Lift St James the Great, East Malling
Lift St James the Great is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in East Malling, part of Lift Schools. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 106th-highest of the 432 schools in Kent with published results, and 3,885th of 14,452 across England. It was 82% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below 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
Lift St James the Great in detail
Lift St James the Great in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at Lift St James the Great reached the expected standard in reading and 86% 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 (80% in reading, 83% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Lift St James the Great
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put Lift St James the Great as their first choice and 26 named it as one of their preferences, for 21 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 Lift St James the Great
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lift St James the Great are More Park Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 84% reading, 88% maths); Brookfield Infant School (0.7 miles, Good); Lunsford Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 42% reading, 54% maths); and Brookfield Junior School (0.7 miles, Good, 75% reading, 70% maths).
Lift St James the Great's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
More Park Catholic Primary SchoolBrookfield Infant SchoolLunsford Primary SchoolBrookfield Junior School
The trust
Lift St James the Great is one of 62 schools run by Lift Schools, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
54% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 9.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Lift St James the Great had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is West Malling Rail Station, about 960 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Temple Way (adjacent), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lift St James the Great issued 3 suspensions, 1.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lift St James the Great are The Malling School (0.2 miles) and Aylesford School (1.4 miles).
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 agoThis judgement is from March 2018, 8 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 March 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
54.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 86% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.1
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
26.0
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Lift St James the Great
Before and after school care
Lift St James the Great is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Kent
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lift St James the Great from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lift St James the Great 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 Lift St James the Great
Will you get a place at Lift St James the Great? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lift St James the Great's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lift St James the Great:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lift St James the Great.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lift St James the Great 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
82%
Available places
172 pupils
210 places
38 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - East Malling
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for East Malling
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
24.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
176
Total Pupils
96
Boys
80
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
16.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,486
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,122
Per pupil
£1283k
Total funding
£136k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
28.7%
Persistent absence
171
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
Lift St James the Great
Questions parents ask about Lift St James the Great
What are SATs results like at Lift St James the Great?
Of the pupils at Lift St James the Great who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% did so in maths.
What is Lift St James the Great's Ofsted rating?
Lift St James the Great's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lift St James the Great?
No fixed boundary. When Lift St James the Great is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lift St James the Great?
Lift St James the Great was not full in 2025: it ran at 82% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Lift St James the Great?
Classes at Lift St James the Great average 24.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lift St James the Great?
Lift St James the Great has around 176 pupils on roll. 54% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lift St James the Great?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Lift St James the Great in 2024/25. 28.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lift St James the Great?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Lift St James the Great 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 Lift St James the Great have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Lift St James the Great is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Lift St James the Great?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Lift St James the Great?
Lift St James the Great is at Chapman Way, East Malling, Kent, ME19 6SD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)