The Wells Free School
| Type | Primary / Free schools |
| Age Range | 4-11 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | King Charles Square Tunbridge Wells Kent TN4 8FA |
| Phone | 01892739075 |
| Reference Number | 139696 |
The Wells Free School continues to perform well, maintaining the standards set during its previous inspection. It fosters a supportive and safe environment for pupils, enabling them to thrive both academically and socially. The curriculum is broad, ambitious, and tailored to the diverse needs of the pupils. Leaders regularly assess and adapt the curriculum to ensure all pupils, including those with special educational needs, receive the support they need to succeed. Overall, the school is praised for its commitment to fostering a productive learning environment and effective pupil support. However, the school has identified the need to strengthen assessment practices in certain subjects within the wider curriculum. This is to ensure that teachers can effectively identify and address gaps in pupils' understanding, allowing for a deeper and interconnected comprehension of knowledge across subjects. The management structure is noted for its effectiveness, with strong leadership guiding the school through its operations.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 212 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 58.02%
Girls: 41.98% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 17.9% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 49.5% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 30.3 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 29.7 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 30.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | 12 | 30 |
| 2 | 15 | 15 | 30 |
| 3 | 17 | 14 | 31 |
| 4 | 16 | 15 | 31 |
| 5 | 22 | 8 | 30 |
| 6 | 19 | 12 | 31 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 41% |
| White, Other | 17.9% |
| Indian | 13.7% |
| Mixed, Other | 6.6% |
| Chinese | 2.8% |
| White & Asian | 2.8% |
| African | 1.9% |
| Pakistani | 1.9% |
| Asian, Other | 1.4% |
| Unclassified | 0.9% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.9% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 04 Feb 2025 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 04 Feb 2025 | School inspection |
| 18 Jun 2019 | Short inspection |
| 19 May 2015 | Full inspection: |
Strengths
- Pupils feel valued and safe, enjoying their time at school.
- The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum tailored to diverse needs.
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils create a warm learning environment.
- The mathematics curriculum is regularly reviewed and adapted to enhance pupil fluency.
- Expert subject knowledge among staff helps clarify curriculum delivery.
- Prompt identification and support for pupils with SEND enable independent learning.
- High priority placed on reading fosters fluent readers who enjoy books.
Areas for Improvement
- Some areas of the wider curriculum lack effective assessment practices, leading to gaps in knowledge.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 68% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 6% |
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 | 106 | ||
| Maths | 106 |
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 | 0.6 | ||
| Writing | -0.7 | ||
| Maths | -1.3 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage 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.
Sample
UnlockProgress 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.
Sample
UnlockUnlock Premium
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 36 | 4 |
| Third Preference | 30 | 1 |
| From another Local Authority | 2 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
St Barnabas CofE VA Primary School
Quarry Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2EY |
0.48 miles |
|
St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Sandrock Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3PR |
0.62 miles |
|
Rose Hill School
Coniston Avenue, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9SY |
0.67 miles |
|
St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Hawkenbury Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5BW |
0.74 miles |
|
Claremont Primary School
Banner Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5EB |
0.77 miles |
|
Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School
Rydal Drive, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9SU |
0.79 miles |
|
The Mead School
16 Frant Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5SN |
0.89 miles |
|
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School
Wilman Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9AL |
0.9 miles |
|
St John's Church of England Primary School
Cunningham Road, St John's Ce Primary School, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9EW |
0.94 miles |
|
Broadwater Down Primary School
Broadwater Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5RP |
1.15 miles |
|
Skinners' Temple Grove
Friars Way, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3UA |
1.19 miles |
|
St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Powder Mill Lane, High Brooms, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9DY |
1.28 miles |
|
Southborough CofE Primary School
Broomhill Park Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0JY |
1.34 miles |
|
St Mark's Church of England Primary School
Ramslye Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8LN |
1.36 miles |
|
Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School
High Street, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8RZ |
1.44 miles |
|
Skinners' Kent Primary School
The Avenue, Knights Wood, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3GS |
1.87 miles |
|
Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Langton Road, Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0NP |
2.02 miles |
|
Holmewood House School
Barrow Lane, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0EB |
2.03 miles |
|
Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Spring Lane, Bidborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0UE |
2.28 miles |
|
Langton Green Primary School
Lampington Row, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0JG |
2.42 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
The Skinners' School
St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9PG |
0.46 miles |
|
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School
Southfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9UJ |
0.6 miles |
|
Bennett Memorial Diocesan School
Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9SH |
0.7 miles |
|
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9XB |
1.01 miles |
|
St Gregory's Catholic School
Reynolds Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9XL |
1.06 miles |
|
Beechwood School
12 Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3QD |
1.15 miles |
|
Broomhill Bank School
Broomhill Road, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0TB |
1.22 miles |
|
Skinners' Kent Academy
Sandown Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4PY |
1.43 miles |
|
Oakley School
Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4NE |
1.83 miles |
|
Meadows School
London Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0RJ |
1.96 miles |
|
Nexus Foundation Special School
Upper Haysden Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8AA |
3.37 miles |
|
Kent College Pembury
Old Church Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 4AX |
3.39 miles |
|
Tonbridge Grammar School
Deakin Leas, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2JR |
3.4 miles |
|
Weald of Kent Grammar School
Tudeley Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2JP |
3.41 miles |
|
Leigh Academy Tonbridge
Brook Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2PH |
3.6 miles |
|
The Judd School
Brook Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2PN |
3.6 miles |
|
Hillview School for Girls
Brionne Gardens, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2HE |
3.73 miles |
|
Tonbridge School
|
4.47 miles |