Willesborough Junior School, Ashford
Willesborough Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Ashford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 13th-highest of the 45 schools in Ashford with published results, and 5,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Capacity
- 99% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Willesborough Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Willesborough Junior 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 rose from 72% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Willesborough Junior School
Across Kent, 90% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Kent lodged 237 appeals against primary school offers; 166 reached a hearing and 18 succeeded (10.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Willesborough Junior School are Willesborough Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); 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 (1.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 76% maths).
Willesborough Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Willesborough Infant SchoolEast Stour Primary SchoolVictoria Road Primary SchoolFinberry Primary School
Who goes there
25.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (64%), Asian (17%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 80 pupils (16.7%) received SEN support and 9 (1.9%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ashford International Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church Road Post Office (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Willesborough Junior 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 Junior School issued 2 suspensions, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Willesborough Junior School are The Norton Knatchbull School (0.7 miles) and The North School (0.8 miles).
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from May 2014, 12 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 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
23.4%
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 72% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 84% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.9
Avg class size
29.9
KS2
16
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Willesborough Junior School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Willesborough Junior School, with their latest published grades:
- Willesborough Baptist Preschool - Pre-school, 0.5 milesOfsted, 8 June 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Oaks - Ashford - Day nursery, 0.6 milesOfsted, 20 June 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Cherrytree Nursery School - Newtown - Day nursery, 0.9 milesOfsted report card, 27 March 2026: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Bridge Nursery - Day nursery, 1.3 miles
- Goldilocks Nursery - Day nursery, 1.6 milesOfsted, 13 March 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Willesborough Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Willesborough Junior 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
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 18 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
477 pupils
480 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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.
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Primary - Ashford East planning area (Kent) will have 184 spare primary places in 2027/28. In the year groups that are short, it estimates 66 additional places needed.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
80
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
18.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
478
Total Pupils
216
Boys
262
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
21.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,041
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,935
Per pupil
£2622k
Total funding
£171k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
13.0%
Persistent absence
486
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 Junior School
Questions parents ask about Willesborough Junior School
What are SATs results like at Willesborough Junior School?
Of the pupils at Willesborough Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Willesborough Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Willesborough Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in May 2014, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Willesborough Junior School?
Willesborough Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its 480 places.
How big are the classes at Willesborough Junior School?
Classes at Willesborough Junior School average 29.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Willesborough Junior School?
Willesborough Junior School has around 478 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Willesborough Junior School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Willesborough Junior School in 2024/25. 13% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Willesborough Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 18 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle 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 Willesborough Junior School?
Willesborough Junior School is at Highfield Road, Willesborough, Ashford, Kent, TN24 0JU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)