Primary schools3 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Marathon · CC BY-SA 2.0C+School Grade
Schools in Minster (Swale) · DfE, Ofsted
Fewer pupils in Minster (Swale) pass English and maths at grade 5 than in Kent’s towns or towns in England: 16%
In the comparison, Minster (Swale) comes below both Kent’s towns (37%) and towns in England (45%). 3 state-funded schools are located in Minster (Swale)’s built-up area. Minster (Swale) grades C+ for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #48 of 87 in Kent. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
3
3 primary, 0 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
68%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
33.2
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
16%
a strong pass in both · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
What stands out about Minster (Swale)’s schools
Minster in Sheppey beats its intake
Schools with more pupils on free school meals usually get lower results. At Minster in Sheppey Primary School, 25% of pupils are on free school meals and 91% meet the expected standard; a typical school in England with that intake reaches 62%. Results and intake ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
School Grade
Minster (Swale) grades C+ for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (68% meet the standard)Better than 83% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (33.2 and 16%)Better than 1% of towns in England
The primary figure lifts Minster (Swale); the secondary figure holds it back.
Each of Minster (Swale)’s 3 primaries: % meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (2023–25)
England’s average schoolKent’s average school
The primary figure: 3 primaries in the town, 597 pupils in results over three years. Minster (Swale) has no secondaries of its own with GCSE results, so the secondary figure uses the 1 graded secondary in and within 3 km of the town (219 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Minster (Swale)’s 3 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Minster (Swale)’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondarySpecial, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Results and intake
Which schools do better than their intake suggests
Schools with more pupils on free school meals tend to get lower results. The dashed line is the typical school in England for each level of free school meals; the band holds the middle two-thirds. A dot above the band is doing better than schools like it.
Primaries: KS2 reading, writing and maths against free school meals
The share of pupils on free school meals runs from 20% at St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary School to 50% at Thistle Hill Primary School. Against schools with the same intake, Minster in Sheppey Primary School does best: 91% with 25% on free school meals, where a typical school would reach 62%. 2 of 3 primaries are above the line.
Show as a table
| School | Free school meals | Result | Typical for that intake | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minster in Sheppey Primary SchoolKS2 % | 25% | 91% | 62% | +29 |
| Thistle Hill Primary SchoolKS2 % | 50% | 58% | 55% | +3 |
| St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolKS2 % | 20% | 48% | 63% | −15 |
Free school meals: pupils eligible now, DfE January 2026 census. The typical-school line is a straight-line fit across every graded school in England. It describes; it doesn’t grade: the School Grade uses results alone.
Getting a place
How school places work in Minster (Swale)
Kent County Council handles applications for every state school in Minster (Swale), academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 1 of Minster (Swale)’s 3 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%.
Minster in Sheppey95%
St Georges91%
Thistle Hill83%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
3 state schools in Minster (Swale)
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Minster (Swale)’s schoolsA 1B 0C 2D 0
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Good 1Report card 1Ungraded inspection only 1
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 1 of Minster (Swale)’s 3 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance | Early years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minster in Sheppey Primary SchoolApril 2026 | Met | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard | Strong standard |
Who runs them
3 academy trusts
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
| Run by | Schools | Pupils | Their letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island Learning TrustMinster in Sheppey | 1 | 572 | A+ |
| Diocese of Canterbury Academies TrustSt Georges | 1 | 382 | C− |
| Stour Academy TrustThistle Hill | 1 | 349 | C+ |
Towns its size
196th of 309 English towns of 12,000 to 23,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Minster (Swale), and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amersham Buckinghamshire | A+ | 79% | 64.3 | 83% |
| … | |||||
| 192 | Willerby and Anlaby East Riding of Yorkshire | C+ | 60% | 44.6 | 44% |
| 193 | Sleaford Lincolnshire | C+ | 58% | 47.2 | 43% |
| 194 | Syston Leicestershire | C+ | 63% | 42.9 | 37% |
| 195 | Spennymoor County Durham | C+ | 60% | 46.2 | 40% |
| 196 | Minster (Swale) Kent | C+ | 68% | 33.2 | 16% |
| 197 | Huntington North Yorkshire | C+ | 56% | 48.1 | 46% |
| 198 | Taverham and Drayton Norfolk | C+ | 61% | 43.6 | 40% |
| 199 | Keynsham Somerset | C+ | 58% | 45.5 | 45% |
| 200 | Louth Lincolnshire | C+ | 49% | 51.6 | 50% |
| … | |||||
| 309 | March Cambridgeshire | D− | 45% | 36.7 | 30% |
Neighbours
Minster (Swale) and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
Halfway HousesSheernessQueenboroughEastchurchWardenIwadeGrainMinster (Swale)
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minster (Swale) 3 schools | C+ | 68% | 33.2 |
| Halfway Houses 3 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 1.4 mi | C | 66% | 33.2 |
| Sheerness 5 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 2.1 mi | D | 57% | 33.2 |
| Queenborough 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.3 mi | C | 63% | 33.2 |
| Eastchurch 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.8 mi | D− | 44% | — |
| Warden 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.4 mi | D− | 32% | — |
| Iwade 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.5 mi | D− | 49% | — |
| Grain 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.6 mi | C | 59% | — |
Minster (Swale)’s schools are graded at least as well as any neighbour’s. Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Minster (Swale): 6% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Minster (Swale)
Are schools in Minster (Swale) good?
Minster (Swale)’s state schools earn a C+ against schools across England: primary results beat 83% of towns in England; secondary results beat 1% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Kent council.
What is the best primary school in Minster (Swale)?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Minster in Sheppey Primary School: 91% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
How do I apply for a school place in Minster (Swale)?
Through Kent County Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many state schools are in Minster (Swale)?
3 open state-funded schools are located in Minster (Swale)’s built-up area: 3 primary, 0 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.