Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School
Palmer Close, Herne, Herne Bay, CT6 7AH
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 3 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs E Thomas-Friend
- Diocese
- Diocese of Canterbury
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Herne Bay and Sandwich
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 270
- Pupils on roll
- 318
- URN
- 118710
- Local authority
- Kent
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01227740793
About this school
Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Herne Bay. It teaches children aged 3 to 7 and has 318 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted no longer gives schools a single overall grade. Each area of the school's work is graded on a five-point scale, and safeguarding is judged separately.
- Inclusion
- Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching
- Strong standard
- Achievement
- Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour
- Expected standard
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Strong standard
- Leadership and governance
- Expected standard
- Early years
- Expected standard
- Safeguarding
- Met
Trends over time
How Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 316 |
| 2023/24 | 307 |
| 2024/25 | 308 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 47% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 5.5% | 11.2% | 318 | — |
| Herne Church of England Junior School | 81% | 4.1% | 16.8% | 375 | 0.1 miles |
| Herne Bay Infant School | — | 6.7% | 41.5% | 259 | 1.3 miles |
| Herne Bay Junior School | 34% | 7.2% | 46.3% | 371 | 1.3 miles |
| Hoath Primary School | 71% | 4.9% | 28.9% | 106 | 1.5 miles |
| Thornden Wood Primary School | 81% | 6.6% | 42.2% | 337 | 1.7 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
-
Graded inspection report6 May 2026
- 28 September 2021
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 11.19%
- English as an additional language
- 2.3%
- Overall absence
- 5.5%
- Persistent absence
- 13.81%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Herne Church of England Junior School0.1 miles
Primary · Herne Bay
-
Herne Bay Infant School1.3 miles
Primary · Herne Bay
-
Herne Bay Junior School1.3 miles
Primary · Herne Bay
-
Hoath Primary School1.5 miles
Primary · Canterbury
-
Thornden Wood Primary School1.7 miles
Primary · Herne Bay
Other schools in Herne Bay
- Hampton Primary School Primary
- Herne Bay Infant School Primary
- Herne Bay Junior School Primary
- Herne Church of England Junior School Primary
- Reculver Church of England Primary School Primary
- Thornden Wood Primary School Primary
- Herne Bay High School Secondary
- SALT COLLEGE Other types
Common questions
- What year groups does Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School teach?
- Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School teaches children aged 3 to 7. It is a primary school in Herne Bay.
- Who is the headteacher of Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School?
- The headteacher of Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School is Mrs E Thomas-Friend, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School?
- Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School has 318 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 7.
- Is Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School full?
- Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School has capacity for 270 pupils and 318 on roll (118%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School a faith school?
- Yes. Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Canterbury.
- Does Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School as having nursery classes.
- What is Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School's absence rate?
- Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School's overall absence rate is 5.5% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 15 July 2026.