North Borough Junior School

About North Borough Junior School

North Borough Junior School’s headline KS2 results sit noticeably below the Kent local authority average, which is a key point for parents weighing up academic performance. The school’s proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined stands at 50%, compared with the LA average of 63% for primary schools. That 13-point gap places North Borough in the bottom half of schools nationally, ranking 36th out of 44 primary schools in the Maidstone district. On individual subjects, reading is the strongest area, with 81% of pupils meeting the expected standard and an average scaled score of 105, while maths and writing trail at 61% and 60% respectively. Only 1% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, and just 1% reached the higher bar in writing, though 23% did so in maths. These figures suggest a school where core literacy is a relative strength but where overall attainment is a concern for families prioritising academic outcomes.

The school’s most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in 2014, rated it Good overall, with Good marks for leadership and management. An ungraded inspection in October 2023 confirmed that the school remains Good, meaning standards have been maintained. This is a significant improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2012, when it was judged to Require Improvement. Progress scores for reading, writing and maths are not available in the data, so it is not possible to compare how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The school serves a relatively disadvantaged cohort, with 33.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. For context, the nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Allington Primary School, two kilometres away, and there are 54 Outstanding primaries across Kent’s 459 total primary schools.

North Borough Junior School offers a broad range of facilities including a library, sensory room, forest school, music rooms and an art studio, alongside an outdoor playground and playing fields. Sports provision covers tennis, football, cross country and netball, and clubs include choir, gardening, book club and film club. The school’s SEND provision is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. With 354 pupils against a capacity of 360, the school is near full, so oversubscription is likely. This is a school that will suit families who value a supportive, inclusive environment with strong pastoral and SEND support, but who are realistic about academic outcomes being below the local average.

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