School Chooser

Sussex Road Community Primary School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedCouncil422 pupilsTonbridgeKent
School Chooser Score
97
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 94 to 99
Out of 100. Better than 82% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedStrong teachingOfsted report card, March 2026
Reached the expected level at 1185%England 63%
Attendance96.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend94%217 Parent View responses
PlacesFull422 pupils, 420 places

Sussex Road Community Primary School is a council school in Tonbridge for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 422 pupils, 2 more than it has places for. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 97 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in March 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Sussex Road, Tonbridge, TN9 2TP01732 352367sussex-road.kent.sch.ukMrs Sarah Miles headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 31 March 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
Strong
Achievement
Strong
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
Strong
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
24 November 2021UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

62 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1185%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level32%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score110.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score109.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 68%68%20172018: 80%80%20182019: 77%77%20192023: 80%80%20232024: 88%88%20242025: 85%85%2025
Since 2017: +17%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KentEngland
Pupils tested626060606160
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths85%88%80%77%80%68%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths32%30%28%25%25%13%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score110.0110.0110.0107.0108.0105.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score109.0109.0107.0108.0106.0106.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0109.0107.0109.0108.0108.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard92%92%88%80%84%75%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard94%97%83%92%85%85%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)90%90%85%90%84%82%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.2+2.9+2.7-0.2
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.1+3.6+1.9+1.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged56%43%25%50%50%46%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged91%94%88%82%88%74%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
56%91%
Gap 35 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
81%92%
Gap 11 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
100%85%
Gap 15 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
11%32%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Full422 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 2 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have fallen by 6% since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Kent council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

What parents say

Would recommend the school94%England 87%
My child is happy here92%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe94%
Positive overall89%
My child is happy at this school
92%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
94%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
92%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
8% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
61%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
88%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
19% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
51%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
85%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
64%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
88%England 82%
I would recommend this school
94%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
89%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 217 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll422Census January 2026
Places420100% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English24%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%51 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.114 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils21%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)8%£52,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls195 / 227
White British pupils69%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (22), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (17), emotional and mental health (10), Specific learning difficulty (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll422420412418449447
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%10%10%14%14%13%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language24%20%18%16%17%20%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%17%13%13%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school4.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.4%3.7%4.2%5.7%2.5%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.8%2.9%3.3%4.7%1.9%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.6%0.8%0.9%0.9%0.6%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence4.9%6.3%9.0%13.5%3.8%6.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.93.41.41.80.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers18.4full-time equivalent, 21 people
Pupils per teacher22.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,433
Teachers who left in the year3%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.52024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£5,629England £7,738. Total £2.4m
Income per pupil£5,596England £7,697. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,040England £3,480
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £246k, £587 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£14kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£5,629spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m15712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate81 per 1,000 people11% lower than the England average
Typical house price£415,000Tonbridge and Malling
Nearest bus stop320 mLeigh Academy Tonbridge, 12 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Slade Primary School and Attached Unit for Children with Hearing ImpairmentCouncil0.7 miles419Good 202454Compare
Royal Rise Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles204Report card 202649Compare
Bishop Chavasse Primary SchoolFree school1.2 miles371Good 202240Compare
Stocks Green Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles217Good 202461Compare
Long Mead Community Primary SchoolFoundation1.6 miles143No overall grade 202515Compare
Cage Green Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles208Good 202335Compare
St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles367Good 202287Compare
Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England2.0 miles200Good 202283Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Sussex Road Community Primary School with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats82%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 97 is 11 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 85 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 97 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 97% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 94 to 99. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%well above
+0.37
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 62 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.10
Ofsted report card, 0.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%well above
+0.22
DfE progress measure; 62 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.11
2024/25; 368 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.18
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 62 pupils
What parents say5%above
+0.04
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 217 responses

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Sussex Road Community Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Sussex Road Community Primary School scores 97 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 94 to 99, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Sussex Road Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 31 March 2026 it rated teaching as strong, achievement as strong, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Sussex Road Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 85% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 32% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Sussex Road Community Primary School have?

422 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 100% full.

Is Sussex Road Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 2 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Sussex Road Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Sussex Road Community Primary School?

94% of the 217 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 92% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Sussex Road Community Primary School?

The average class had 30.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 21% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Sussex Road, Tonbridge, TN9 2TP
Telephone
01732 352367
Website
www.sussex-road.kent.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sarah Miles
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Judd
Constituency
Tonbridge
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
118286 · LAESTAB 8862156 · UKPRN 10072995

Where these figures come from