East Farleigh Primary School

East Farleigh Primary School is a small primary school with 209 pupils, lower-than-average free school meals and above-average SEN support. Inspectors found the school performing well overall: curriculum and teaching, early years provision, inclusion, and personal development and wellbeing are strong. The curriculum is ambitious and built around oracy, phonics is taught effectively, staff adapt well for pupils with SEND, and leaders monitor teaching quality closely. Children get an excellent start in early years, and inclusion work is precise and well tracked, especially for disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils. Pupils are polite, safe and happy, behaviour is calm and orderly, and personal development, pastoral support and wider opportunities are notable strengths. Safeguarding standards are met. Achievement and leadership/governance are broadly in line with expectations rather than strong. Most pupils reach outcomes similar to national averages, but the school's next steps are to secure above-average national test outcomes over time, and disadvantaged pupils' performance gaps in reading, writing and mathematics remain a concern, particularly in mathematics. Attendance is the main area needing attention: while overall attendance is close to national averages, too many disadvantaged pupils are persistently absent, which limits their access to the full curriculum. Leaders are taking appropriate action and have already improved attendance for pupils with SEND, but sustained improvement is required. Governors and leaders are ambitious, supportive and responsive, and parents value the school's inclusive, nurturing community.

Strengths

• Ambitious and engaging curriculum with a strong focus on oracy
• Effective phonics teaching and strong teacher subject knowledge
• Skilled adaptation for pupils with SEND and additional needs
• Robust curriculum monitoring and high-quality professional development
• Excellent early years provision with well-resourced environments and strong parent partnerships
• Precise and well-executed inclusion strategies for vulnerable pupils
• Strong personal development, pastoral care and wellbeing support
• Pupils behave well in a calm, orderly and inclusive school
• Leaders and governors are ambitious, supportive and accountable
• Pupils feel safe, happy and well cared for, with rich wider opportunities
• Most pupils achieve in line with national averages and are prepared for the next stage
• Safeguarding standards are met

Areas for Improvement

• Too many disadvantaged pupils are persistently absent, limiting their access to the full curriculum
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes in national tests are below national averages, with gaps in reading, writing and mathematics, especially mathematics
• Pupil achievement is broadly average rather than consistently above average over time
• Attendance strategies for disadvantaged pupils need to secure sustained improvement

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 East Farleigh Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.8% 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, 3.3% of pupils at East Farleigh Primary School 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 East Farleigh Primary School had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.6% 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, 22.6% of pupils at East Farleigh Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 East Farleigh Primary School received £7,432 and spent £7,573 for each of its 199 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £43,000 (£214 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 Maidstone · Kent local authority: places and applications

What is East Farleigh Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for East Farleigh Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was East Farleigh Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

East Farleigh Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does East Farleigh Primary School have?

East Farleigh Primary School has 199 pupils on roll.

What age range does East Farleigh Primary School cover?

East Farleigh Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are East Farleigh Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is East Farleigh Primary School?

East Farleigh Primary School is at Vicarage Lane, East Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 0LY.