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Southborough CofE Primary School

Primary Ages 5-11 631 pupils Tunbridge Wells
Ofsted: Good

Southborough CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled school in Tunbridge Wells for pupils aged 5 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 631 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Southborough CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024. In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Ofsted inspection: May 2024. KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Voluntary controlled school
Age Range 5-11
Religion Church of England
Address Broomhill Park Road
Southborough
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN4 0JY
Phone 01892529682
Reference Number 118712

General Makeup

Number of pupils 631
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 51.19%
Girls: 48.81%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 15.4%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 21.9%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 30
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 29.6
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 30.4

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 49 40 89
2 44 44 88
3 46 45 91
4 50 41 91
5 39 53 92
6 48 43 91

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 71.2%
White, Other 7.4%
Indian 4.3%
Chinese 4%
White & Asian 3%
Mixed, Other 2.1%
White & Black (Caribbean) 1.4%
Asian, Other 1.4%
White & Black (African) 1.3%
Pakistani 0.8%
African 0.6%
Unclassified 0.3%
Caribbean 0.2%

Southborough CofE Primary School continues to be a good school where pupils thrive in a supportive environment. They enjoy positive interactions with peers and take pride in both their academic and artistic achievements. The school has a well-structured curriculum that engages pupils and prepares them for success, with a particular strength in reading and mathematics where students excel. Additionally, the school's efforts to involve pupils in leadership roles help them connect with their community and foster a sense of responsibility and compassion.

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
Last Report Date 26 Mar 2024
Date Report
26 Mar 2024 School inspection
21 Jun 2018 Short inspection
27 Mar 2014 Full inspection:
09 Jan 2012 Interim assessment
06 May 2009 Full inspection:
05 Jul 2006 Full inspection:
20 Nov 2000 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Strong emphasis on pupil well-being and positive relationships.
  • Engaging and interesting curriculum that meets pupils' needs.
  • Effective training and support for teachers enhancing curriculum delivery.
  • Strong performance in reading and mathematics.
  • Important roles for pupils enhance leadership and community engagement.

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent adaptations for pupils with SEND in subjects beyond reading and mathematics.

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 73%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 19%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 108
Maths 107

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 1.5
Writing 1
Maths 1.3

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 41 3
Third Preference 31 2
From another Local Authority 0 0

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 Southborough CofE Primary School had 626 pupils for 630 places. 4 places (0.6%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Primary - Tunbridge Wells West” planning area

Kent counted 396 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 350 in 2029–30, down 12%.

201020112012201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 385420420420450480630630630630630630630630630
Pupils 400403410414434465496529547571609602622619626
Unfilled 0.0%4.0%2.4%1.4%3.6%3.1%21.3%16.0%13.2%9.4%3.3%4.4%1.3%1.7%0.6%

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 Southborough CofE Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.1%3.3%3.1%3.0%3.1%3.6%2.5%6.3%4.6%4.1%4.3%
Unauthorised absence 0.4%0.3%0.5%0.6%0.6%0.7%0.6%1.1%0.9%1.1%0.9%
Severely absent pupils 0.0%0.0%0.2%0.0%0.0%0.4%0.6%0.7%0.4%0.9%1.3%

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, 0.2% of pupils at Southborough CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.00.50.01.20.00.00.21.10.20.30.30.30.00.50.20.2
Permanent exclusions 0000000000000000

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 Southborough CofE Primary School had 20.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 10.610.112.712.212.713.113.012.612.412.310.59.09.49.610.912.0
Teachers who left state teaching 1.6%20.5%21.9%6.5%14.1%0.8%16.6%2.5%5.1%14.2%14.3%15.4%12.7%14.1%4.2%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 21.4%26.1%20.0%19.2%16.0%48.1%51.4%36.1%60.6%–52.9%71.1%70.0%78.4%80.6%–
Sick days per teacher 0.61.60.74.42.51.72.11.53.9–4.89.63.83.47.2–

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, 16.5% of pupils at Southborough CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Speech, language and communication needs 31 3
Social, emotional and mental health 31 2
Specific learning difficulty 19 0
Autistic spectrum disorder 12 3
No specialist assessment of need 6 0
Physical disability 3 0
Vision impairment 2 0

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 Southborough CofE Primary School received £6,338 and spent £6,093 for each of its 631 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £420,000 (£665 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

20192020202120222023202420252026
Revenue reserve £86,000£181,000£348,000£296,000£256,000£213,000£265,000£420,000
per pupil £150£302£572£490£417£348£427£665
In-year balance -£48,000£95,000£167,000-£52,000-£40,000-£43,000£52,000£154,000
per pupil -£84£158£275-£86-£64-£70£84£245

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

Name Distance
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School
Wilman Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9AL
0.69 miles
St John's Church of England Primary School
Cunningham Road, St John's Ce Primary School, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9EW
0.8 miles
St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Powder Mill Lane, High Brooms, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9DY
0.83 miles
Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Spring Lane, Bidborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0UE
0.99 miles
Rose Hill School
Coniston Avenue, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9SY
1.06 miles
Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School
Rydal Drive, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9SU
1.14 miles
St Barnabas CofE VA Primary School
Quarry Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2EY
1.3 miles
The Wells Free School
King Charles Square, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8FA
1.34 miles
Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Langton Road, Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0NP
1.46 miles
Skinners' Temple Grove
Friars Way, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3UA
1.58 miles
St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Sandrock Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3PR
1.7 miles
Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School
High Street, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8RZ
1.73 miles
Skinners' Kent Primary School
The Avenue, Knights Wood, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3GS
1.76 miles
St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Hawkenbury Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5BW
1.97 miles
Claremont Primary School
Banner Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5EB
2.08 miles
The Mead School
16 Frant Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5SN
2.2 miles
Broadwater Down Primary School
Broadwater Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5RP
2.37 miles
St Mark's Church of England Primary School
Ramslye Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8LN
2.42 miles
Sussex Road Community Primary School
Sussex Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2TP
2.48 miles
Langton Green Primary School
Lampington Row, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0JG
2.5 miles
Name Distance
St Gregory's Catholic School
Reynolds Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9XL
0.39 miles
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9XB
0.48 miles
Meadows School
London Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0RJ
0.66 miles
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School
Southfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9UJ
0.75 miles
Bennett Memorial Diocesan School
Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9SH
0.86 miles
The Skinners' School
St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9PG
0.91 miles
Broomhill Bank School
Broomhill Road, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0TB
1 miles
Beechwood School
12 Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3QD
2 miles
Skinners' Kent Academy
Sandown Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4PY
2.02 miles
Nexus Foundation Special School
Upper Haysden Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8AA
2.05 miles
Tonbridge Grammar School
Deakin Leas, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2JR
2.27 miles
Leigh Academy Tonbridge
Brook Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2PH
2.34 miles
Weald of Kent Grammar School
Tudeley Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2JP
2.36 miles
The Judd School
Brook Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2PN
2.37 miles
Oakley School
Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4NE
2.39 miles
Hillview School for Girls
Brionne Gardens, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2HE
2.67 miles
Kent College Pembury
Old Church Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 4AX
3.24 miles
Tonbridge School
3.3 miles
Sackville School
Tonbridge Road, Tonbridge, TN11 9HN
4.28 miles
Leigh Academy Hugh Christie
White Cottage Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN10 4PU
4.29 miles

All schools in Tunbridge Wells · Kent local authority: places and applications

What is Southborough CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Southborough CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Southborough CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Southborough CofE Primary School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Southborough CofE Primary School have?

Southborough CofE Primary School has 631 pupils on roll.

What age range does Southborough CofE Primary School cover?

Southborough CofE Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Southborough CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Southborough CofE Primary School?

Southborough CofE Primary School is at Broomhill Park Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0JY.

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