St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Tunbridge Wells · TN2 3PR

General information Primary School · 4-11 years Who goes here 629 pupils, 10.5% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 11% on SEN support Behaviour 4.5% absence rate Staff 2.3% turnover Financials £5,864 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

General Information

Address: Sandrock Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3PR – View on map
Phone: 01892523006
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mr John Tutt
Age range: 4-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 95 families put it first for 88 places – 11 for every 10 places. 86% of them were offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 9 · 2024 10 · 2025 12 · 2026 11
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

629 pupils out of 630 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 66
% eligible for free school meals: 10.5%
Pupil mix: 6 in 10 (more mixed than the Tunbridge Wells average)
English as an additional language: 38% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 2.3% a year (Tunbridge Wells 15.3%, typical in England 13.9%) Low turnover
Where they went: about 0% moved to another school, 100% 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. "Low turnover" means it's among the quarter of similar schools in England where teachers are most likely to stay.

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: 4.5%
Persistently absent pupils: 8.5%
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: 11.0%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 1.4%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Social, emotional and mental health: 23 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 20 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 12 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 9 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 4 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Autistic spectrum disorder: 5 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 2 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Social, emotional and mental health: 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 2024 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: 72% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 10% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: in line with the Tunbridge Wells average (70%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Above (3-year average 73% against an expected 68%)
3-year average (expected standard): 73%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 88% · Writing 80% · Maths 84% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 83%
Average test scores: reading 109, maths 106
Based on: 92 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 schoolTunbridge Wells averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was in line with the Tunbridge Wells average (70%).

Year 6 SATs: 12th of 31 junior and primary schools in the area

=10Frittenden Church of England Primary School73%
=10Southborough CofE Primary School73%
#12St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School72%
=13Leigh Academy Horsmonden70%
=13St John's Church of England Primary School70%

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

#1Langton Green Primary School88%
#2Leigh Academy Paddock Wood86%
#3Benenden Church of England Primary School82%
#4Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School81%
=5Claremont Primary School80%
=5Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School80%
#7Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School79%
#8Broadwater Down Primary School77%
#9Colliers Green Church of England Primary School75%
=10Frittenden Church of England Primary School73%
=10Southborough CofE Primary School73%
#12St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School72%
=13Leigh Academy Horsmonden70%
=13St John's Church of England Primary School70%
=13St Peter's Church of England Primary School70%
=16Sandhurst Primary School68%
=16The Wells Free School68%
=18Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School67%
=18Brenchley and Matfield Church of England Primary School67%
=18Hawkhurst Church of England Primary School67%
=18Pembury School67%
=18St Barnabas CofE VA Primary School67%
#23Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School65%
#24Sissinghurst Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School64%
=25Skinners' Kent Primary School59%
=25St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School59%
#27St Augustine's Catholic Primary School56%
#28Lamberhurst St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School55%
#29Cranbrook Church of England Primary School53%
#30Skinners' Temple Grove39%
#31Capel Primary School38%

View full Ofsted inspection report

20th of 24 primary schools in Tunbridge Wells for Ofsted rating

#18Southborough CofE Primary SchoolGood
#19St Barnabas CofE VA Primary SchoolGood
#20St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#21St John's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#22The Wells Free 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

#1Benenden Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#2Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#3Brenchley and Matfield Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#4Broadwater Down Primary SchoolGood
#5Capel Primary SchoolGood
#6Claremont Primary SchoolGood
#7Colliers Green Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#8Cranbrook Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#9Hawkhurst Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#10Lamberhurst St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Controlled) Primary SchoolGood
#11Langton Green Primary SchoolGood
#12Leigh Academy HorsmondenGood
#13Leigh Academy Paddock WoodGood
#14Pembury SchoolGood
#15Sandhurst Primary SchoolGood
#16Skinners' Kent Primary SchoolGood
#17Skinners' Temple GroveGood
#18Southborough CofE Primary SchoolGood
#19St Barnabas CofE VA Primary SchoolGood
#20St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#21St John's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#22The Wells Free SchoolGood
#23Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#24St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £5,864 (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.

25th of 31 primary schools in Tunbridge Wells for spending per pupil

#23Southborough CofE Primary School£5,977
#24St John's Church of England Primary School£5,877
#25St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£5,864
#26Claremont Primary School£5,850
#27Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£5,814

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

#1Broadwater Down Primary School£10,019
#2Skinners' Temple Grove£8,620
#3Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School£8,604
#4Frittenden Church of England Primary School£8,471
#5Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School£7,792
#6St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£7,509
#7Colliers Green Church of England Primary School£7,209
#8Cranbrook Church of England Primary School£7,158
#9Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School£6,993
#10Hawkhurst Church of England Primary School£6,879
#11Sissinghurst Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School£6,851
#12St Barnabas CofE VA Primary School£6,845
#13The Wells Free School£6,750
#14Sandhurst Primary School£6,699
#15Skinners' Kent Primary School£6,552
#16Capel Primary School£6,543
#17St Peter's Church of England Primary School£6,414
#18Benenden Church of England Primary School£6,413
#19Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£6,407
#20Brenchley and Matfield Church of England Primary School£6,348
#21Lamberhurst St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School£6,348
#22Langton Green Primary School£6,160
#23Southborough CofE Primary School£5,977
#24St John's Church of England Primary School£5,877
#25St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£5,864
#26Claremont Primary School£5,850
#27Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£5,814
#28Leigh Academy Horsmonden£5,805
#29St Augustine's Catholic Primary School£5,697
#30Pembury School£5,644
#31Leigh Academy Paddock Wood£5,161

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

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