Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School

About Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School

Ashford, St Mary's Church of England Primary School is a state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, and it is a school in high demand. With 417 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, it is essentially full. The school's popularity is clear from its 2025/26 admissions data: it received 123 applications for 60 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.05, and of the 57 first-preference applications, only 56 were offered places. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 27.8%, which is notably higher than the national average for primary schools, suggesting the school serves a community with above-average levels of economic disadvantage. The headteacher is Nicola Hirst, and the school has a Church of England religious character, though it is a state-funded school open to all families in the Ashford area.

Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025 rated it Good overall, with leadership and management, early years provision, and behaviour and attitudes all judged Good. This is a significant improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2016, which had rated it Requires Improvement. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 58% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. This is slightly below the Kent local authority average of 63%. However, the school's average reading score of 106 and maths score of 103 are both above the national average of 100. A higher proportion of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading (36%) than in maths (15%) or writing (2%). Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 50% for its combined expected standard, sitting at the 62nd percentile within Kent.

The school offers a strong range of facilities, including a Forest School, music rooms, a gymnasium, an ICT suite, art studios, a sports hall, playing fields and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, cricket, swimming and athletics, and there are clubs such as drama, choir and science club. For children with special educational needs, the school provides support for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. Parent views are overwhelmingly positive: 92% would recommend the school, and 98% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. This is a school that suits families seeking a popular, full Church of England primary with strong pastoral care and a broad range of facilities, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing local options such as Great Chart Primary School, which is rated Outstanding and 2.2 km away.

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