Leigh Academy Mascalls

Leigh Academy Mascalls demonstrates a strong standard of educational provision, with dedicated leadership that ensures pupils receive a supportive and enriching learning environment. The school has successfully integrated a significant number of pupils from a previously closed local school, showcasing a commendable commitment to community service and effective transition support. Despite the positive developments in attendance and behavior, the overall academic outcomes have not yet fully reflected the progress made, necessitating continued focus on raising achievement levels for all students. The involvement of the governing body is noted as effective in challenging and supporting the school’s strategic direction.

Strengths

• Leaders and governors are highly committed to pupil success.
• Personal development provision is a key strength of the school.
• Effective integration of new pupils has improved attendance and behavior.
• Strong focus on professional development and teaching expertise.
• Inclusive ethos supporting students with low prior attainment.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers need to improve the use of assessment to identify gaps in knowledge.
• Overall academic outcomes do not yet reflect rapid progress made.

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 Mascalls attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.0% 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, 7.9% of pupils at Leigh Academy Mascalls were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Leigh Academy Mascalls had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.9% 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, 16.4% of pupils at Leigh Academy Mascalls were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.6% 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 Mascalls received £7,993 and spent £7,951 for each of its 1,241 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £628,000 (£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 Mascalls is part of Leigh Academies Trust, which runs 33 schools. The nearest others:

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

What is Leigh Academy Mascalls's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Leigh Academy Mascalls is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Leigh Academy Mascalls last inspected by Ofsted?

Leigh Academy Mascalls was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Leigh Academy Mascalls have?

Leigh Academy Mascalls has 1,227 pupils on roll.

What age range does Leigh Academy Mascalls cover?

Leigh Academy Mascalls for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Leigh Academy Mascalls's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.9, and 35% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Leigh Academy Mascalls?

Leigh Academy Mascalls is at Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 6LT.