Southborough CofE Primary School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Primary
PUPILS
615
AGES
5 - 11
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Voluntary controlled school
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
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Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils National School Census Data, ONS
03000 41 21 21

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the last School Census collected by the Department for Education. It is a visualisation of where pupils lived at the time of the annual School Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The criteria in which schools use to allocate places in the event that they are oversubscribed can and do vary between schools and over time. These criteria can include distance from the school and sometimes specific catchment areas but can also include, amongst others, priority for siblings, children of a particular faith or specific feeder schools. Living in an area where children have previously attended a school does not guarantee admission to the school in future years. Always check with the school’s own admission authority for the current admission arrangements.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

Good
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Ofsted Inspection
(21/06/2018)
Full Report - All Reports
80%
NATIONAL AVG. 60%
% pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics



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Progress Compared With All Other Schools

UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 8% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 11% of schools in England) Average (About 59% of schools in England) Above Average (About 11% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England)
Broomhill Park Road
Southborough
Tunbridge Wells
TN4 0JY
01892529682

School Description

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Together with your deputy, you have developed strong leadership systems across the school. You are rightly proud of the way that teachers and leaders use research and regularly work with other schools to refine ways of working. As a result, this is a ‘thinking’ school, in which reflection and development are integral parts of everyday life. Everyone is united with you in aspiring to the very best for the pupils of Southborough. Governors are highly effective. They too are reflective. Recently, they have developed a monitoring system working in pairs to look at specific aspects of the school’s work. This has helped them supplement their secure understanding of performance data. Governors have both a strategic overview and an understanding of the day-to-day life of the school. As a result, they have a good understanding of its strengths and needs, which enables them to effectively hold leaders to account. Leaders have maintained the strengths identified at the previous inspection and have effectively tackled the identified areas for improvement. Standards and expectations are high in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils attain well in relation to age-related expectations and at higher levels. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make strong progress from their starting points. The curriculum offers a wide range of experiences which capture pupils’ imagination. Artistic skills in particular are well developed. Beautiful artwork, demonstrating a range of skills, adorns the school. Specialist teachers are used effectively to provide inspiring musical experiences such as the imminent opera performance. However, pupils’ books do not reflect such well-developed skills and understanding in some other aspects of the curriculum. Parents who I spoke to, or who completed the Ofsted survey, Parent View, were supportive of the school. The wide majority of those who responded were happy to recommend it. Parents value the information provided by the school and the frequent parents evenings. One parent summed up the views of many in writing: ‘Great school. My child loves it here, loves the teachers and is thriving!’ Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Following the opening of the new building in 2015, many procedures to ensure that pupils move safely around three buildings have needed to be revised and refined. Leaders have applied meticulous thought to this so that the school retains a sense of continuity for pupils. Safety was paramount throughout this process and is regularly reviewed. All necessary checks are in place at the appointment of staff. All required training is completed. Record-keeping is meticulous. Processes have been reviewed by governors, who work effectively with school leaders to ensure that everything is as it should be. All pupils and staff who completed the Ofsted survey felt that pupils were safe at school. Pupils told me how they learn about e-safety at school. They are excited to be sharing their knowledge about this with their parents through the pupil-led assemblies. Inspection findings During the inspection, we looked closely together at mathematics provision across the school. In the 2017 end of Key Stage national assessment, most groups of pupils attained well when compared to national proportions. However, we wanted to look closely at the progress of disadvantaged pupils. School information and work in the books of current pupils across the school show that they are making strong progress from their starting points. Attainment across the school remains high. The mathematics leader has led effective professional development across the school to raise the level of challenge in mathematics teaching. This is reflected in both progress information and pupils’ work in their books. Regular opportunities are provided for pupils to develop mathematical reasoning and extend problemsolving skills. As a result, pupils are confident and competent mathematicians. Pupils are using mathematics across the curriculum in gathering a range of data in their work in science. However, they are not yet consistently analysing or using these results to inform their written work. We also looked closely at the provision in early years, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Children settle quickly into school. Parents appreciate the information provided to them to support this process. During the inspection, we observed children enjoying the inviting outdoor area. They were involved in a wide range of learning experiences. For example, children were exploring symmetrical patterns using natural materials. Staff were highly skilled in supporting and extending thinking. School information and learning journals demonstrate strong progress from starting points for all groups of children, including the disadvantaged. We looked together at the wider curriculum provision across the school. This is an area which leaders have been developing. Pupils enjoy the rich opportunities offered by the curriculum. They told me how much they enjoy the trips, such as to the cathedral and to Madrid, and even camping on the field. The school’s work to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social education is well developed. These aspects form a rich, unifying thread across the school in keeping with your school ethos and vision. Curriculum leaders work effectively in teams and with locality partners. In some subjects, they have revised the curriculum to help ensure that pupils acquire the knowledge that they need. Pupils are starting to apply this knowledge to develop strong skills in some areas such as art and music. In other aspects of the technical and scientific curriculum, these skills are not yet fully developed in pupils’ written work. Leaders are working in collaboration with their local partnership of schools to develop assessment procedures across the curriculum. This is in order to further strengthen the monitoring that takes place via book looks, lesson drop-ins and regular discussions with pupils. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: pupils have systematic opportunities to demonstrate subject skills through their written work across the wider curriculum, particularly in scientific and technical aspects. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Rochester, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Kent. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Deborah Gordon Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection I met with you and your deputy, members of the governing body, staff, and representatives from the diocese and the local authority. I reviewed documentation, including information about pupils’ achievement, the school improvement plan, safeguarding checks, policies and procedures. Together, we visited classes across the school. In classes, I observed learning, looked at books and spoke to pupils about their work. I met with pupils to get their views of the school. I took account of parents’ views in the playground in the morning, and considered 141 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 58 free-text responses. I took account of 18 responses to the Ofsted pupil survey and 53 responses to the staff survey. I also considered one letter from a parent.

Southborough CofE Primary School Parent Reviews



unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>73, "agree"=>23, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>75, "agree"=>19, "disagree"=>4, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>52, "agree"=>37, "disagree"=>6, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>75, "strongly_agree"=>4, "agree"=>12, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>59, "agree"=>39, "disagree"=>1, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>21, "strongly_agree"=>44, "agree"=>23, "disagree"=>10, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>48, "agree"=>14, "disagree"=>19, "strongly_disagree"=>5, "dont_know"=>14} UNLOCK Figures based on 21 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>59, "agree"=>30, "disagree"=>6, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>65, "agree"=>24, "disagree"=>8, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>49, "agree"=>35, "disagree"=>13, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>71, "agree"=>27, "disagree"=>1, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>59, "agree"=>36, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>2} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>54, "agree"=>35, "disagree"=>4, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>5} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024
Yes No {"yes"=>92, "no"=>8} UNLOCK Figures based on 113 responses up to 27-03-2024

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

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