Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Ashford
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Ashford. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 18th-highest of the 45 schools in Ashford with published results, and 7,353rd of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 75% in reading and 71% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 50 families put Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 118 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School are St Teresa's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 78% reading, 69% maths); Victoria Road Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 70% reading, 60% maths); Repton Manor Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 77% reading, 68% maths); and Ashford Oaks Community Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 54% reading, 43% maths).
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolVictoria Road Primary SchoolRepton Manor Primary SchoolAshford Oaks Community Primary School
What parents say
85 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 84% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (81%).
Who goes there
30.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (53%), Asian (16%) and Black (11%).
In 2026, 56 pupils (13.4%) received SEN support and 9 (2.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ashford International Rail Station, about 1180 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Catholic Church (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 351 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School are Highworth Grammar School (0.2 miles), The North School (1.1 miles), The Norton Knatchbull School (1.2 miles) and The John Wallis Church of England Academy (1.7 miles).
Highworth Grammar SchoolThe North SchoolThe Norton Knatchbull SchoolThe John Wallis Church of England Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Mary's is a joyful, caring school where children are encouraged to develop respect, forgiveness and compassion. The school excels at teaching reading, ensuring every child becomes a confident reader. With a broad curriculum including art, history and geography, plus regular workshops and field trips, pupils benefit from enriching learning experiences that spark curiosity and engagement.
Key Strengths
- Warm, welcoming school environment where pupils feel happy and safe
- Highly effective teaching of early reading with strong staff training and support for struggling readers
- Rich and ambitious curriculum with interesting hands-on learning experiences
- Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
- Excellent attendance rates and positive pupil behaviour
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils do not recall key information and vocabulary from previous lessons consistently
- Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding systematically enough
- Some pupils have gaps in their learning and are not fully ready for new content
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Football club, ocarina club, book club, choir, sports fixtures, culture week, careers week, school post office team, sports captains, reading ambassadors, buddy roles
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School has maintained its good standards and continues to provide a warm, welcoming environment where pupils thrive. The school has a broad, ambitious curriculum and strong focus on reading, though it needs to improve how pupils recall and apply key knowledge consistently.
At a Glance
28.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
85 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 75% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 64% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.9
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
14
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School.
- Junior Adventures Group @ Ashford St Marys TN23At the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 46
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 11
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 46 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 37 slight.
11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 5 on a bicycle.
15 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kent got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
416 pupils
420 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ashford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashford
Across Kent council
Places available
18,893
Applications
16,593
Got 1st preference
89.7%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
56
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
15.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
418
Total Pupils
224
Boys
194
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
16.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,488
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,238
Per pupil
£2487k
Total funding
£171k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
13.6%
Persistent absence
369
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School average 29.9 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School has around 418 pupils on roll. 29% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
5% of sessions were missed at Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 13.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Junior Adventures Group @ Ashford St Marys TN23 (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 46 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 37 slight. 11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot and 5 on a bicycle. 15 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School is at Western Avenue, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1ND.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)