Ryarsh Primary School, West Malling
Ryarsh Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in West Malling. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 10 schools in West Malling with published results, and 4,096th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Ryarsh Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Ryarsh Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% 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, 90% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Ryarsh Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 43 families put Ryarsh Primary School as their first choice and 105 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Ryarsh Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ryarsh Primary School are Valley Invicta Primary School At Leybourne Chase (0.7 miles, Good, 85% reading, 79% maths); West Malling Church of England Primary School and McGinty Speech and Language Srp (1.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 67% maths); Leybourne, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy (1.4 miles, Good, 91% reading, 84% maths); and Offham Primary School (1.6 miles, Outstanding, 74% reading, 70% maths).
Ryarsh Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Valley Invicta Primary School At Leybourne ChaseWest Malling Church of England Primary School and McGinty Speech and Language SrpLeybourne, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary AcademyOffham Primary School
Who goes there
8.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (85%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 13 pupils (6.2%) received SEN support and 5 (2.4%) 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 West Malling Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Duke of Wellington (adjacent), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 9 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Ryarsh Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 1 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 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
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 March 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
8.6%
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 improved from 80% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 90% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 87% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Ryarsh Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Ryarsh Primary School.
- Premier Education WAC - Valley Invicta Primary School At Leybourne Chase920m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ryarsh Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ryarsh 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 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 Ryarsh Primary School
Will you get a place at Ryarsh Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ryarsh Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ryarsh Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ryarsh 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 Ryarsh 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
101%
Over capacity
211 pupils
210 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - West Malling
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for West 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
8.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
209
Total Pupils
117
Boys
92
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
16.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,458
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,028
Per pupil
£1156k
Total funding
£35k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
6.5%
Persistent absence
185
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Ryarsh Primary School
What are SATs results like at Ryarsh Primary School?
Of the pupils at Ryarsh Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Ryarsh Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ryarsh Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Ryarsh Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Ryarsh 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 Ryarsh Primary School?
Ryarsh Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Ryarsh Primary School?
Classes at Ryarsh Primary School average 29.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Ryarsh Primary School?
Ryarsh Primary School has around 209 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ryarsh Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Ryarsh Primary School in 2024/25. 6.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ryarsh Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Ryarsh 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.
Does Ryarsh Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Ryarsh Primary School: Premier Education WAC - Valley Invicta Primary School At Leybourne Chase (920m 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 Ryarsh Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 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 Ryarsh Primary School?
Ryarsh Primary School is at Birling Road, Ryarsh, West Malling, Kent, ME19 5LS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)