Schools in Canterbury

About schools in Canterbury

Most of the 54 schools listed in Canterbury are primary schools. Its eight secondary schools are where families compare options once a child finishes primary. Another six schools provide for children with additional needs or alternative provision.

Every school on this page is inspected by Ofsted. Its newer reports judge a school across several areas rather than giving one overall grade, while older reports still carry the previous single grade, so read the framework and the date on each page before you set two schools side by side. Where results have been published you will also find key stage 2 scores for the primary schools and Attainment 8 for the secondary schools. An inspection or a results table captures a school at one past moment, so use this page to draw up a shortlist and then visit.

Key stage 2, 2024/25

58%

of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, across the 29 schools with published results

Key stage 4, 2024/25

49.1

average Attainment 8 score, across the 9 schools with published results

Primary schools30

The figure beside a school is the share of its pupils who reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

• Adisham Church of England Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  75%

  expected standard
• Ash Cartwright and Kelsey Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 3 to 11

  54%

  expected standard
• Aylesham Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

• Barham Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  58%

  expected standard
• Blean Primary School

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  80%

  expected standard
• Bridge and Patrixbourne Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  74%

  expected standard
• Chartham Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 5 to 11

  63%

  expected standard
• Chilham, St Mary's Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  46%

  expected standard
• Chislet Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  47%

  expected standard
• Elham Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 4 to 11

  60%

  expected standard
• Goodnestone Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  33%

  expected standard
• Hoath Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  71%

  expected standard
• Littlebourne Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  47%

  expected standard
• Parkside Community Foundation Primary School

  Foundation school · Ages 4 to 11

  23%

  expected standard
• Petham Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  67%

  expected standard
• Pilgrims' Way Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 3 to 11

  44%

  expected standard
• Preston Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  63%

  expected standard
• St Johns Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 2 to 11

  38%

  expected standard
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Aylesham

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  71%

  expected standard
• St Peter's Methodist Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  63%

  expected standard
• St Stephen's Infant School

  Academy converter · Ages 5 to 7

• St Stephen's Junior School

  Academy converter · Ages 7 to 11

  44%

  expected standard
• St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Canterbury

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 5 to 11

  80%

  expected standard
• Stelling Minnis Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 5 to 11

  71%

  expected standard
• Sturry Church of England Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  78%

  expected standard
• The Canterbury Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  51%

  expected standard
• Water Meadows Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  71%

  expected standard
• Wickhambreaux Church of England Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

• Wincheap Foundation Primary School

  Foundation school · Ages 4 to 11

  66%

  expected standard
• Wingham Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  77%

  expected standard

Secondary schools8

The figure beside a school is its average Attainment 8 score (out of 90) in 2024/25.

• Barton Court Grammar School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 18

  66.4

  Attainment 8
• Barton Manor School

  Free schools · Ages 11 to 19

• Orion Spires

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 11 to 16

  36.1

  Attainment 8
• Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 11 to 18 · Girls

  67.7

  Attainment 8
• Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys

  Foundation school · Ages 11 to 18 · Boys

  66.8

  Attainment 8
• St Anselm's Catholic School, Canterbury

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 18

  39.4

  Attainment 8
• The Archbishop's School

  Foundation school · Ages 11 to 18

  35.2

  Attainment 8
• The Canterbury Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 19

  39.0

  Attainment 8

Special schools and alternative provision6

• Bemix

  Special post 16 institution · Ages 16 to 24

• Haven Nook

  Other independent special school · Ages 11 to 18

• Hope View School

  Other independent special school · Ages 7 to 18 · Boys

• Newingate School

  Other independent special school · Ages 11 to 18

• St Nicholas' School

  Community special school · Ages 4 to 19

• The Orchard School

  Foundation special school · Ages 7 to 16

Independent schools8

• Junior King's School

  Other independent school · Ages 2 to 14

• Kent College (Canterbury)

  Other independent school · Ages 11 to 19

• Kent College International Study Centre

  Other independent school · Ages 11 to 18

• Kent College Nursery, Infant and Junior School

  Other independent school · Ages 2 to 11

• St Edmund's School Canterbury

  Other independent school · Ages 2 to 19

• St Faith's At Ash School Limited

  Other independent school · Ages 2 to 11

• The King's School Canterbury

  Other independent school · Ages 13 to 19

• The Worthgate School

  Other independent school · Ages 13 to 22

Other establishments2

• Canterbury Christ Church University

  Higher education institutions

• University of Kent

  Higher education institutions

Common questions about schools in Canterbury

How many schools are in Canterbury?

OfferDay lists 54 schools in Canterbury, including 30 primary schools and eight secondary schools.

Who inspects schools in Canterbury?

Every school in Canterbury is inspected by Ofsted. Newer reports grade several areas of a school separately on a report card, while older reports carry a single overall grade, so check the framework and the date on each page before you compare two schools.

Which are the best schools in Canterbury?

OfferDay ranks schools in Canterbury where the Department for Education has published results, by key stage 2 scores for primary schools and Attainment 8 for secondary schools. The ranking links are near the top of this page. A results table only captures one part of a school, so use it to draw up a shortlist and then visit.

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. Information on this page was last updated on 24 July 2026.