Community school · Kent

The Discovery School

4–11Ages
634Pupils
PrimaryPhase
134057URN

Discovery Drive, Kings Hill, West Malling, ME19 4GJ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Feb 2023 Previous framework

Outstanding

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.2per place

0.3 below Kent median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Kent

196 applications for 90 places · 234th of 385 in Kent

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

80%met the expected standard

Kent 65% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Outstanding · 21 February 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education	Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management	Outstanding
Early years provision	Outstanding

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

2.2applications per place, Reception

0.3 below Kent median (2.4) close to England median (2.2)

196 applications · 90 places offered · 77 named it first

2026 2.2; Kent median median 2.4
2025 2.3; Kent median median 2.3
2024 2.0; Kent median median 2.4
2023 2.0; Kent median median 2.3
2022 2.3; Kent median median 2.1
2021 1.9; Kent median median 2.2
2020 2.1; Kent median median 2.2
2019 2.1; Kent median median 2.1
2018 1.8; Kent median median 2.1
2017 2.0; Kent median median 2.2
2016 2.2; Kent median median 2.5
2015 2.1; Kent median median 2.4
2014 2.0; Kent median median 2.3

More applications per place than the Kent median in 1 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	90	196	2.2	77	0.86
Sep 2025	81	186	2.3	70	0.86
Sep 2024	90	177	2.0	85	0.94
Sep 2023	75	152	2.0	56	0.75
Sep 2022	61	141	2.3	50	0.82
Sep 2021	82	152	1.9	75	0.91
Sep 2020	84	177	2.1	79	0.94
Sep 2019	70	145	2.1	64	0.91
Sep 2018	73	131	1.8	72	0.99
Sep 2017	90	177	2.0	98	1.09
Sep 2016	90	196	2.2	97	1.08
Sep 2015	90	191	2.1	94	1.04
Sep 2014	90	179	2.0	100	1.11

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 91% · Writing 84% · Maths 89% → all three 80% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard80%54th of 421 in Kent

Kent 65% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard91%

Kent 78% England 78%

Higher standard56%

Kent 35% England 33%

Average scaled score 110 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard84%

Kent 77% England 75%

Greater depth21%

Kent 15% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard89%

Kent 75% England 77%

Higher standard37%

Kent 24% England 24%

Average scaled score 108 (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	80%	18%	110	108
2023/24	76%	10%	108	106
2022/23	67%	12%	105	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

The Discovery SchoolThis school
This school

Outstanding2023

2.2applications per place 80%met the SATs standard
Kings Hill School Primary and Nursery
1.3 km · Kent

Outstanding2024

3.0applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
Valley Invicta Primary School At Kings Hill
1.4 km · Kent

Graded · no overall grade2025

5.0applications per place 90%met the SATs standard
Wateringbury Church of England Primary School
2.5 km · Kent

Graded · no overall grade2025

3.3applications per place 66%met the SATs standard
More Park Catholic Primary School
2.6 km · Kent

Remains Good2023

1.7applications per place 72%met the SATs standard
Lift St James the Great
2.6 km · Kent

Remains Good2023

1.2applications per place 79%met the SATs standard
West Malling Church of England Primary School and McGinty Speech and Language Srp
2.7 km · Kent

Good2023

2.3applications per place 60%met the SATs standard
Leybourne, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy
3.4 km · Kent

2026

2.5applications per place 81%met the SATs standard
Ditton Church of England Junior School
3.6 km · Kent

Requires improvement2019

44%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: 134057 · 886/2065
Capacity: 630 pupils · 634 on roll
Free school meals: 8.2% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 September 2003
Address: Discovery Drive, Kings Hill, West Malling, ME19 4GJ
Local authority: Kent · Tonbridge and Malling

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