Bishop Chavasse Primary School

Bishop Chavasse Primary has seen significant improvement since its last inspection, moving from an inadequate rating to a good overall effectiveness rating. The new executive headteacher has played a pivotal role in this transformation, fostering a positive environment for both staff and pupils. The quality of early years provision stands out, leading to high engagement and confidence among young learners. The school community expresses pride in the improvements in behavior and safety, with a focus on positive relationships and a secure atmosphere for learning.

Strengths

• High quality of early years provision
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Positive changes in leadership and administration
• Strong promotion of reading across all ages
• Collaborative and supportive school environment
• Effective safeguarding measures in place

Areas for Improvement

• Some subject plans need further refinement for clarity and effectiveness
• Subject leadership is still developing and requires additional support

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 Bishop Chavasse Primary School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.4% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Bishop Chavasse 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 Bishop Chavasse Primary School had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.0% 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, 14.8% of pupils at Bishop Chavasse Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% 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 Bishop Chavasse Primary School received £6,425 and spent £6,500 for each of its 361 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £381,000 (£1,055 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of The Tenax Schools Trust, income was £7,568 and spending £7,384 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

Bishop Chavasse Primary School is part of The Tenax Schools Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Bennett Memorial Diocesan School Tunbridge Wells
• Brenchley and Matfield Church of England Primary School Tonbridge
• St Mark's Church of England Primary School Tunbridge Wells
• Fordcombe Church of England Primary School Tunbridge Wells
• West Malling Church of England Primary School and McGinty Speech and Language Srp West Malling
• Leybourne, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy West Malling
• Sir Henry Fermor Church of England Primary School Crowborough
• Jarvis Brook Primary School Crowborough

What is Bishop Chavasse Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bishop Chavasse Primary School is Good, from an inspection in October 2022.

When was Bishop Chavasse Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bishop Chavasse Primary School was last inspected in October 2022.

How many pupils does Bishop Chavasse Primary School have?

Bishop Chavasse Primary School has 371 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bishop Chavasse Primary School cover?

Bishop Chavasse Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bishop Chavasse Primary School?

Bishop Chavasse Primary School is at 2a Baker Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 0FB.