About The School
Please read a welcome letter from our Chair of Governors.
You can view our Ofsted report here.
Opening in 1968, Cheriton Primary School is a two form entry primary school on the outskirts of Folkestone, a stones’ throw from the M20 motorway to London and the M25. It is also within walking distance of Folkestone West train station, where the high-speed train takes you to London within 55 minutes. The school has been part of the community for over 50 years with multiple generations of families attending alongside our mobile military community, as well as new families to the area who are living locally in the extensive building programme that has sprung up around us. Cheriton Primary School has a long-established reputation of being inclusive and has a wide ethnic mix; we are a global community.
‘Pupils of all cultures and backgrounds thrive in this friendly and welcoming school’ - OFSTED 2019.
The school has extensive well-maintained grounds, with a huge field, lovely wooden play equipment, a playground, an outside classroom and an established forest school with a pond. Our Foundation Stage classes have access to their own extensive dedicated outdoor play area, which is wonderfully resourced. All our classrooms are spacious, light and bright with wide linking corridors and direct access to our outside areas. In addition, the school has an abundance of resources, including a well-stocked library, a dedicated art studio, a sensory area and a separate IT suite.
We are a first-choice school for the local community!
The local area offers a wealth of educational experiences and Teachers make good use of these to build on learning beyond the classroom. These include the wonderful coast line (only a 20 minute walk from the school), Samphire Hoe, English Heritage sites, the Tower Theatre, Leas Cliff Hall and many more. Our children have recently had visits to the London Eye, Dover Castle, The Houses of Parliament and Harry Potter World to name a few! Year 6 enjoy a week long residential outward-bound trip annually.
The Senior Leadership Team currently consists of a Deputy Headteacher, two Assistant Headteachers and a SENDCo. We also benefit from having a Family Liaison Officer and a Liaison Officer for Children. There are curriculum subject leads amongst our very experienced and dedicated staff team. The school works closely with school leaders across the country to further educational opportunities for service children, and has close links with the Hornbill School in Brunei where a large proportion of our service children come from and return to when the 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles changes every two years between Brunei and Shorncliffe Garrison.
‘The school motto of ‘Learning to Live’ drives all the school does' - OFSTED 2019.
Cheriton Primary School is part of the ‘Vicus Trust’ which is part of the Co-operative Movement which together upholds the values:
● Self–help
● Self-responsibility
● Democracy
● Equality
● Equity
● Solidarity.
There are many benefits of being a foundation school within the Vicus Trust, including moderation training opportunities locally and other opportunities as part of the Co-operative Movement furthering staff personal development.