Fordcombe Church of England Primary School

Sevenoaks · TN3 0RY

General information Primary School · 4-11 years Who goes here 57 pupils, 29.8% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 7% on SEN support Behaviour 8.2% absence rate Staff 15.9% turnover Financials £9,629 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Fordcombe Church of England Primary School

General Information

Address: The Green, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0RY – View on map
Phone: 01892740224
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Julie Burton
Age range: 4-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 4 families put it first for 4 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 8 · 2025 9 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

57 pupils out of 105 places Plenty of room

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 17
% eligible for free school meals: 29.8%
Pupil mix: 4 in 10 (similar to the Sevenoaks average)
English as an additional language: 16% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 15.9% a year (Sevenoaks 16.7%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 35% moved to another school, 65% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Kent: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 21 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 1
Suspensions for bullying: 32 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 1 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Kent (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 8.2%
Persistently absent pupils: 21.4%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 7.0%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 3.5%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Specific learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Speech, language and communications needs: 1 pupil
Hearing impairment: 1 pupil
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 1 pupil
Autistic spectrum disorder: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2022 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 62% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 23% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 7 percentage points below the Sevenoaks average (69%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Above (3-year average 67% against an expected 59%)
3-year average (expected standard): 67%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 77% · Writing 85% · Maths 69% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 69%
Average test scores: reading 107, maths 106
Based on: 13 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolSevenoaks averageEngland↘ Falling Down 38 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 7 percentage points below the Sevenoaks average (69%).

Year 6 SATs: 29th of 39 junior and primary schools in the area

=25Otford Primary School63%
=25St John's Church of England Primary School, Sevenoaks63%
#29Fordcombe Church of England Primary School62%
#30St. Edmund's Church of England Primary School60%
#31St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School59%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Four Elms Primary School100%
#2Leigh Academy Hartley90%
#3St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Sevenoaks89%
#4Chiddingstone Church of England School87%
#5Halstead Community Primary School86%
=6Kemsing Primary School84%
=6Lady Boswell's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Sevenoaks84%
#8Weald Community Primary School83%
=9Amherst School78%
=9St Katharine's Knockholt Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School78%
#11Horizon Primary Academy77%
=12Chevening, St Botolph's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School76%
=12Horton Kirby Church of England Primary School76%
=14Our Lady of Hartley Catholic Primary School, Hartley, Longfield75%
=14St Lawrence Church of England Primary School75%
=14St Pauls' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School75%
#17Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School73%
#18Edenbridge Primary School72%
#19Crockham Hill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School71%
#20Churchill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School68%
#21Leigh Primary School67%
#22Hextable Primary School66%
#23Sevenoaks Primary School65%
#24Seal Church of England Primary School64%
=25High Firs Primary School63%
=25Ide Hill Church of England Primary School63%
=25Otford Primary School63%
=25St John's Church of England Primary School, Sevenoaks63%
#29Fordcombe Church of England Primary School62%
#30St. Edmund's Church of England Primary School60%
#31St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School59%
#32Sundridge and Brasted Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School57%
#33Downsview Community Primary School52%
#34The Anthony Roper Primary School51%
#35Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School50%
#36Hever Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School46%
#37New Ash Green Primary School45%
#38Dunton Green Primary School43%
#39Crockenhill Primary School41%

View full Ofsted inspection report

8th of 31 primary schools in Sevenoaks for Ofsted rating

#6Edenbridge Primary SchoolGood
#7Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#8Fordcombe Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#9Four Elms Primary SchoolGood
#10Hextable Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Leigh Academy HartleyOutstanding
#2Our Lady of Hartley Catholic Primary School, Hartley, LongfieldOutstanding
#3Chevening, St Botolph's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#4Crockham Hill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#5Dunton Green Primary SchoolGood
#6Edenbridge Primary SchoolGood
#7Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#8Fordcombe Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#9Four Elms Primary SchoolGood
#10Hextable Primary SchoolGood
#11High Firs Primary SchoolGood
#12Horizon Primary AcademyGood
#13Horton Kirby Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#14Ide Hill Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#15Kemsing Primary SchoolGood
#16Leigh Primary SchoolGood
#17New Ash Green Primary SchoolGood
#18Otford Primary SchoolGood
#19Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#20Seal Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#21Sevenoaks Primary SchoolGood
#22St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School, SwanleyGood
#23St John's Church of England Primary School, SevenoaksGood
#24St Katharine's Knockholt Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#25St Lawrence Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#26St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#27St Pauls' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#28St. Edmund's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#29Sundridge and Brasted Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#30The Anthony Roper Primary SchoolGood
#31Weald Community Primary SchoolGood

Financials

Spending per pupil: £9,629 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

3rd of 40 primary schools in Sevenoaks for spending per pupil

#1Halstead Community Primary School£17,811
#2Sundridge and Brasted Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£10,723
#3Fordcombe Church of England Primary School£9,629
#4Downsview Community Primary School£9,016
#5St Pauls' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£8,930

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Halstead Community Primary School£17,811
#2Sundridge and Brasted Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£10,723
#3Fordcombe Church of England Primary School£9,629
#4Downsview Community Primary School£9,016
#5St Pauls' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£8,930
#6Leigh Primary School£8,783
#7Weald Community Primary School£8,780
#8Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£7,982
#9St Lawrence Church of England Primary School£7,775
#10Dunton Green Primary School£7,657
#11Four Elms Primary School£7,579
#12Churchill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£7,514
#13St. Edmund's Church of England Primary School£7,339
#14Hever Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£7,267
#15Fawkham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£6,956
#16Horizon Primary Academy£6,910
#17Chiddingstone Church of England School£6,900
#18Crockham Hill Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£6,861
#19St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Sevenoaks£6,837
#20Sevenoaks Primary School£6,796
#21Edenbridge Primary School£6,716
#22Kemsing Primary School£6,615
#23Otford Primary School£6,548
#24Ide Hill Church of England Primary School£6,540
#25Crockenhill Primary School£6,505
#26New Ash Green Primary School£6,429
#27St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£6,337
#28Lady Boswell's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Sevenoaks£6,321
#29High Firs Primary School£6,205
#30St John's Church of England Primary School, Sevenoaks£6,205
#31Horton Kirby Church of England Primary School£6,061
#32The Anthony Roper Primary School£6,057
#33Chevening, St Botolph's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£6,044
#34Seal Church of England Primary School£5,848
#35Hextable Primary School£5,788
#36St Katharine's Knockholt Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£5,765
#37Shoreham Village School£5,759
#38Our Lady of Hartley Catholic Primary School, Hartley, Longfield£5,216
#39Leigh Academy Hartley£5,102
#40St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School, Swanley£2,669

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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