Leigh Academy Tonbridge

About Leigh Academy Tonbridge

Leigh Academy Tonbridge is a state secondary school in Tonbridge and Malling that clearly commands strong local demand. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 704 applications for 172 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.09, meaning more than four families applied for every available spot. Of those, 165 offers went to first-preference applicants, out of 196 families who listed the school as their top choice. That level of competition suggests a school that parents in the area are actively seeking out, though it is worth noting that no parent-view survey data is available to confirm satisfaction levels directly. The school is rated Good by Ofsted overall, with a particularly strong Behaviour and Attitudes judgement of Outstanding in its most recent 2022 inspection. Leadership and Management, Quality of Education, Personal Development, and Sixth Form Provision were all rated Good. The school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections, with the previous one in 2013 also returning Good overall.

Academically, Leigh Academy Tonbridge performs broadly in line with the national average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.07 is positive, meaning pupils achieve slightly better than expected given their starting points, and it sits well above the Kent local authority average of -0.13. The Attainment 8 score of 45.7 reflects a solid set of GCSE results, with 72.4% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 44.7% achieving a grade 5 or above. The school enters 82.9% of pupils for the English Baccalaureate, a high proportion, though only 30.3% achieve the grade 5 threshold in those subjects. In the local authority rankings, the school places 5th out of 10 schools in Tonbridge and Malling on Progress 8, and 39th out of 106 similar schools across Kent. At A-level, the picture is more mixed: the school has a small sixth form of just 10 pupils, with a value-added score of -0.81, classed as well below average, and an average points per entry of 15.79, equivalent to a D- grade.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, theatre, art studios, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision is strong, with rowing, martial arts, gymnastics, and hockey among the options, and clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model UN, and an orchestra. SEND support covers a wide spectrum, including provision for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. With 33% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. It is oversubscribed, so families applying will need to be aware of the high ratio of applications to places. The school suits families who want a large, mixed, non-selective secondary with a good Ofsted record and a sixth form, but those prioritising strong A-level outcomes may want to look more closely at the sixth form's small cohort and below-average value-added scores.

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