School Chooser

Tiger Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedFree school392 pupils Free breakfast clubMaidstoneKent
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 10 to 31
Out of 100. Better than 33% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, September 2023
Reached the expected level at 1160%England 63%
Attendance92.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families46%Far more than most schools
Places28 spare392 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher20.4School workforce census

Tiger Primary School is a free school in Maidstone for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 392 pupils and room for 420. About 46 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 18 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Boughton Lane, Maidstone, ME15 9QL01622 745166tigerprimary.comMr Lloyd Williams - Jones headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 19 September 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1160%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level6%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2018 to 2025
2018: 33%33%20182019: 54%54%20192023: 45%45%20232024: 56%56%20242025: 60%60%2025
Since 2018: +27%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018KentEngland
Pupils tested6363656130
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths60%56%45%54%33%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths6%5%6%7%3%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0103.0101.0104.0102.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0101.0101.0102.0101.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0103.097.0103.0101.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%68%57%70%63%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard75%67%54%64%43%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)76%75%77%74%67%
Reading progressReading progress score-4.0-1.3-3.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.6-3.7-4.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged27%56%29%56%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged84%56%52%53%

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
27%84%
Gap 57 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
55%66%
Gap 11 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
80%60%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%6%
Gap 6 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.

Nearly full408 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
97% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have fallen by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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.

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 roll392Census January 2026
Places42093% full
Pupils from low-income families46%46% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English14%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%62 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.713 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils39%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)44%£272,025 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls190 / 202
White British pupils70%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.2 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Other difficulty or disability (41), emotional and mental health (13), language and communications needs (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll392401408427434421
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals46%41%38%34%29%27%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language14%17%16%11%12%10%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%13%14%14%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school27.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils13.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.9%6.6%7.2%6.8%2.7%4.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.9%4.9%5.5%4.9%1.8%3.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.0%1.7%1.8%1.9%0.9%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence27.1%20.1%20.8%21.3%5.3%9.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate13.514.516.95.53.3
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions02000

Staff and money

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

Teachers19.2full-time equivalent, 21 people
Pupils per teacher20.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers95%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants23.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,967
Teachers who left in the year25%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.72024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,586England £7,128. Total £3.0m
Income per pupil£8,060England £7,587. Total £3.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,693England £3,405
Money in reserve21%A lot put by: £676k, £1,686 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£190kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,586spent 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 m29612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate63 per 1,000 people30% lower than the England average
Typical house price£365,000Maidstone
Nearest bus stop430 mThe Swan, 4 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
Leigh Academy OaksAcademy530 m211Report card 202697Compare
Leigh Academy MolehillAcademy890 m312No overall grade 202499Compare
Loose Primary SchoolAcademy900 m662Good 202364Compare
Park Way Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles307Good 202426Compare
Greenfields Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles450Not inspected45Compare
South Borough Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles448Good 202390Compare
Senacre Wood Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles210Not inspected45Compare
Leigh Academy Tree TopsAcademy1.2 miles341Not inspected83Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Tiger Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats33%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 18 is 11 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 29 · highest 95100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Tiger Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Oaklands SchoolAcademy6.8 miles444Good 202339Compare
Tymberwood AcademyAcademy13.4 miles394Good 202246Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 18 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 18% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 10 to 31. 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%below
-0.12
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 63 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.22
DfE progress measure; 63 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.19
2024/25; 388 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
0.00
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 63 pupils
What parents say0%no data

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 Tiger Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Tiger Primary School scores 18 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 31, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Tiger Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Tiger Primary School good at its last full inspection on 19 September 2023.

How good are Tiger Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 60% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Tiger Primary School have?

392 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 93% full.

Is Tiger Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Tiger Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 27% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Tiger Primary School?

The average class had 27.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 39% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Tiger Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Boughton Lane, Maidstone, ME15 9QL
Telephone
01622 745166
Website
www.tigerprimary.com
Headteacher
Mr Lloyd Williams - Jones
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Future Schools Trust (3 schools)
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Loose & Linton
Constituency
Maidstone and Malling
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
3 September 2012 (new provision)
URN
138232 · LAESTAB 8862008 · UKPRN 10038742

Where these figures come from