Woodlands Primary School

Woodlands Primary School has demonstrated effective action in maintaining its high standards since its last inspection, with a strong focus on student wellbeing and academic achievement. The school prioritizes a positive, inclusive environment where students feel safe and supported, fostering strong relationships between staff and pupils. The curriculum is well-structured and promotes both knowledge and skills, with a particular strength in enabling reading proficiency among students. However, challenges remain in writing development and reducing persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils.

Strengths

• Strong emphasis on pupils' wellbeing and happiness.
• Positive, warm relationships between staff and pupils.
• Well-structured and engaging curriculum.
• Effective support for students with special educational needs.
• High expectations for behavior and conduct among pupils.
• Strong focus on developing a love for reading.
• Robust systems to identify and address pupil needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Inadequate support for developing basic writing skills among younger pupils.
• Teachers do not consistently correct spelling and handwriting errors.
• Persistent absence rates, particularly among disadvantaged pupils, remain too high.

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 Woodlands Primary School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% 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, 3.6% of pupils at Woodlands Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Woodlands Primary School had 20.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.0% 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, 13.0% of pupils at Woodlands Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 2025–26 Woodlands Primary School received £6,385 and spent £6,518 for each of its 540 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £344,000 (£637 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is Woodlands Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Woodlands Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Woodlands Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Woodlands Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Woodlands Primary School have?

Woodlands Primary School has 540 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woodlands Primary School cover?

Woodlands Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Woodlands Primary School?

Woodlands Primary School is at Higham School Lane, Hunt Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN10 4BB.