Find the best primary schools in Swale. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Swale has 50 primary schools, all in Kent council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 50, 19 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Swale primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Queenborough School and Nursery | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Sheldwich Primary School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Holywell Primary School | Mixed | 4.6 / 5 |
| Borden Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.6 / 5 |
| Lynsted and Norton Primary School | Mixed | 4.6 / 5 |
| Rodmersham School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Hernhill Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Boughton-under-Blean and Dunkirk Primary School | Methodist | 4.3 / 5 |
There are 50 primary schools in Swale.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Swale, that council is Kent. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 50 primary schools in Swale, 19 have a religious character: 16 Church of England, 2 Roman Catholic and 1 Methodist. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Queenborough School and Nursery (4.8), Sheldwich Primary School (4.8), Holywell Primary School (4.6), Borden Church of England Primary School (4.6) and Lynsted and Norton Primary School (4.6). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 50 schools here, 49 have enough published data for a rating.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
| Minster in Sheppey Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Graveney Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary School | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| The Oaks Infant School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Ethelbert Road Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| St Peter's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.0 / 5 |
| Davington Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Ospringe Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Halfway Houses Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Sunny Bank Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Canterbury Road Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| West Minster Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Eastling Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Newington Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Teynham Parochial Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Lansdowne Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| South Avenue Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Westlands Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Richmond Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Milton Court Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Minterne Junior School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Lower Halstow Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| St Mary of Charity CofE (Aided) Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Regis Manor Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Selling Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Bysing Wood Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Bredgar Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Hartlip Endowed Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Kemsley Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Bobbing Village School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Luddenham School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Thistle Hill Academy | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and Nursery | Church of England | 2.9 / 5 |
| St Edward's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 2.8 / 5 |
| Milstead and Frinsted Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.6 / 5 |
| Grove Park Primary School | Mixed | 2.6 / 5 |
| Rose Street Primary School | Mixed | 2.4 / 5 |
| Iwade School | Mixed | 2.2 / 5 |
| Eastchurch Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.0 / 5 |
| St. Clement's CofE Primary School | Church of England | 1.0 / 5 |
| Teynham Parochial Church of England Primary School | Church of England | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.