Capel Primary School, Tonbridge
Capel Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Tonbridge. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 21st-highest of the 22 schools in Tonbridge with published results, and 13,336th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Capel Primary School in detail
Capel Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "We do not currently have any union officials within our staff, so no time is currently taken off for union duties."
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils at Capel Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 48% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 68% in reading and 61% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Capel Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Capel Primary School as their first choice and 98 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Capel Primary School are Leigh Academy Paddock Wood (1.9 miles, Good, 87% reading, 87% maths); Pembury School (2.2 miles, Good, 90% reading, 82% maths); Bishop Chavasse Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 69% reading, 76% maths); and Royal Rise Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 80% reading, 87% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Capel Primary School.
Leigh Academy Paddock WoodPembury SchoolBishop Chavasse Primary SchoolRoyal Rise Primary School
Who goes there
3.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 27 pupils (12.9%) received SEN support and 1 (0.5%) 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 Paddock Wood Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Capel Primary School (opposite), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 7 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Capel Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
22.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 66% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 61% to 48% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 71% to 62% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
28.7
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
5
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 Capel Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Capel Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Capel 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Capel Primary School
Will you get a place at Capel Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Capel Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Capel Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Capel 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 Capel 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
211 pupils
210 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Tonbridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Tonbridge
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
27
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
13.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
209
Total Pupils
105
Boys
104
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,956
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,270
Per pupil
£1218k
Total funding
£68k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
11.4%
Persistent absence
185
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Capel Primary School
What are SATs results like at Capel Primary School?
Of the pupils at Capel Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 66% reached the expected standard in reading and 48% did so in maths.
What is Capel Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Capel Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Capel Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Capel 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 Capel Primary School?
Capel Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Capel Primary School?
Classes at Capel Primary School average 29.6 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 Capel Primary School?
Capel Primary School has around 209 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Capel Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Capel Primary School in 2024/25. 11.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Capel Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Capel 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.
How many road collisions happen near Capel Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Capel Primary School?
Capel Primary School is at Five Oak Green Road, Five Oak Green, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 6RP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)