About our School

Goodnestone Church of England Primary School is a small, rural primary placed in the picturesque village of Goodnestone, south of Canterbury, Kent.

Our Victorian school building houses a vibrant learning environment that nurtures our children's development from the age of four to eleven.

The staff at Goodnestone C.E. Primary School believe that children need firm boundaries in order to maximise their learning potential. An unstructured environment creates anxieties and the anxious child is unable to fully enjoy and benefit from his or her time at school. However, firm boundaries do not always equate to a long list of inflexible rules, and at Goodnestone School we prefer instead to use positive messages to create an expectation of the highest standards which, in turn, results in an increase in self-respect and develops a similar respect for the person and property of others. As a result of this policy we rarely experience persistent behavioural problems, but if a pupil should persist in exhibiting disruptive or unruly behaviour parents are informed and sanctions applied. Conversely, pupils who consistently behave in a positive, caring and thoughtful manner, or who demonstrate exceptional acts of kindness towards other pupils are rewarded from within the merit system.

Academic, social and personal achievements are celebrated and pupils are presented with individual or class merit certificates at the end of our weekly School Council meeting and Sharing Assembly. The School Council is attended by all of our pupils and provides them with a forum to express their views about their own education, and empowers them to influence decisions which affect their life at the school.The Council is allocated a budget and prioritise areas for improving their time at school.