Tonbridge and Malling Ofsted: How the First 6 Schools Graded

Six primary schools in Tonbridge and Malling have now been graded under Ofsted’s new report cards. One of them, Ightham Primary School, was rated Strong in all seven areas.

Two more reports went online this month. Ightham’s was published on 9 September and St Mark’s Church of England Primary School in Eccles followed on 23 September. The two sit at opposite ends of the borough’s results so far.

The report cards replaced the single-word verdicts, such as Good or Outstanding, for inspections from November 2025. Each school is now graded separately in up to seven areas on a five-point scale: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention and Urgent improvement. Safeguarding is judged met or not met.

The six schools, area by area

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All six met the safeguarding standards. None has an Exceptional grade in any area.

The four earlier grades come from Ofsted’s own dataset of every report card published up to 31 August 2026. It lists exactly these four schools in the borough and no others. (Ofsted, monthly management information, published by 31 August 2026) The two September reports come from Ofsted’s report finder. The dataset covers state-funded schools only, so independent schools are not in these figures.

Ightham: strong across the board

Ightham Primary is an academy of 206 pupils on Oldbury Lane. It is part of The Pioneer Academy trust. Ofsted holds its academy conversion letter from February 2025, so this was its first inspection as an academy. (Ofsted, Ightham Primary School, URN 151233)

Inspectors found that “attendance is extremely high across the school” and that persistent absence is “very low”. Pupils “achieve highly across subjects”. The report’s summary ends: “This is a community where pupils flourish.” (Ofsted, Ightham Primary School inspection report, 23 June 2026)

That result is rarer than it sounds. We counted every primary school in England with a full report card published by 31 August 2026: 1,740 of them. Just 140, or 8.0%, were Strong or better in every area they were graded on. More than a third, 638 or 36.7%, had at least one area graded Needs attention or worse. (Ofsted, monthly management information)

Sussex Road: strong in five areas

Sussex Road Community Primary, with 422 pupils, is the largest of the six. It was Strong for achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, and personal development.

The report says pupils’ attainment in published assessments is “significantly above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics”. It calls provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities “a strength of the school”.

The one thing inspectors want fixed is attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs. The report notes that persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils is rising. (Ofsted, Sussex Road Community Primary School inspection report, 31 March 2026)

East Peckham, Royal Rise and Leybourne

East Peckham Primary was Strong for attendance and behaviour and for inclusion. Ofsted’s dataset records this as a reinspection of a school previously judged to require improvement. Inspectors wrote that pupils “behave exceptionally well” and that the school shows “clear improvement since the previous inspection”. (Ofsted, East Peckham Primary School inspection report, 9 December 2025)

Royal Rise Primary in Tonbridge was Strong for early years and Expected elsewhere. The report says attendance “is now in line with national averages” and that the number of pupils who regularly miss school has fallen. Handwriting is one of its two next steps. (Ofsted, Royal Rise Primary School inspection report, 10 February 2026)

Leybourne, St Peter and St Paul was Expected in all seven areas. Expected standard means the school is doing what is required of it. Inspectors asked for earlier identification of pupils with special educational needs, better handwriting teaching for younger pupils, and stronger communication with parents. (Ofsted, Leybourne St Peter and St Paul inspection report, 6 January 2026)

St Mark’s, Eccles: four areas need attention

St Mark’s is a small church school on Eccles Row with 109 pupils, against room for 140. It was graded Needs attention for:

• achievement
• attendance and behaviour
• curriculum and teaching
• leadership and governance

It was Expected for early years, inclusion, and personal development and wellbeing.

The report says some pupils are below national standards in published outcomes, and that mathematics and the Year 4 multiplication check “have remained less secure over time”. Pupils with special educational needs and other vulnerable pupils “do not attend school frequently enough”. Inspectors found that leaders “do not have an accurate view of teaching quality”.

It is not all criticism. Behaviour itself is described as “very positive”, and the report calls it a “small, inclusive school” that “has a big heart”. Inspectors noted that leaders recognise the problems and have begun a new curriculum, but said it is too early to see the effect. (Ofsted, St Mark’s Church of England Primary School inspection report, 7 July 2026)

Ofsted says it carries out monitoring inspections of schools with any area graded Needs attention, so St Mark’s can expect a return visit. (Ofsted, St Mark’s provider page)

What it means for you

• Choosing a primary school? Read the full report, not only the grades. Each one ends with the school’s next steps, which tell you what is being worked on.
• Most borough schools still have an old-style verdict. Only six have a report card so far, so you will be comparing a new report with an older Good or Outstanding for a while. Ofsted says it normally inspects schools every four years. (Ofsted)
• At St Mark’s? The school’s report lists five next steps, starting with attendance. The monitoring visit will be the first public check on progress.

School holiday dates for the year are on our Tonbridge school term dates page.