Sturry Church of England Primary School

Sturry Church of England Primary School is performing exceptionally well. In its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2015, it was judged outstanding in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school is part of The Stour Academy Trust and has not been given an overall effectiveness grade because schools inspected from September 2024 no longer receive one. The report describes a welcoming, nurturing and inclusive school with high aspirations, exemplary pupil behaviour and a calm, purposeful atmosphere. Pupils are confident, safe and well cared for, and they achieve very well from often lower starting points. The curriculum is rich and logically sequenced, reading and phonics are taught consistently well, and pupils with SEND access the full curriculum and are supported effectively. Early years provision gives children an excellent start, attendance is now above average, and personal development and community contribution are exceptional. Staff feel valued and well supported, safeguarding is effective, and the trust and school work closely together with no complacency. The only minor point raised is that a few parents would like even more opportunities to find out how well their children are doing. There are no significant weaknesses identified in the report.

Strengths

• A welcoming, nurturing and inclusive school culture with high aspirations for all pupils.
• Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons, the playground and around the school.
• Children get an excellent start in Reception and are very well prepared for Year 1.
• Early reading and phonics are taught consistently well, and pupils become confident, fluent readers.
• The curriculum is rich, vibrant and logically sequenced so learning builds over time.
• Pupils achieve very well, including strong progress from lower starting points.
• Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum and are supported effectively.
• Attendance is now above average because of the school’s persistent work.
• Personal development promotes well-being, character, life skills and spirituality exceptionally well.
• Pupils make a highly valued contribution to the school and local community.
• Staff feel highly valued and are well supported with professional development, well-being and workload.
• The trust and school collaborate outstandingly well with a shared ambitious vision.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• A few parents would like more opportunities to find out how well their children are doing.

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 Sturry Church of England Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.7% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Sturry Church of England Primary School 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 Sturry Church of England Primary School had 16.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.6% 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, 17.6% of pupils at Sturry Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% 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 2024–25 Sturry Church of England Primary School received £6,258 and spent £6,176 for each of its 413 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £174,000 (£422 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of The Stour Academy Trust, income was £7,419 and spending £7,111 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Canterbury · Kent local authority: places and applications

Sturry Church of England Primary School is part of The Stour Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Water Meadows Primary School Canterbury
• Adisham Church of England Primary School Canterbury
• St Crispin's Infant School Westgate-On-Sea
• Thistle Hill Primary School Sheerness
• Lansdowne Primary School Sittingbourne
• Finberry Primary School Ashford
• Richmond Primary School Sheerness
• Chilmington Green Primary School Ashford

What is Sturry Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sturry Church of England Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Sturry Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sturry Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Sturry Church of England Primary School have?

Sturry Church of England Primary School has 414 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sturry Church of England Primary School cover?

Sturry Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Sturry Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sturry Church of England Primary School?

Sturry Church of England Primary School is at Park View, Sturry, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 0NR.