Fordcombe Church of England Primary School
Fordcombe Church of England Primary School is an academy converter in Tunbridge Wells for pupils aged 4 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 57 pupils on roll. In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Attendance is a concern: pupils missed 8.2% of sessions in 2024/25 (the national figure for primary schools is 5.2%), and 21% of pupils were persistently absent.
KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 4-11 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | The Green Fordcombe Tunbridge Wells Kent TN3 0RY |
| Phone | 01892740224 |
| Reference Number | 146400 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 57 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 56.14%
Girls: 43.86% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 29.8% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 15.8% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 14.3 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 16 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 12.5 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 3 | 4 | Unknown | 4 |
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 78.9% |
| White, Other | 14% |
| White & Asian | 5.3% |
| Asian, Other | 1.8% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | 18 Oct 2022 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 18 Oct 2022 | School inspection |
| 11 Oct 2018 | Academy conversion letter |
| 10 Feb 2016 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as Fordcombe Church of England Primary School | |
| 23 Jan 2014 | Monitoring visit |
| 23 Oct 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 01 Dec 2011 | Full inspection: |
| 10 Feb 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 09 Oct 2007 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 25 Apr 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 26 Feb 2001 | Full inspection |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 62% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 23% | 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 | 107 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 106 | 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 | 3.1 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | 4.2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 1.2 | 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 Fordcombe Church of England Primary School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
£9.99 one-off payment. Lifetime access, no subscription.
Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 8 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 15 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 2 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Fordcombe Church of England Primary School had 61 pupils for 105 places. 44 places (41.9%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Primary - Sevenoaks Rural South East” planning area
Kent counted 65 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 60 in 2029–30, down 8%.
| 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 105 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 105 |
| Pupils | 99 | 101 | 89 | 71 | 62 | 61 |
| Unfilled | 5.7% | 3.8% | 15.2% | 32.4% | 41.0% | 41.9% |
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 Fordcombe Church of England Primary School attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 3.3% | 5.0% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 6.0% |
| Unauthorised absence | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 0.7% | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Severely absent pupils | 2.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.7% | 3.6% |
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, 0.0% of pupils at Fordcombe Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 8.8 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 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 Fordcombe Church of England Primary School had 15.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 9.6 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 9.4 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 18.9% | 15.9% | 16.7% | 0.0% | 10.9% | 22.2% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 25.0% | – | 57.1% | 77.8% | 71.4% | 83.3% | 60.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 0.5 | – | 2.4 | 13.0 | 4.0 | 7.4 | 3.2 | – |
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, 7.0% of pupils at Fordcombe Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% 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 | 1 | 1 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 0 | 1 |
| Hearing impairment | 1 | 0 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 1 | 0 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 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 Fordcombe Church of England Primary School received £9,477 and spent £10,145 for each of its 62 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £65,000 (£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
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £21,000 | £18,000 | £38,000 | £81,000 | £113,000 | £65,000 |
| per pupil | £214 | £192 | £414 | £1,163 | £1,946 | £1,055 |
| In-year balance | -£17,000 | -£45,000 | £28,000 | £58,000 | £52,000 | -£41,000 |
| per pupil | -£169 | -£469 | £308 | £828 | £903 | -£668 |
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 |
|
Langton Green Primary School
Lampington Row, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0JG |
1.16 miles |
|
Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Langton Road, Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0NP |
1.79 miles |
|
Holmewood House School
Barrow Lane, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0EB |
1.9 miles |
|
Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School
High Street, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8RZ |
2.08 miles |
|
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
High Street, Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8BX |
2.09 miles |
|
Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
Corseley Road, Groombridge, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 9SF |
2.19 miles |
|
Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School
Rydal Drive, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9SU |
2.71 miles |
|
Rose Hill School
Coniston Avenue, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9SY |
2.86 miles |
|
Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Spring Lane, Bidborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0UE |
3.01 miles |
|
St Mark's Church of England Primary School
Ramslye Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8LN |
3.03 miles |
|
St Michael's Primary School
Station Road, Withyham, Hartfield, East Sussex, TN7 4BP |
3.08 miles |
|
Southborough CofE Primary School
Broomhill Park Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0JY |
3.25 miles |
|
Chiddingstone Church of England School
Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7AH |
3.4 miles |
|
Broadwater Down Primary School
Broadwater Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5RP |
3.41 miles |
|
The Wells Free School
King Charles Square, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8FA |
3.49 miles |
|
The Mead School
16 Frant Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5SN |
3.64 miles |
|
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School
Wilman Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9AL |
3.7 miles |
|
St John's Church of England Primary School
Cunningham Road, St John's Ce Primary School, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9EW |
3.84 miles |
|
St Barnabas CofE VA Primary School
Quarry Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2EY |
3.88 miles |
|
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
High Street, Hartfield, East Sussex, TN7 4AA |
4.01 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Broomhill Bank School
Broomhill Road, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0TB |
2.41 miles |
|
Bennett Memorial Diocesan School
Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9SH |
2.93 miles |
|
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School
Southfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9UJ |
3.39 miles |
|
St Gregory's Catholic School
Reynolds Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9XL |
3.49 miles |
|
The Skinners' School
St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9PG |
3.5 miles |
|
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9XB |
3.56 miles |
|
Meadows School
London Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0RJ |
3.58 miles |
|
Nexus Foundation Special School
Upper Haysden Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8AA |
4.23 miles |
|
Beechwood School
12 Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3QD |
4.63 miles |
|
Leigh Academy Tonbridge
Brook Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2PH |
4.75 miles |
|
Skinners' Kent Academy
Sandown Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4PY |
4.87 miles |
|
The Judd School
Brook Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2PN |
4.87 miles |
All schools in Tunbridge Wells · Kent local authority: places and applications
Fordcombe Church of England Primary School is part of The Tenax Schools Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:
- Bennett Memorial Diocesan School Tunbridge Wells
- St Mark's Church of England Primary School Tunbridge Wells
- Bishop Chavasse Primary School Tonbridge
- Sir Henry Fermor Church of England Primary School Crowborough
- Jarvis Brook Primary School Crowborough
- Brenchley and Matfield Church of England Primary School Tonbridge
- 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
How many pupils does Fordcombe Church of England Primary School have?
Fordcombe Church of England Primary School has 57 pupils on roll.
What age range does Fordcombe Church of England Primary School cover?
Fordcombe Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.
What are Fordcombe Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is Fordcombe Church of England Primary School?
Fordcombe Church of England Primary School is at The Green, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0RY.