Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Tonbridge
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Tonbridge. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 19th-highest of the 22 schools in Tonbridge with published results, and 12,428th of 14,452 across England. It was 83% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- 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
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in detail
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "At Penshurst CE Primary School we support our pupils to be ‘Good Samaritans’ who walk in the shoes of others; our Christian Values promote living life in its fullness. We prioritise the well-being of our school community and encourage our pupils to feel comfortable with who they are."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 58% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 86% in reading and 100% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 8 families put Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School as their first choice and 33 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 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 Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School are Chiddingstone Church of England School (1.7 miles, Outstanding, 90% reading, 87% maths); Fordcombe Church of England Primary School (2.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 69% maths); Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (2.3 miles, Outstanding, 100% reading, 90% maths); and Leigh Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 88% reading, 75% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School.
Chiddingstone Church of England SchoolFordcombe Church of England Primary SchoolSpeldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolLeigh Primary School
Who goes there
10.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 12 pupils (15.2%) received SEN support and 1 (1.3%) 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.
Staffing
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Penshurst Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Penshurst Road (adjacent), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 5 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
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from May 2013, 13 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 May 2013 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
10.1%
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 declined from 86% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 100% to 58% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 71% to 58% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
20.7
Avg class size
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided 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)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Will you get a place at Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
83%
Available places
87 pupils
105 places
18 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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
16.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
79
Total Pupils
44
Boys
35
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
9.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,944
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,879
Per pupil
£661k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
12.3%
Persistent absence
81
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
What are SATs results like at Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Of the pupils at Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 58% did so in maths.
What is Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Classes at Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School average 20.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has around 79 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in 2024/25. 12.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at High Street, Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8BX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)