Aylesford School, Aylesford

Secondary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 1118

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~2.4km)Possible (~3.4km)Unlikely (~4.4km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Tanya Kelvie
Pupils:916 / 1,044 capacity
LA:Kent
Phone:01622717341
Address:Teapot Lane, Aylesford, ME20 7JU
Trust:CHARACTER EDUCATION TRUST
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2022

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Requires Improvement

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Requires Improvement

Leadership & Management

Good

Sixth Form

Inspected 29 April 2025View full report
URN:149319
UKPRN:10091142
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Maidstone and Malling
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Aylesford School creates a welcoming, inclusive environment where pupils develop strong character traits and feel happy to be themselves. The school excels at supporting all learners, with particular strengths in reading support, attendance, and preparing pupils for life after school through comprehensive personal development programmes. Behaviour is excellent and the school handles bullying robustly.

Key Strengths

  • Strong focus on character development with pupils showing courage, confidence and resilience
  • Excellent behaviour and a calm, orderly school environment where pupils are polite and respectful
  • Well-prioritised reading programme with specialist support helping pupils develop fluency and comprehension
  • Attendance consistently above national average due to dedicated staff support
  • Comprehensive personal development through ambitious PSHE curriculum, trips, visits and strong careers guidance

Areas for Improvement

  • Curriculum improvements not yet fully embedded in all subjects - some core subjects not matching ambitious curriculum aims
  • Teachers' checks of pupil understanding sometimes not precise enough, meaning misconceptions aren't addressed quickly
  • School leadership and governors lack clear enough understanding of quality of provision and priorities for development
  • Self-evaluation and review processes need to be more precise and focused on curriculum impact

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular Activities

Library lessons, trips and visits, assemblies, work experience opportunities, dementia café

Aylesford School is a secondary academy that requires improvement in the quality of education and leadership, though behaviour, attitudes and personal development are good. The school has recently overhauled its curriculum and improved staffing, but these changes are still being embedded.

At a Glance

25.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

158 responses
Would recommend70%
Child is happy78%
Well taught75%
Good progress77%
Feels safe84%
Well behaved67%
Bullying dealt with18%
Kept informed72%
Handles concerns58%
Wider development71%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

23.8

Avg class size

37

Total classes

12 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Aylesford Rail Station
301m · 5 min walk

Bus Stops

Aylesford School (o/s)
92m · 1 min walk
Railway Station (opp)
278m · 5 min walk
Teapot Lane (opp)
281m · 5 min walk
TA Centre (opp)
317m · 5 min walk
Retail Park (adj)
691m · 11 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

88%

Available places

916 pupils

1,044 capacity

128 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Aylesford

Low pressure
New homes approved:422
Projected new pupils:76

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Aylesford

Admissions Demand - Kent

Low demand0.94x oversubscription

Places available

19,410

Applications

18,281

Got 1st preference

80.6%

Got preferred school

96.5%

Secondary admissions across Kent (2025/26)

Inspection History

29 April 2025
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Sixth FormGood

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.69379%

Overall absence

18.29268%

Persistent absence

902

Enrolments

Authorised2.90451%
Unauthorised3.78929%
Persistent (10%+)18.29268%
Severe (50%+)2.43902%

Absence trend

8.2183%
22/23
6.10139%
23/24
6.69379%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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