Balfour Junior School
Balfour Junior School is an academy converter in Chatham for pupils aged 7 to 11. It has 480 pupils on roll. In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 7-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Balfour Road Chatham Kent ME4 6QX |
| Phone | 01634843833 |
| Reference Number | 143880 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 480 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 49.17%
Girls: 50.83% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 30.6% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 36.5% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 29.9 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 29.9 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 68 | 51 | 119 |
| 4 | 56 | 62 | 118 |
| 5 | 59 | 61 | 120 |
| 6 | 53 | 70 | 123 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 50.2% |
| African | 9.8% |
| Indian | 8.3% |
| White, Other | 7.9% |
| Asian, Other | 2.9% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.5% |
| White & Asian | 2.1% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.9% |
| Pakistani | 1.5% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.8% |
| Chinese | 0.6% |
| Caribbean | 0.4% |
| Unclassified | 0.2% |
| Irish | 0.2% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | 22 May 2024 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 22 May 2024 | School inspection |
| 05 Dec 2018 | Short inspection |
| 06 Jan 2017 | Academy conversion letter |
| 14 Oct 2015 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as Balfour Junior School | |
| 24 Sep 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 22 Sep 2010 | Full inspection: |
| 01 May 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 27 Sep 2004 | Full inspection |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 71% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 14% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
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 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 108 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
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 | -1.2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | -1.5 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | -1.4 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
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
See how Balfour Junior School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Places and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Balfour Junior School had 481 pupils for 480 places. That is 1 more pupils than the school has room for.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Chatham Primary” planning area
Medway counted 499 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 497 in 2029–30, down 0%.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 |
| Pupils | 474 | 476 | 470 | 470 | 478 | 481 | 474 | 481 |
| Unfilled | 1.2% | 0.8% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 1.2% | 0.0% |
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 Balfour Junior School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 4.0% | 3.9% | 2.8% | 5.9% | 5.0% | 4.3% | 4.0% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.5% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 0.6% |
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, 0.6% of pupils at Balfour Junior School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Balfour Junior School had 24.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 14.3 | 14.1 | 13.4 | 13.7 | 13.8 | 14.6 | 13.8 | 14.7 | 13.6 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 11.0% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 0.0% | 9.0% | 5.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 25.9% | 46.4% | – | 36.0% | 72.0% | 30.4% | 45.5% | 36.4% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 1.0 | 2.6 | – | 4.3 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 1.4 | – |
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, 18.1% of pupils at Balfour Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 41 | 1 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 14 | 0 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 11 | 0 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 5 | 1 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 5 | 1 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 4 | 0 |
| Physical disability | 3 | 1 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 3 | 0 |
| Multi-sensory impairment | 1 | 0 |
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 Balfour Junior School received £5,778 and spent £6,068 for each of its 480 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £189,000 (£394 per pupil).
Across all 10 schools of Beyond Schools Trust, income was £7,811 and spending £7,751 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £329,000 | £368,000 | £414,000 | £427,000 | £416,000 | £415,000 | £189,000 |
| per pupil | £695 | £781 | £893 | £911 | £867 | £875 | £394 |
| In-year balance | £315,000 | £84,000 | £35,000 | £174,000 | -£95,000 | -£18,000 | -£140,000 |
| per pupil | £664 | £177 | £76 | £371 | -£197 | -£38 | -£291 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Balfour Infant School
Pattens Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2QT |
0.22 miles |
|
St John's Church of England Infant School
4 New Street, 4 New Street, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6RH |
0.41 miles |
|
Crest Infant School
Fleet Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2QA |
0.41 miles |
|
St Michael Catholic Primary and Nursery School
Hills Terrace, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6PX |
0.43 miles |
|
Delce Academy
The Tideway, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2NJ |
0.47 miles |
|
St Peter's Infant School
Holcombe Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2HU |
0.53 miles |
|
Phoenix Primary School
Glencoe Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5QD |
0.57 miles |
|
Greenvale Primary School
Symons Avenue, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5UP |
0.63 miles |
|
New Horizons Children's Academy
Park Crescent, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6NR |
0.65 miles |
|
St William of Perth Roman Catholic Primary School
Canon Close, Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3EN |
0.74 miles |
|
New Road Primary School
Bryant Street, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5QN |
0.77 miles |
|
Warren Wood Primary School
Arethusa Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2UR |
0.77 miles |
|
All Saints Church of England Primary School
Magpie Hall Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5JY |
0.86 miles |
|
St Margaret's at Troy Town CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School
King Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1YF |
0.88 miles |
|
St Andrew's School (Rochester)
24 - 26 Watts Avenue, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1SA |
1.02 miles |
|
Wayfield Primary School
Wayfield Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0HH |
1.07 miles |
|
Brompton-Westbrook Primary School
Kings Bastion, Brompton, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5DQ |
1.15 miles |
|
Luton Primary School
Luton Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5AW |
1.21 miles |
|
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School
Gas House Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1US |
1.35 miles |
|
Byron Primary School
Byron Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5XX |
1.47 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Blue Skies School
126 Maidstone Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6DQ |
0.25 miles |
|
St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School
City Way, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2FA |
0.32 miles |
|
Fort Pitt Grammar School
Fort Pitt Hill, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6TJ |
0.5 miles |
|
Holcombe Grammar School
Holcombe, Maidstone Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6JB |
0.52 miles |
|
The Rochester Grammar School
Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3BY |
0.64 miles |
|
Ripplevale School Rochester
9-13 New Road, Rochester, Kent, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1BG |
0.73 miles |
|
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School
Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3EL |
0.75 miles |
|
The Victory Academy
Magpie Hall Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5JB |
0.79 miles |
|
Rochester Independent College
254 St Margaret's Banks, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1HY |
0.8 miles |
|
The Thomas Aveling School
Arethusa Road, Arethusa Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 2UW |
0.83 miles |
|
Medway Secure Training Centre
Sir Evelyn Road, Rochester, ME1 3YB |
1.16 miles |
|
Oasis Restore
1 Kennington Road, London, SE1 7QP |
1.16 miles |
|
Hospital and Medical Tuition Service
The School Room, Dolphin Ward, Gillingham, ME7 5NY |
1.21 miles |
|
Brompton Academy
Marlborough Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5HT |
1.23 miles |
|
King's School, Rochester
Satis House, Rochester, ME1 1TE |
1.25 miles |
|
Chatham Grammar
Rainham Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 7EH |
1.42 miles |
|
Bradfields Academy
Churchill Avenue, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0LB |
1.5 miles |
|
INSPIRE Free Special School
Churchill Avenue, Silverbank, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0LB |
1.5 miles |
|
Walderslade School
Bradfields Avenue, Walderslade, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0LE |
1.58 miles |
|
Alchemy School
105 Nelson Road, Gillingham, ME7 4LT |
1.58 miles |
All schools in Chatham · Medway local authority: places and applications
Balfour Junior School is part of Beyond Schools Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:
- Fort Pitt Grammar School Chatham
- Phoenix Primary School Chatham
- Warren Wood Primary School Rochester
- The Thomas Aveling School Rochester
- Walderslade School Chatham
- Greenacre School Chatham
- The Robert Napier School Gillingham
- Hilltop Primary School Rochester
- Chantry Community Primary School Gravesend
How many pupils does Balfour Junior School have?
Balfour Junior School has 480 pupils on roll.
What age range does Balfour Junior School cover?
Balfour Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.
What are Balfour Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is Balfour Junior School?
Balfour Junior School is at Balfour Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6QX.