Community school · Kent

Sandling Primary School

4–11Ages
421Pupils
PrimaryPhase
118511URN

Ashburnham Road, Penenden Heath, Maidstone, ME14 2JG · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · May 2025 Previous framework

No overall grade given

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.4per place

close to Kent median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Kent

107 applications for 44 places · 184th 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

Graded inspection · 7 May 2025Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024). Between September 2024 and November 2025 Ofsted graded areas but gave no overall grade.
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		Good

Inspection history

7 May 2025
Graded inspection, no overall grade
5 February 2020
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

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

2.4applications per place, Reception

close to Kent median (2.4) 0.2 above England median (2.2)

107 applications · 44 places offered · 33 named it first

2026 2.4; Kent median median 2.4
2025 2.0; Kent median median 2.3
2024 2.5; Kent median median 2.4
2023 2.5; Kent median median 2.3
2022 2.1; Kent median median 2.1
2021 1.8; Kent median median 2.2
2020 2.3; Kent median median 2.2
2019 2.1; Kent median median 2.1
2018 2.5; Kent median median 2.1
2017 2.6; Kent median median 2.2
2016 3.0; Kent median median 2.5
2015 2.7; Kent median median 2.4
2014 2.6; Kent median median 2.3

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	44	107	2.4	33	0.75
Sep 2025	60	119	2.0	51	0.85
Sep 2024	57	141	2.5	50	0.88
Sep 2023	47	117	2.5	38	0.81
Sep 2022	56	115	2.1	50	0.89
Sep 2021	60	108	1.8	56	0.93
Sep 2020	60	138	2.3	50	0.83
Sep 2019	60	123	2.1	38	0.63
Sep 2018	60	147	2.5	62	1.03
Sep 2017	60	158	2.6	61	1.02
Sep 2016	60	180	3.0	69	1.15
Sep 2015	60	164	2.7	70	1.17
Sep 2014	60	156	2.6	60	1.00

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 82% · Writing 87% · Maths 68% → 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 standard82%

Kent 78% England 78%

Higher standard33%

Kent 35% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard87%

Kent 77% England 75%

Greater depth15%

Kent 15% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard68%

Kent 75% England 77%

Higher standard20%

Kent 24% England 24%

Average scaled score 103 (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%	10%	106	103
2023/24	77%	8%	108	107
2022/23	62%	8%	106	103

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

Sandling Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.4applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
St Paul's Infant School
0.8 km · Kent

Standards maintained2025

1.5applications per place
North Borough Junior School
0.9 km · Kent

Remains Good2023

63%met the SATs standard
Valley Invicta Primary School At East Borough
1.8 km · Kent

2026

3.3applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
Brunswick House Primary School
2.2 km · Kent

Remains Good2023

2.5applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
Leigh Academy Bearsted
2.3 km · Kent

Outstanding2023

3.3applications per place 75%met the SATs standard
Maidstone, St John's Church of England Primary School
2.4 km · Kent

Graded · no overall grade2025

3.4applications per place 83%met the SATs standard
Allington Primary School
2.6 km · Kent

Outstanding2022

3.2applications per place 83%met the SATs standard
Palace Wood Primary School
2.7 km · Kent

Remains Good2022

2.4applications per place 69%met the SATs standard

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: 118511 · 886/2552
Capacity: 420 pupils · 421 on roll
Free school meals: 10.2% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Ashburnham Road, Penenden Heath, Maidstone, ME14 2JG
Local authority: Kent · Maidstone

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