School profile

Leigh Academy Bearsted

Primary · Free schools · Maidstone, ME14 5GA

Outstanding

Map showing Leigh Academy Bearsted

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#3,466 of 15,057

Better than 76% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Leigh Academy Bearsted Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 24 Jan 2023

Ofsted rating
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeFree schools
Ages3 to 11
Pupils412
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Jane Tipple
TrustLEIGH ACADEMIES TRUST
Local authorityKent
Opened01 Sept 2020
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 147866.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths75%, better than England, better than Kent62%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.4%, worse than England, worse than Kent10%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, similar to Kent106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.105, similar to England, similar to Kent104105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.105, similar to England, similar to Kent104105
Expected standard in reading89%, better than England, better than Kent75%76%
Expected standard in writing86%, better than England, better than Kent74%73%
Expected standard in maths82%, better than England, better than Kent71%75%
Pupils taking tests28--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils412
Girls213
Boys199
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.10.9%
First language not English26.7%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.420
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.382
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.9%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.73
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.5
Average class size29.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
52.9%
Other White
15.5%
African
7.8%
Other mixed
5.8%
White and Asian
2.7%
Other Asian
2.7%
White and Black Caribbean
2.4%
Indian
2.4%
White and Black African
1.7%
Pakistani
1.7%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher33.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.15.3
Teachers (FTE)12.4
Teaching assistants (FTE)13.6
Support staff (FTE)18.92
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2513
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2510
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.47
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.154
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.36
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.36
Applications from another local authority (Reception)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Overall absence4.5%, better than England, better than Kent5.4%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.8.5%, better than England, better than Kent14.4%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.3%, better than England, better than Kent1.2%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate1.5%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.3%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Leigh Academy Bearsted
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.6 miPrimaryMaidstone, St John's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.8 miPrimaryRoseacre Junior SchoolFoundation school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryThurnham Church of England Infant SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
0.9 miSecondarySchool of Science and Technology MaidstoneFree schools
Outstanding
1.0 miSecondaryValley Park SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miSecondaryInvicta Grammar SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.2 miPrimaryValley Invicta Primary School At East BoroughAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miPrimaryMadginford Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.4 miPrimarySandling Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.5 miPrimarySt Paul's Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Leigh Academy Bearsted

What is Leigh Academy Bearsted's Ofsted rating?

Leigh Academy Bearsted is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, last inspected on 24 Jan 2023.

How does Leigh Academy Bearsted rank in England?

Leigh Academy Bearsted ranks 3,466 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 76% of schools).

What are Leigh Academy Bearsted's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 75% of pupils at Leigh Academy Bearsted met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Leigh Academy Bearsted?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Leigh Academy Bearsted made 47 offers from 154 applications (3.3 per offer), and 36 of 36 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Leigh Academy Bearsted?

Leigh Academy Bearsted has 412 pupils aged 3 to 11.

What is the capacity of Leigh Academy Bearsted?

Leigh Academy Bearsted had 420 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Leigh Academy Bearsted?

At Leigh Academy Bearsted, the average class had 29.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 33.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Leigh Academy Bearsted?

In 2025/26, pupils at Leigh Academy Bearsted missed 4.5% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 8.5% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.