School profile

Herne Bay Junior School

Primary · Foundation school · Herne Bay, CT6 5DA

Requires improvement

Map showing Herne Bay Junior School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#14,396 of 15,057

Worse than 95% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Herne Bay Junior School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 17 Jun 2025

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeFoundation school
Ages7 to 11
Pupils371
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Melody Wilkinson
Local authorityKent
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 118852.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths34%, worse than England, worse than Kent62%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.2%, worse than England, worse than Kent10%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.101, worse than England, worse than Kent106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.98, worse than England, worse than Kent104105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.99, worse than England, worse than Kent104105
Expected standard in reading56%, worse than England, worse than Kent75%76%
Expected standard in writing49%, worse than England, worse than Kent74%73%
Expected standard in maths40%, worse than England, worse than Kent71%75%
Pupils taking tests110--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils371
Girls178
Boys193
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.45.3%
First language not English12.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.500
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.25.8%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.58
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.8
Average class size28.5

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
77.1%
African
5.7%
Other White
3.5%
White and Asian
3.2%
Other mixed
3.2%
Indian
1.9%
Other Asian
1.6%
Other ethnic group
1.3%
White and Black Caribbean
0.8%
Bangladeshi
0.5%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher19.3
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.8.4
Teachers (FTE)19.18
Teaching assistants (FTE)20.23
Support staff (FTE)34.84
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2519.4
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2518.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250.4

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Overall absence6.7%, worse than England, worse than Kent5.4%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.18.6%, worse than England, worse than Kent14.4%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1.3%, similar to England, similar to Kent1.2%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate13.6%
Pupils with one or more suspensions4.9%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Herne Bay Junior School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.0 miPrimaryHerne Bay Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miSecondaryHerne Bay High SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryHampton Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miPrimaryHerne Church of England Junior SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
1.3 miPrimaryHerne Church of England Infant and Nursery SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.4 miPrimaryThornden Wood Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Herne Bay Junior School

What is Herne Bay Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Herne Bay Junior School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 17 Jun 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Herne Bay Junior School rank in England?

Herne Bay Junior School ranks 14,396 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (worse than 95% of schools).

What are Herne Bay Junior School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 34% of pupils at Herne Bay Junior School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How many pupils attend Herne Bay Junior School?

Herne Bay Junior School has 371 pupils aged 7 to 11.

What is the capacity of Herne Bay Junior School?

Herne Bay Junior School had 500 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Herne Bay Junior School?

At Herne Bay Junior School, the average class had 28.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 19.3 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Herne Bay Junior School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Herne Bay Junior School missed 6.7% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 18.6% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.