Leigh Academy Paddock Wood, Tonbridge
Leigh Academy Paddock Wood 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 November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 22 schools in Tonbridge with published results, and 2,629th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- 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 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 Paddock Wood in detail
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Leigh Academy Paddock Wood reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 89% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Leigh Academy Paddock Wood
For September 2026 entry, 81 families put Leigh Academy Paddock Wood as their first choice and 132 named it as one of their preferences, for 88 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 Paddock Wood
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Leigh Academy Paddock Wood are Brenchley and Matfield Church of England Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 81% reading, 74% maths); Capel Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 66% reading, 48% maths); Laddingford St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 63% reading, 63% maths); and East Peckham Primary School (2.6 miles, Requires improvement, 86% reading, 76% maths).
Leigh Academy Paddock Wood's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Brenchley and Matfield Church of England Primary SchoolCapel Primary SchoolLaddingford St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolEast Peckham Primary School
The trust
Leigh Academy Paddock Wood 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
10.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (78%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 41 pupils (6.6%) received SEN support and 11 (1.8%) 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 440 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Commercial Road (sw-bound), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 61 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Leigh Academy Paddock Wood issued 24 suspensions, 3.9 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 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
22.2%
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 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 77% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 83% to 90% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
28.8
Infant (KS1)
29.9
KS2
19
Total classes
3 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 Paddock Wood
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Leigh Academy Paddock Wood.
- Premier Education Activities - Putlands Sports and Leisure Centre720m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leigh Academy Paddock Wood from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leigh Academy Paddock Wood 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
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
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, 4 serious and 18 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
7 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 Paddock Wood
Will you get a place at Leigh Academy Paddock Wood? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Leigh Academy Paddock Wood's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Leigh Academy Paddock Wood:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Leigh Academy Paddock Wood.
- 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 Paddock Wood for 2020 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
98%
Near capacity
619 pupils
630 places
11 spare places 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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
41
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
8.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
618
Total Pupils
315
Boys
303
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
28
Teachers
22.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,810
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,910
Per pupil
£3435k
Total funding
£208k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
9.7%
Persistent absence
546
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 Paddock Wood
Questions parents ask about Leigh Academy Paddock Wood
What are SATs results like at Leigh Academy Paddock Wood?
Of the pupils at Leigh Academy Paddock Wood who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Leigh Academy Paddock Wood's Ofsted rating?
Leigh Academy Paddock Wood was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for Leigh Academy Paddock Wood?
No fixed boundary. When Leigh Academy Paddock Wood 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 Paddock Wood?
Leigh Academy Paddock Wood was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Leigh Academy Paddock Wood?
Classes at Leigh Academy Paddock Wood average 29.4 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Leigh Academy Paddock Wood?
Leigh Academy Paddock Wood has around 618 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Leigh Academy Paddock Wood?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Leigh Academy Paddock Wood in 2024/25. 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leigh Academy Paddock Wood?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Leigh Academy Paddock Wood 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 Paddock Wood have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Leigh Academy Paddock Wood: Premier Education Activities - Putlands Sports and Leisure Centre (720m 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 Paddock Wood?
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, 4 serious and 18 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 7 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 Paddock Wood?
Leigh Academy Paddock Wood is at Old Kent Road, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 6JE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)