Balfour Junior School
About Balfour Junior School
Balfour Junior School is a state primary for children aged 7 to 11, sitting within the Medway local authority. Among the 55 primary schools in the area, it ranks 24th based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths — a solid mid-table position. The three highest-scoring peers locally are The Pilgrim School, Swingate Primary School and Leigh Academy High Halstow, all of which sit above Balfour in the rankings. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is The Pilgrim School, about 2.4 kilometres away. Balfour itself holds a Good rating from Ofsted, confirmed in its most recent ungraded inspection in 2024, which noted the school remains Good. That marks a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2015, when it was rated Requires Improvement. Under headteacher Zoe Mayston, the school now operates at full capacity with 480 pupils, and a relatively high proportion — 31 per cent — are eligible for free school meals.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
23 May 2024Latest monitoring visit (23 May 2024): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 10 Nov 2015. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
9Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:15
Breakfast club
07:30-08:55
After-school care
15:15-18:00
Source: balfourjuniorschool.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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