South Borough Primary School

South Borough Primary School continues to maintain good standards across all areas despite facing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The school fosters a welcoming environment underpinned by values of respect, kindness, and determination, which are reflected in the positive attitudes of its pupils. Parents appreciate the sense of community cultivated within the school, and pupils demonstrate pride in their achievements while feeling safe and supported in their learning journey. The leadership team is proactive in addressing areas for improvement and is committed to enhancing the quality of education provided.

Strengths

• Strong curriculum that caters to various starting points and experiences.
• Effective provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Dedicated and skilled teachers who are supported by subject leaders.
• High priority given to reading and promoting a love for books.
• Strong culture of safeguarding with rigorous staff training and oversight.
• Positive behavior management strategies leading to improved attendance and reduced exclusions.
• Inclusive practices ensuring all pupils can learn effectively.

Areas for Improvement

• Lack of clarity in the end points in a small number of foundation subjects.

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 South Borough Primary School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.9% 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, 0.9% of pupils at South Borough 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 South Borough Primary School had 22.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.7% 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, 12.3% of pupils at South Borough Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 2024–25 South Borough Primary School received £6,575 and spent £6,489 for each of its 447 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £182,000 (£407 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Swale Academies Trust, income was £8,268 and spending £8,248 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 Maidstone · Kent local authority: places and applications

South Borough Primary School is part of Swale Academies Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• The Holmesdale School Snodland
• Westlands School Sittingbourne
• Westlands Primary School Sittingbourne
• Meopham School Gravesend
• Regis Manor Primary School Sittingbourne
• The Sittingbourne School Sittingbourne
• Istead Rise Primary School Gravesend
• Beaver Green Primary School Ashford
• The North School Ashford
• The Whitstable School Whitstable

What is South Borough Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for South Borough Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was South Borough Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

South Borough Primary School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does South Borough Primary School have?

South Borough Primary School has 448 pupils on roll.

What age range does South Borough Primary School cover?

South Borough Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are South Borough Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is South Borough Primary School?

South Borough Primary School is at Stagshaw Close, Postley Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6TL.