Lift St James the Great
About Lift St James the Great
Lift St James the Great is a primary school in Tonbridge and Malling that parents clearly rate highly. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 25 applications for just 16 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.56. Of those 25 applications, 15 were first-preference choices, and 15 first-preference offers were made, meaning every family who put it as their top choice secured a place. This level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, though no parent-view survey data is available in the school's records to provide a formal recommendation percentage. The school is a state-funded primary for mixed genders aged 3 to 11, with a nursery provision attached, and currently has 192 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, so there is a little room for growth. Headteacher Tamasin Springett leads a school with no religious character, which may appeal to families seeking a non-faith-based setting.
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
13 Sept 2023Latest monitoring visit (13 Sept 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 29 Mar 2018. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
13Sports
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
08:50 – 15:20
Breakfast club
08:00-08:45
After-school care
15:20-17:30
Source: stjamesthegreatacademy.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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