Community school · Kent

Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School

3–11Ages
194Pupils
PrimaryPhase
118468URN

Rydal Drive, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9SU · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Mar 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

3.1per place

0.6 above Kent median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Kent

46 applications for 15 places · 79th of 385 in Kent

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

67%met the expected standard

Kent 65% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 31 March 2026Published 17 May 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Strong standard	Expected standard
Inclusion		Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching			Expected standard
Achievement			Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour		Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing			Expected standard
Early years			Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance			Expected standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

31 March 2026
Report card · 2 Strong standard, 5 Expected standard
1 November 2023
Graded inspection: Requires improvement
15 July 2022
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

3.1applications per place, Reception

0.6 above Kent median (2.4) 0.9 above England median (2.2)

46 applications · 15 places offered · 13 named it first

2026 3.1; Kent median median 2.4
2025 3.1; Kent median median 2.3
2024 2.3; Kent median median 2.4
2023 2.8; Kent median median 2.3
2022 2.5; Kent median median 2.1
2021 2.9; Kent median median 2.2
2020 2.7; Kent median median 2.2
2019 2.3; Kent median median 2.1
2018 3.4; Kent median median 2.1
2017 3.9; Kent median median 2.2
2016 3.4; Kent median median 2.5
2015 3.3; Kent median median 2.4
2014 4.3; Kent median median 2.3

More applications per place than the Kent median in 12 of 13 years.

This school
Kent median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	15	46	3.1	13	0.87
Sep 2025	15	46	3.1	12	0.80
Sep 2024	30	69	2.3	19	0.63
Sep 2023	24	66	2.8	20	0.83
Sep 2022	30	76	2.5	30	1.00
Sep 2021	28	81	2.9	25	0.89
Sep 2020	31	82	2.7	29	0.94
Sep 2019	29	68	2.3	28	0.97
Sep 2018	30	103	3.4	33	1.10
Sep 2017	28	109	3.9	37	1.32
Sep 2016	29	99	3.4	43	1.48
Sep 2015	29	96	3.3	39	1.34
Sep 2014	30	129	4.3	51	1.70

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 87% · Writing 70% · Maths 73% → all three 67% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard67%180th of 421 in Kent

Kent 65% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard87%

Kent 78% England 78%

Higher standard43%

Kent 35% England 33%

Average scaled score 109 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard70%

Kent 77% England 75%

Greater depth0%

Kent 15% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard73%

Kent 75% England 77%

Higher standard33%

Kent 24% England 24%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Kent median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	67%	0%	109	106
2023/24	60%	3%	108	107
2022/23	63%	10%	108	105

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Bishops Down Primary and Nursery SchoolThis school
This school

2026

3.1applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School
1.2 km · Kent

Requires improvement2023

1.8applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
The Wells Free School
1.3 km · Kent

Standards maintained2025

2.8applications per place 68%met the SATs standard
Southborough CofE Primary School
1.8 km · Kent

Remains Good2024

1.9applications per place 73%met the SATs standard
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School
1.9 km · Kent

2026

3.6applications per place 56%met the SATs standard
St Barnabas CofE VA Primary School
1.9 km · Kent

Remains Good2024

2.5applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
2.0 km · Kent

Graded · no overall grade2025

4.8applications per place 81%met the SATs standard
St John's Church of England Primary School
2.1 km · Kent

Remains Good2023

2.4applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
St Mark's Church of England Primary School
2.1 km · Kent

Remains Good2022

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Community school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 118468 · 886/2490
Capacity: 210 pupils · 194 on roll
Free school meals: 19.6% of pupils (England median 23%)
SEN provision: Resourced provision
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Address: Rydal Drive, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9SU
Local authority: Kent · Tunbridge Wells

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources