Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School
74%
Capacity
111
Pupils
1.8x
Demand
About Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School
Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary in Tunbridge Wells, within the Kent local authority. Among the 459 state primary schools across Kent, it is not ranked among the top performers; the highest-scoring peers in the county include Stelling Minnis Church of England Primary School, Leigh Academy Dartford, and Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, just 1.7 kilometres away. Rusthall St Paul's itself currently holds a Requires Improvement rating from its most recent graded inspection in 2023, a downgrade from the Good rating it received in 2016. The school has 111 pupils against a capacity of 150, and a notably high proportion of pupils — 45 per cent — are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average.
Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 gave a mixed picture. The overall effectiveness was judged as Requires Improvement, with the quality of education and early years provision both rated Requires Improvement. However, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management were all rated Good. The previous inspection in 2016 had rated overall effectiveness as Good, with early years provision at that time graded as Requires Improvement. The school does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results in the data provided, so it is not possible to compare its academic outcomes directly against the Kent local authority average of 63 per cent achieving the expected standard. The school has no sixth form and no nursery provision, focusing solely on primary-aged pupils from 4 to 11.
The school offers a range of facilities including a library, sensory room, playing fields, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms, and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, netball, rounders, cricket, swimming, and dance, while clubs range from book club and gardening to coding, choir, film club, and eco club. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school provides support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admissions for the 2025/26 year show the school was oversubscribed, with 23 applications for 13 places and 12 first-preference offers made. This suggests a local demand that outstrips capacity, making it a competitive choice for families seeking a small, faith-based primary with strong pastoral and SEND support.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 8RZ |
| Headteacher | Lyndsay Smurthwaite |
| Local Authority | Kent |
| Number of Pupils | 111 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 45.0% |
| School Capacity | 111 / 150 (74% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
19 Apr 2023Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 14 Jun 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed13
23
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
12 families put this school as their 1st choice (52% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:10
Breakfast club
07:45-08:40
After-school care
15:10-18:00
Source: rusthall-cep.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British78.4%
- Mixed6.3%
- White (other)4.5%
- Asian2.7%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
3
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
3
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
High Street, Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells, TN4 8RZ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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