Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School

About Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School

Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School in Tunbridge Wells is a mixed state primary for ages 3 to 11, currently operating with 200 pupils against a capacity of 210, leaving a small margin of spare places. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 15.5 per cent, which is above the national average for primary schools and suggests a more diverse intake than some of its local peers. Demand for places is notably high: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 46 applications for just 15 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.07. Of those, 12 were first-preference applications, and 12 first-preference offers were made, meaning every family who put it first secured a spot. This level of competition indicates strong local reputation despite the school's current Ofsted rating, and suggests that families in the area view it as a viable option for their children.

Academically, the school's most recent Key Stage 2 results from the 2023/24 academic year show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 60 per cent, just below the Kent local authority average of 63 per cent. Individual subject performance was stronger in reading and maths, with 97 per cent achieving the expected standard in reading and 93 per cent in maths, while writing lagged at 67 per cent. At the higher standard, only 3 per cent of pupils reached the top level across all three subjects, though 40 per cent did so in reading and 33 per cent in maths. The school's average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 107 in maths. In the Tunbridge Wells local authority ranking, Bishops Down places 27th out of 31 primary schools, placing it in the bottom half nationally at the 57th percentile.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a dining hall, outdoor playground, gymnasium, music rooms, forest school, ICT suite and a chapel. Sports provision covers athletics, swimming, tennis, cross country, cricket and football, while clubs include choir, coding, eco club and film club. SEND support is extensive, with provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, physical disability and social, emotional and mental health needs, alongside a resourced provision. The school has a nursery for three-year-olds. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023 rated overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, with personal development and behaviour and attitudes both rated Good. This is a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2012. Families considering Bishops Down should weigh its strong demand and inclusive intake against the current academic and inspection outcomes.

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