Senacre Wood Primary School, Maidstone
Senacre Wood Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Maidstone. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 43 schools in Maidstone with published results, and 6,591st of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Senacre Wood Primary School in detail
Senacre Wood Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "If you are contacting us regarding a Safeguarding concern, please go to our Safeguarding page."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care, from £9 per session.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 9.30am and an open day on Thursday 5 November 2026 at 9.30am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Senacre Wood Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 90% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Senacre Wood Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 37 families put Senacre Wood Primary School as their first choice and 109 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Senacre Wood Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Senacre Wood Primary School are Leigh Academy Tree Tops (0.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 79% maths); Leigh Academy Molehill (0.6 miles, Good, 95% reading, 95% maths); Greenfields Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 69% reading, 80% maths); and The Holy Family Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 79% reading, 83% maths).
Senacre Wood Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Leigh Academy Tree TopsLeigh Academy MolehillGreenfields Community Primary SchoolThe Holy Family Catholic Primary School
What parents say
58 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Senacre Wood Primary School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 83% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (98%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (83%).
Who goes there
41% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bearsted Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cranbrook Close (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 285 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Senacre Wood 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; 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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Senacre Wood is a happy, purposeful school where pupils feel genuinely cared for and loved. The school excels at supporting all learners, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs, ensuring everyone gets the best chance to succeed. Strong teaching in reading and a wealth of opportunities in the arts help pupils achieve well and develop into well-rounded individuals ready for their next schools.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with systematic phonics teaching and a rich selection of books - Year 6 pupils performed significantly better than national average in 2024 reading tests
- Excellent support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND through targeted strategies and well-trained staff
- Rich opportunities in music, art and PE that enhance pupil enjoyment and inspire participation in sports competitions
- Careful approach to identifying and supporting pupils who are struggling, particularly in reading and mathematics
- Positive behaviour and attendance with pupils showing respect and enthusiasm for learning
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils lack sufficient regular practice in writing transcription skills, which restricts their handwriting fluency and ability to focus on content
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders maintaining a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Music, art, physical education, sports tournaments and competitions, wraparound care (before- and after-school club)
Senacre Wood Primary School has maintained its good standards through effective action. Pupils love attending this purposeful school where they are well nurtured and achieve well across a wide range of subjects.
At a Glance
41.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
58 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 declined from 90% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.0
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Senacre Wood Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Senacre Wood Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Senacre Wood 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Senacre Wood Primary School
Will you get a place at Senacre Wood Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Senacre Wood Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Senacre Wood Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Senacre Wood 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 Senacre Wood 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
100%
Full
210 pupils
210 places
No 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
19.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
210
Total Pupils
108
Boys
102
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
16.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£40,809
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,786
Per pupil
£1401k
Total funding
£115k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
13.2%
Persistent absence
189
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
Senacre Wood Primary School
Questions parents ask about Senacre Wood Primary School
What are SATs results like at Senacre Wood Primary School?
Of the pupils at Senacre Wood Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is Senacre Wood Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Senacre Wood Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Senacre Wood Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Senacre Wood 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 Senacre Wood Primary School?
Senacre Wood 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 Senacre Wood Primary School?
Classes at Senacre Wood Primary School average 30 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Senacre Wood Primary School?
Senacre Wood Primary School has around 210 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Senacre Wood Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Senacre Wood Primary School in 2024/25. 13.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Senacre Wood Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Senacre Wood 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 Senacre Wood Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Senacre Wood Primary School?
Senacre Wood Primary School is at Graveney Road, Senacre, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 8QQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)