St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe

St Helen’s Church of England Primary School, Cliffe is performing well, maintaining the standards identified in previous inspections. The school prides itself on fostering a nurturing environment where pupils are enthusiastic learners and exemplify the school's values of kindness and inclusivity. Opportunities for personal and social development, alongside academic learning, are well-implemented, with staff displaying high expectations and pride in their work. However, some issues with attendance, particularly among disadvantaged pupils, and inconsistencies in teaching practices have been noted. The school is working on strategies to enhance attendance and support for pupils who need to catch up in their learning.

Strengths

• Pupils are passionate ambassadors for the school.
• High expectations lead to well-rounded personal and emotional development.
• Diverse extracurricular opportunities cater to a wide range of talents.
• The curriculum is carefully crafted and supports effective learning.
• Strong focus on reducing disadvantage and broadening pupils' horizons.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checks on pupil understanding leave some gaps in learning.
• Support for struggling readers lacks urgency and precision.
• Disadvantaged pupils exhibit notably lower attendance.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.6% of pupils at St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe had 20.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 12.1% of pupils at St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe received £7,122 and spent £6,688 for each of its 182 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £217,000 (£1,194 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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• Secondary Schools

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What is St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe last inspected by Ofsted?

St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe have?

St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe has 182 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe cover?

St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe?

St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe is at Church Street, Cliffe, Rochester, Kent, ME3 7PU.