Leigh Academy Marden, Tonbridge
Leigh Academy Marden is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Tonbridge, part of Leigh Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 22 schools in Tonbridge with published results, and 3,012th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 106% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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
Leigh Academy Marden in detail
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at Leigh Academy Marden reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (91% in reading, 82% in maths).
Getting a place at Leigh Academy Marden
For September 2026 entry, 53 families put Leigh Academy Marden as their first choice and 98 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 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 Leigh Academy Marden are St Margaret's, Collier Street Church of England Voluntary Controlled School (1.8 miles, Good, 82% reading, 76% maths); Staplehurst School (2.8 miles, Good, 52% reading, 48% maths); Staplehurst School (2.8 miles); and Hunton Church of England Primary School (3.3 miles, Good, 88% reading, 69% maths).
Leigh Academy Marden's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
St Margaret's, Collier Street Church of England Voluntary Controlled SchoolStaplehurst SchoolStaplehurst SchoolHunton Church of England Primary School
The trust
Leigh Academy Marden is one of 33 schools run by Leigh Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 35 pupils (10.8%) received SEN support and 2 (0.6%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Marden Rail Station, about 420 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is West End Tavern (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 31 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Leigh Academy Marden issued 13 suspensions, 4 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 multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Early years.
At a Glance
33.1%
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 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 94% to 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.1
Avg class size
26.3
Infant (KS1)
20.6
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Leigh Academy Marden
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leigh Academy Marden from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leigh Academy Marden 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Leigh Academy Marden
Will you get a place at Leigh Academy Marden? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Leigh Academy Marden's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Leigh Academy Marden:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Leigh Academy Marden.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Leigh Academy Marden for 2021 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
106%
Over capacity
318 pupils
300 places
18 pupils 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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
35
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
11.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
323
Total Pupils
165
Boys
158
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
17.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,079
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,169
Per pupil
£1909k
Total funding
£161k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
16.0%
Persistent absence
269
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Leigh Academy Marden
What are SATs results like at Leigh Academy Marden?
Of the pupils at Leigh Academy Marden who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is Leigh Academy Marden's Ofsted rating?
Leigh Academy Marden was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023.
What is the catchment area for Leigh Academy Marden?
No fixed boundary. When Leigh Academy Marden is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Leigh Academy Marden?
Leigh Academy Marden was full in 2025, at 106% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Leigh Academy Marden?
Classes at Leigh Academy Marden average 23.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Leigh Academy Marden?
Leigh Academy Marden has around 323 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Leigh Academy Marden?
5.7% of sessions were missed at Leigh Academy Marden in 2024/25. 16% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leigh Academy Marden?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Leigh Academy Marden 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 Leigh Academy Marden?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Leigh Academy Marden?
Leigh Academy Marden is at Goudhurst Road, Marden, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 9JX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)