Leigh Academy Molehill, Maidstone
Leigh Academy Molehill is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Maidstone, part of Leigh Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 43 schools in Maidstone with published results, and 474th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Leigh Academy Molehill in detail
Results
In 2025, 95% of Year 6 pupils at Leigh Academy Molehill reached the expected standard in reading and 95% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 92% in reading and 88% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Leigh Academy Molehill
For September 2026 entry, 37 families put Leigh Academy Molehill as their first choice and 127 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 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 Leigh Academy Molehill
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Leigh Academy Molehill are Leigh Academy Oaks (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 89% maths); Greenfields Community Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 69% reading, 80% maths); Tiger Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 75% reading, 75% maths); and Senacre Wood Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 80% reading, 77% maths).
Leigh Academy Molehill's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Leigh Academy OaksGreenfields Community Primary SchoolTiger Primary SchoolSenacre Wood Primary School
The trust
Leigh Academy Molehill 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.
What parents say
39 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Leigh Academy Molehill (as of September 2025): 82% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (95%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (74%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 28 pupils (9%) received SEN support and 6 (1.9%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Leigh Academy Molehill has a resourced provision for hearing impairment and speech, language and communication needs: 10 places, 5 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Maidstone West Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sutton Road Police HQ (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Leigh Academy Molehill stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 287 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
Leigh Academy Molehill recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Leigh Academy Molehill are New Line Learning Academy (0.6 miles), Maidstone Grammar School (1.2 miles) and Cornwallis Academy (1.7 miles).
New Line Learning AcademyMaidstone Grammar SchoolCornwallis Academy
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; 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
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 January 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at creating a calm, purposeful environment where every child feels they belong. Teachers are skilled at helping all pupils learn well, with particular strength in teaching reading and mathematics. The school nurtures not just academic learning but also important life skills, making sure pupils develop resilience and respect for diversity.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious, well-structured curriculum that helps pupils master skills and make connections across subjects
- Excellent systematic approach to teaching phonics - all pupils learn to read well with strong comprehension
- Outstanding care and support for all pupils including those with SEND, ensuring they participate fully in school life
- Exemplary pupil behaviour and conduct, with deep respect for school values embedded throughout the culture
- Excellent early years provision where children develop strong foundations and make excellent progress
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders maintaining an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, trips, assemblies with musical performances, Culture Day celebrations, school leadership roles
Leigh Academy Molehill is an Outstanding primary school where staff share an endless ambition to help all pupils accomplish great things. The school provides a calm, purposeful learning environment where pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour and take great pride in their work.
At a Glance
33.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Hearing, Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
39 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 remained stable at around 95% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 88% to 95% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.0
Avg class size
24.4
Infant (KS1)
22.3
KS2
13
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 Leigh Academy Molehill
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Leigh Academy Molehill.
- Junior Adventures Group @ Tiger ME15820m away · Not yet graded
- Mega Camps Maidstone820m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leigh Academy Molehill from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leigh Academy Molehill 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
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Molehill
Will you get a place at Leigh Academy Molehill? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Leigh Academy Molehill's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Leigh Academy Molehill:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Leigh Academy Molehill.
- 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 Molehill 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
86%
Available places
272 pupils
315 places
43 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Maidstone
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Maidstone
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(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
10.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Leigh Academy Molehill has a resourced provision for hearing impairment and speech, language and communication needs: 10 places, 5 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
312
Total Pupils
156
Boys
156
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,212
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,667
Per pupil
£1828k
Total funding
£161k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
9.6%
Persistent absence
250
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
Leigh Academy Molehill
Questions parents ask about Leigh Academy Molehill
What are SATs results like at Leigh Academy Molehill?
Of the pupils at Leigh Academy Molehill who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 95% reached the expected standard in reading and 95% did so in maths.
What is Leigh Academy Molehill's Ofsted rating?
Leigh Academy Molehill's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Leigh Academy Molehill?
No fixed boundary. When Leigh Academy Molehill 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 Molehill?
Leigh Academy Molehill was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Leigh Academy Molehill?
Classes at Leigh Academy Molehill average 24 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 Leigh Academy Molehill?
Leigh Academy Molehill has around 312 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Leigh Academy Molehill have specialist SEN provision?
Leigh Academy Molehill has a resourced provision for hearing impairment and speech, language and communication needs: 10 places, 5 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Leigh Academy Molehill?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Leigh Academy Molehill in 2024/25. 9.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leigh Academy Molehill?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Leigh Academy Molehill 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 Leigh Academy Molehill have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Leigh Academy Molehill: Junior Adventures Group @ Tiger ME15 (820m away, registered, not yet graded) and Mega Camps Maidstone (820m away, 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 Leigh Academy Molehill?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Molehill?
Leigh Academy Molehill is at Hereford Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 7ND.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)