Willesborough Infant School, Ashford
Willesborough Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Ashford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2022. It was 98% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- 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
Willesborough Infant School in detail
Willesborough Infant School in its own words
In its own words: "Pupils were graded against whether or not they achieved the expected standard. The results for Reading, Maths and Writing are based on teacher assessment. The table below shows the percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard or greater for the academic year 2025-2026."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:50am and after-school care, from £1.50 per morning.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Willesborough Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 90 families put Willesborough Infant School as their first choice and 137 named it as one of their preferences, for 100 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 Willesborough Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Willesborough Infant School are Willesborough Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 83% reading, 80% maths); East Stour Primary School (1 mile, 86% reading, 82% maths); Victoria Road Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 70% reading, 60% maths); and Finberry Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 76% maths).
Willesborough Junior SchoolEast Stour Primary SchoolVictoria Road Primary SchoolFinberry Primary School
Who goes there
13.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 49 pupils (14.7%) received SEN support and 4 (1.2%) 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 Ashford International Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church Road Post Office (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Willesborough Infant School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Willesborough Infant School issued 2 suspensions, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Willesborough Infant School are The Norton Knatchbull School (0.7 miles) and The North School (0.8 miles).
Sources: 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
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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2022 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development, Leadership & management.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Early years.
At a Glance
13.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
27.8
Avg class size
27.8
Infant (KS1)
12
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Willesborough Infant School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Willesborough Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Willesborough Infant 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
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
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, 2 serious and 20 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Willesborough Infant School
Will you get a place at Willesborough Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Willesborough Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Willesborough Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Willesborough Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Willesborough Infant 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
352 pupils
360 places
8 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ashford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashford
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(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
15.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
333
Total Pupils
173
Boys
160
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
15.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,617
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,042
Per pupil
£1982k
Total funding
£68k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
15.8%
Persistent absence
247
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
Willesborough Infant School
Questions parents ask about Willesborough Infant School
What is Willesborough Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Willesborough Infant School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2022.
What is the catchment area for Willesborough Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Willesborough Infant 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 Willesborough Infant School?
Willesborough Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Willesborough Infant School?
Classes at Willesborough Infant School average 27.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Willesborough Infant School?
Willesborough Infant School has around 333 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Willesborough Infant School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Willesborough Infant School in 2024/25. 15.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Willesborough Infant School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Willesborough Infant 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 Willesborough Infant School?
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, 2 serious and 20 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Willesborough Infant School?
Willesborough Infant School is at Church Road, Willesborough, Ashford, Kent, TN24 0JZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)