South Avenue Primary School

Swale · ME10 4SU

General information Primary School · 4-11 years Who goes here 408 pupils, 38.7% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 26.7% on SEN support Behaviour 5.4% absence rate Staff 17.8% turnover Financials £6,649 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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South Avenue Primary School

General Information

Address: South Avenue, Sittingbourne, ME10 4SU – View on map
Phone: 01795477750
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Miss Tracy Cadwallader
Age range: 4-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 37 families put it first for 50 places – 7 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 8 · 2024 10 · 2025 8 · 2026 7
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

408 pupils out of 420 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 158
% eligible for free school meals: 38.7%
Pupil mix: 5 in 10 (more mixed than the Swale average)
English as an additional language: 19% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 17.8% a year (Swale 18.1%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 66% moved to another school, 34% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Kent: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 21 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 1
Suspensions for bullying: 32 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 1 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Kent (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 5.4%
Persistently absent pupils: 13.2%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 26.7%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 2.7%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 57 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 22 pupils
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 17 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 4 pupils
Physical disability: 4 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 4 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 4 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 2 pupils
Physical disability: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2022 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 67% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 5% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 5 percentage points above the Swale average (62%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (3-year average 59% against an expected 56%)
3-year average (expected standard): 59%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 71% · Writing 72% · Maths 78% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 62%
Average test scores: reading 106, maths 104
Based on: 58 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolSwale averageEngland↗ Improving Up 17 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 5 percentage points above the Swale average (62%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 19th of 46 junior and primary schools in the area

=17Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary School69%
=19Canterbury Road Primary School67%
=19South Avenue Primary School67%
=19St Peter's Catholic Primary School67%
=19Westlands Primary School67%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Borden Church of England Primary School94%
#2Minster in Sheppey Primary School89%
#3Sheldwich Primary School88%
#4Queenborough School and Nursery85%
#5Holywell Primary School84%
#6Ethelbert Road Primary School79%
=7Bobbing Village School75%
=7Graveney Primary School75%
#9Boughton-under-Blean and Dunkirk Primary School74%
=10Lansdowne Primary School73%
=10Newington Church of England Primary School73%
=12Halfway Houses Primary School72%
=12Rodmersham School72%
#14Sunny Bank Primary School71%
=15Davington Primary School70%
=15Hernhill Church of England Primary School70%
=17Ospringe Church of England Primary School69%
=17Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary School69%
=19Canterbury Road Primary School67%
=19South Avenue Primary School67%
=19St Peter's Catholic Primary School67%
=19Westlands Primary School67%
#23West Minster Primary School66%
#24Richmond Primary School63%
#25St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary School60%
#26Eastling Primary School59%
#27Kemsley Primary Academy57%
#28Bredgar Church of England Primary School56%
#29Minterne Junior School55%
#30Regis Manor Primary School54%
=31Hartlip Endowed Church of England Primary School53%
=31Milton Court Primary Academy53%
#33Iwade School52%
#34Rose Street Primary School51%
#35Thistle Hill Academy49%
#36St Mary of Charity CofE (Aided) Primary School45%
=37Grove Park Primary School43%
=37St Edward's Catholic Primary School43%
#39Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and Nursery40%
#40Bysing Wood Primary School39%
=41Milstead and Frinsted Church of England Primary School38%
=41Selling Church of England Primary School38%
#43Luddenham School37%
#44Lower Halstow Primary School33%
#45Eastchurch Church of England Primary School25%
#46St. Clement's CofE Primary School15%

View full Ofsted inspection report

25th of 29 primary schools in Swale for Ofsted rating

#23Regis Manor Primary SchoolGood
#24Richmond Primary SchoolGood
#25South Avenue Primary SchoolGood
#26St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolGood
#27St Peter's Catholic Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Hernhill Church of England Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2Queenborough School and NurseryOutstanding
#3Rodmersham SchoolOutstanding
#4Sheldwich Primary SchoolOutstanding
#5St Mary of Charity CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolOutstanding
#6Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary SchoolOutstanding
#7Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and NurseryGood
#8Boughton-under-Blean and Dunkirk Primary SchoolGood
#9Bredgar Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#10Bysing Wood Primary SchoolGood
#11Canterbury Road Primary SchoolGood
#12Davington Primary SchoolGood
#13Graveney Primary SchoolGood
#14Halfway Houses Primary SchoolGood
#15Holywell Primary SchoolGood
#16Iwade SchoolGood
#17Kemsley Primary AcademyGood
#18Lansdowne Primary SchoolGood
#19Luddenham SchoolGood
#20Milton Court Primary AcademyGood
#21Newington Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#22Ospringe Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#23Regis Manor Primary SchoolGood
#24Richmond Primary SchoolGood
#25South Avenue Primary SchoolGood
#26St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolGood
#27St Peter's Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#28Sunny Bank Primary SchoolGood
#29Bobbing Village SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,649 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

25th of 46 primary schools in Swale for spending per pupil

#23Bredgar Church of England Primary School£6,843
#24St Mary of Charity CofE (Aided) Primary School£6,773
#25South Avenue Primary School£6,649
#26Lower Halstow Primary School£6,622
#27Boughton-under-Blean and Dunkirk Primary School£6,459

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Milstead and Frinsted Church of England Primary School£11,236
#2Lynsted and Norton Primary School£9,087
#3Selling Church of England Primary School£8,696
#4Richmond Primary School£8,352
#5West Minster Primary School£8,185
#6Bysing Wood Primary School£8,184
#7Eastling Primary School£8,141
#8Rose Street Primary School£7,924
#9Eastchurch Church of England Primary School£7,810
#10Hartlip Endowed Church of England Primary School£7,807
#11Graveney Primary School£7,686
#12Newington Church of England Primary School£7,556
#13Sunny Bank Primary School£7,336
#14Ospringe Church of England Primary School£7,298
#15Thistle Hill Academy£7,196
#16Rodmersham School£7,145
#17St. Clement's CofE Primary School£7,054
#18Canterbury Road Primary School£6,984
#19St Edward's Catholic Primary School£6,951
#20Milton Court Primary Academy£6,924
#21Queenborough School and Nursery£6,868
#22Borden Church of England Primary School£6,847
#23Bredgar Church of England Primary School£6,843
#24St Mary of Charity CofE (Aided) Primary School£6,773
#25South Avenue Primary School£6,649
#26Lower Halstow Primary School£6,622
#27Boughton-under-Blean and Dunkirk Primary School£6,459
#28Luddenham School£6,446
#29Bapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and Nursery£6,425
#30Davington Primary School£6,404
#31Hernhill Church of England Primary School£6,395
#32Grove Park Primary School£6,375
#33Westlands Primary School£6,277
#34Lansdowne Primary School£6,251
#35Kemsley Primary Academy£6,050
#36Holywell Primary School£6,024
#37Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary School£6,005
#38Regis Manor Primary School£5,954
#39St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary School£5,941
#40Sheldwich Primary School£5,924
#41Ethelbert Road Primary School£5,729
#42Iwade School£5,704
#43Bobbing Village School£5,653
#44Minster in Sheppey Primary School£5,481
#45Halfway Houses Primary School£5,337
#46St Peter's Catholic Primary School£5,105

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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