Leigh Academy Tonbridge

Hayesbrook Academy is a small secondary school that provides a good quality of education across its year groups. There is a strong commitment from senior leaders to create a nurturing and supportive environment where students are encouraged to become reflective and resilient learners. The behaviour and attitudes at the school are outstanding, contributing to a positive atmosphere where students feel safe and valued. The school has notable strengths in its curriculum planning, which is ambitious and well-sequenced, alongside effective assessment methods that facilitate learning. However, some areas, such as the integration of PSHCE with other subjects, require improvement to maximize students' learning experiences.

Strengths

• Exceptional behaviour and attitudes among pupils.
• Strong and supportive relationships between teachers and students.
• Well-planned and sequenced curriculum across all year groups.
• High expectations for pupil conduct and a commitment to safeguarding.
• Effective enrichment programme with diverse opportunities.
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers enhancing pupil understanding.
• Well-structured sixth-form provision preparing students for future aspirations.

Areas for Improvement

• Higher prior attainers are not always sufficiently challenged.
• Links across subjects, particularly in PSHCE, are underutilized.

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 Leigh Academy Tonbridge attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 8.7% of pupils at Leigh Academy Tonbridge were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Leigh Academy Tonbridge had 22.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 4.8% of pupils at Leigh Academy Tonbridge were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Leigh Academy Tonbridge received £6,934 and spent £8,133 for each of its 717 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £363,000 (£506 per pupil).

Across all 33 schools of Leigh Academies Trust, income was £8,972 and spending £8,821 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Leigh Academy Tonbridge is part of Leigh Academies Trust, which runs 33 schools. The nearest others:

• Leigh Academy Hugh Christie Tonbridge
• Leigh Academy Paddock Wood Tonbridge
• Leigh Academy Mascalls Tonbridge
• Leigh Academy Horsmonden Tonbridge
• Leigh Academy Marden Tonbridge
• Leigh Academy Oaks Maidstone
• Leigh Academy Milestone Longfield
• Leigh Academy Molehill Maidstone
• Leigh Academy Tree Tops Maidstone
• Leigh Academy Langley Park Maidstone

What is Leigh Academy Tonbridge's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Leigh Academy Tonbridge is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Leigh Academy Tonbridge last inspected by Ofsted?

Leigh Academy Tonbridge was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Leigh Academy Tonbridge have?

Leigh Academy Tonbridge has 807 pupils on roll.

What age range does Leigh Academy Tonbridge cover?

Leigh Academy Tonbridge for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Leigh Academy Tonbridge's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.9, and 34% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Leigh Academy Tonbridge?

Leigh Academy Tonbridge is at Brook Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2PH.