Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment

Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment has been rated as good overall during its recent inspection. This report marks the school's first routine inspection in over a decade, following its previous outstanding grade. The inspection reflects a commitment to providing a positive and inclusive educational environment, especially for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school's initiatives, such as a dedicated support unit for children with hearing impairment and a strong emphasis on reading, demonstrate its ambition for all pupils to succeed.

Strengths

• Pupils learn well with clear ambitions set by the school.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, particularly those with hearing impairment.
• Reading is prioritized and aligned with pupils' reading abilities.
• Teachers provide clear explanations and targeted support.
• Pupils develop a strong commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility.

Areas for Improvement

• Tasks in some subjects do not always align with curriculum aims.
• Inconsistent identification of misconceptions in pupils' learning.

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 Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.7% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment 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 Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment had 20.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.7% 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, 8.1% of pupils at Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 7 pupils.

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 2025–26 Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment received £7,123 and spent £7,218 for each of its 419 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £39,000 (£93 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment last inspected by Ofsted?

Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment have?

Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment has 419 pupils on roll.

What age range does Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment cover?

Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment?

Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing Impairment is at The Slade, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1HR.