Horsted Junior School

About Horsted Junior School

Horsted Junior School in Medway has been rated Good by Ofsted, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating. The school’s most recent graded inspection in 2014 and an ungraded inspection in 2023 both confirmed it remains Good, with leadership and management also rated Good. On the key academic metric for primary schools, 80% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined in the 2023/24 KS2 assessments. That is well above the Medway local authority average of 62%, placing Horsted 4th out of 55 primary schools in the area and in the top 25% nationally. The school also excels at the higher standard, with 14% of pupils reaching that level across all three subjects. Reading and maths average scores both sit at 108, comfortably above the national benchmark of 100.

Looking deeper at the KS2 results, Horsted’s strengths are spread across subjects. In reading, 91% of pupils reached the expected standard and 39% achieved the higher standard. Maths saw 89% at expected and 42% at higher, while writing had 86% at expected and 22% at higher. The school does not publish progress scores for reading, writing or maths, so it is not possible to compare how much value it adds relative to pupils’ starting points. However, the attainment figures alone make Horsted one of the strongest performers in Medway, ranking 5th overall among the 76 primary schools in the local authority. For context, the nearest Outstanding-rated school is St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School, about a kilometre away, but Horsted’s Good rating with strong results means it competes well in the local market.

Horsted Junior School has capacity for 248 pupils and currently enrols 250, so it is slightly oversubscribed. The school serves a mixed cohort, with 19.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, which is close to the national average for primary schools. Facilities include art studios, music rooms, a sensory room and a chapel, plus an outdoor playground. Sports provision covers football, netball, tennis, gymnastics, rounders, cross country and dance, while clubs include gardening, film club, art club, choir and drama. SEND support is available for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. This is a school that suits families looking for strong academic outcomes in a state primary setting, with a broad enrichment offer and a clear track record of improvement from its previous inspection.

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