School Chooser

Hoath Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil106 pupilsCanterburyKent
School Chooser Score
61
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 30 to 84, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 75% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, January 2026
Reached the expected level at 1171%England 63%
Attendance95.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families26%About the same as most schools in England
Parents would recommend90%51 Parent View responses
PlacesFull106 pupils, 105 places

Hoath Primary School is a council school in Canterbury for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 106 pupils, 1 more than it has places for. About 26 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 61 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 75% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in January 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

School Lane, Hoath, Canterbury, CT3 4LA01227 860249chislethoathfederation.co.ukMr Tim Whitehouse headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 27 January 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Strong
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Strong
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
18 January 2022UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

14 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1171%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 67%67%20172018: 60%60%20182019: 80%80%20192023: 80%80%20232024: 80%80%20242025: 71%71%2025
Since 2017: +4%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KentEngland
Pupils tested14151510109
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths71%80%80%80%60%67%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%0%27%0%10%11%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0106.0109.0105.0104.0104.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0105.0107.0104.0104.0102.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0106.0109.0106.0106.0106.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%80%87%100%80%89%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard79%87%87%80%70%78%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%87%87%100%100%89%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.2+2.6-0.7-2.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.6+0.5+0.2-4.5
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged60%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
88%50%
Gap 38 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Nearly full103 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
98% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Kent council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

What parents say

Would recommend the school90%England 87%
My child is happy here96%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe96%
Positive overall86%
My child is happy at this school
96%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
96%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
88%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
10% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
80%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
88%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
39% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
65%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
80%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
65%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
76%England 82%
I would recommend this school
90%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
86%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 51 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll106Census January 2026
Places105101% full
Pupils from low-income families26%26% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support27%29 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.54 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils25%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)27%£43,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls45 / 61
White British pupils91%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (12), Other difficulty or disability (10), Moderate learning difficulty (5), language and communications needs (4), Physical disability (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1061041051039794
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals26%28%18%17%13%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%2%2%2%2%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%7%18%23%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%3%3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.9%6.0%6.0%7.5%5.8%4.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.3%4.7%4.9%6.5%2.9%3.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.2%1.2%1.0%2.9%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.9%16.5%15.1%20.5%9.9%10.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers6.5full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher16.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers88%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£44,476
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.92024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,805England £7,738. Total £812k
Income per pupil£7,778England £7,697. Total £809k
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,929England £3,480
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £34k, £331 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£2,757it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,805spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m512 months to June 2026, mostly other crime
Local crime rate47 per 1,000 people49% lower than the England average
Typical house price£346,745Canterbury

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Chislet Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England1.2 miles104Good 202227Compare
Water Meadows Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles188Not inspected57Compare
Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery SchoolChurch of England1.5 miles318Report card 202624Compare
Herne Church of England Junior SchoolChurch of England1.6 miles375Outstanding 202397Compare
Reculver Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.3 miles444Not inspected38Compare
Sturry Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.6 miles414No overall grade 202585Compare
Herne Bay Infant SchoolCouncil2.7 miles259Not inspectedCompare
Herne Bay Junior SchoolFoundation2.7 miles371No overall grade 20252Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Hoath Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats75%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 61 is 31 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 31 · highest 94100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Hoath Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Adisham Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy6.6 miles101Report card 202594Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 61 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 61% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 30 to 84. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 14 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.07
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.08
DfE progress measure; 14 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.14
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 93 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 14 pupils
What parents say5%in line
+0.01
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 51 responses

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Hoath Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Hoath Primary School scores 61 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 75% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 30 to 84, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Hoath Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 27 January 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as strong.

How good are Hoath Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 71% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Hoath Primary School have?

106 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 101% full.

Is Hoath Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Hoath Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Hoath Primary School?

90% of the 51 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 96% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Hoath Primary School?

The average class had 26.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 25% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
School Lane, Hoath, Canterbury, CT3 4LA
Telephone
01227 860249
Website
www.chislethoathfederation.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Tim Whitehouse
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Reculver
Constituency
Herne Bay and Sandwich
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
118361 · LAESTAB 8862265 · UKPRN 10073335

Where these figures come from