practical area where rural settings are highly individual. Some families will walk from nearby lanes; others will drive from surrounding villages across county borders. The school’s published admissions information lists communities it serves across Kent and Surrey, which is a useful proxy for the realistic travel catchment.

• Competition for places. With 85 applications for 20 offers in the available admissions data, demand is a defining feature. Have a realistic Plan B and consider how you would feel if your preferred option is not available.

• Faith is part of the daily experience. This is a Church of England primary with daily collective worship and close partnership with Holy Trinity Church. Families who prefer a more secular day-to-day culture should weigh that carefully.

• Small cohort dynamics. A year group of 20 can be a strength for belonging and staff knowledge, but it can also mean fewer friendship “reset” opportunities. It suits children who enjoy familiar routines and stable peer groups.

• Curriculum recall is a live improvement area. The school’s quality baseline is solid, but the 2023 inspection highlights consistency in checking learning and helping pupils recall prior learning as a development priority. Ask how this is being embedded across subjects.

Crockham Hill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School combines small-school familiarity with outcomes that compare strongly with England averages, and it does so within a clearly articulated Church of England framework. The strongest fit is for families who value a faith-informed community culture, want a structured school day, and are comfortable with the realities of a small cohort. Entry remains the primary hurdle, and families should plan early for admissions timelines and viable alternatives.