School Chooser

Ulcombe Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England54 pupilsMaidstoneKent
School Chooser Score
1
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 0 to 6
Out of 100. Better than 15% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1115%England 63%
Attendance79.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families65%Far more than most schools
Places51 spare54 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher13.4School workforce census
Pupils on roll54Census January 2026

Ulcombe Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Maidstone for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 54 pupils and room for 105. About 65 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 1 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 15% of the 50 schools most like it.

The Street, Ulcombe, Maidstone, ME17 1DU01622 842903ulcombekentsch.co.ukMrs Olenka Parsons executive headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

13 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1115%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score97.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2018 to 2025
2018: 17%17%20182023: 13%13%20232024: 0%0%20242025: 15%15%2025
Since 2018: -2%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KentEngland
Pupils tested1378465
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths15%0%13%17%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0100.099.098.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score97.092.098.095.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0101.097.097.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard31%14%25%50%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard23%0%25%17%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)23%40%25%83%
Reading progressReading progress score-6.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-6.7
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged0%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged29%

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. 1 of the 2 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
0%29%
Gap 29 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places64 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
61% full

41 places were empty (39% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 10% 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.

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 roll54Census January 2026
Places10551% full
Pupils from low-income families65%65% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support26%14 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size18.03 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)66%£58,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls28 / 26
White British pupils24%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (8), language and communications needs (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll547060636158
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals65%56%52%51%57%33%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support23%23%25%38%36%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%5%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 79.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance79.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school59.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission8.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence20.4%15.0%14.7%13.5%8.1%19.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence12.2%9.7%7.8%7.0%3.0%9.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence8.2%5.3%7.0%6.5%5.2%10.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence59.1%61.8%55.6%55.7%39.2%67.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.46.730.211.55.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers4.0full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher13.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,424
Teachers who left in the year41%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.32024/25

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£10,947England £7,738. Total £766k
Income per pupil£10,067England £7,697. Total £705k
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,920England £3,480
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £89k, £1,272 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£62kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£10,947spent 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 m512 months to June 2026, mostly other theft
Local crime rate67 per 1,000 people26% lower than the England average
Typical house price£365,000Maidstone
Nearest bus stop70 mSchool, 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
Kingswood Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles118Good 202234Compare
Platts Heath Primary SchoolCouncil2.1 miles61Good 20226Compare
Sutton Valence Primary SchoolCouncil2.4 miles203Good 202310Compare
Harrietsham Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.5 miles393Good 202411Compare
Headcorn Primary SchoolCouncil3.0 miles401No overall grade 202426Compare
Leeds and Broomfield Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.1 miles87Report card 20262Compare
Lenham Primary SchoolCouncil3.5 miles204Good 202337Compare
Hollingbourne Primary SchoolCouncil3.7 miles96Good 202243Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Ulcombe Church of England Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats15%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 1 is 11 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 13 · highest 95100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Ulcombe Church of England 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
Platts Heath Primary SchoolCouncil2.1 miles61Good 20226Compare
Lynsted and Norton Primary SchoolAcademy9.6 miles63No overall grade 202515Compare
Selling Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy12.7 miles86Report card 202613Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 1 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 1% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 0 to 6. 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 below
-0.41
2025 results; 13 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.27
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 13 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.40
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.33
2024/25; 66 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.14
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 13 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 Ulcombe Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Ulcombe Church of England Primary School scores 1 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 15% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 0 to 6, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

How good are Ulcombe Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 15% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Ulcombe Church of England Primary School have?

54 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 51% full.

Is Ulcombe Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 41 places were empty in 2024/25 (39% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Ulcombe Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 79.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 59% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Ulcombe Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 18.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
The Street, Ulcombe, Maidstone, ME17 1DU
Telephone
01622 842903
Website
ulcombekentsch.co.uk
Executive Headteacher
Mrs Olenka Parsons
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Canterbury
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Headcorn & Sutton Valence
Constituency
Weald of Kent
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
118631 · LAESTAB 8863083 · UKPRN 10069112

Where these figures come from