St Mark's Church of England Primary School, Eccles

About St Mark's Church of England Primary School, Eccles

St Mark's Church of England Primary School in Eccles posts a KS2 combined expected standard in reading, writing and maths of 67%, which sits four percentage points above the Kent local authority average of 63% for primary schools. That gap is modest but meaningful, placing the school in the top half of the 459 primaries across the county, ranked 183rd. Within the Tonbridge and Malling borough specifically, it comes 18th out of 41 schools, landing in the 44th percentile. The school's reading average score of 104 and maths average of 100 suggest solid core teaching, though the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in maths is just 6%, compared with 22% in reading and 17% in writing. For a small village primary with just 118 pupils on roll, these results indicate consistent, above-average delivery without the standout peaks of the very top performers in the LA.

Ofsted last graded the school Good overall in its 2015 graded inspection, and a subsequent ungraded visit in March 2022 confirmed it 'remains Good'. Leadership and management, early years provision, and the overall effectiveness all earned Good ratings, with early years specifically noted as Good. This represents a clear improvement from the school's previous inspection in September 2013, when it was rated Requires Improvement. The current headteacher, Jonathan Bassett, leads a team that has clearly stabilised and strengthened the school's performance. With no Progress 8 scores available for primary phase, the KS2 outcomes are the main academic benchmark, and they paint a picture of a school that reliably delivers above the local norm, particularly in reading, where 72% of pupils met the expected standard.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 36 applications for 17 places and all 17 first-preference applicants offered a spot — a ratio of 2.12 applicants per place. Facilities include music rooms, art studios, an ICT suite, a gymnasium, sports hall, outdoor playground and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports on offer are football, cricket, tennis, rounders, netball and gymnastics, with clubs covering coding, film club and drama. The school's SEND register covers specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families seeking a small, church-affiliated primary with academic outcomes a notch above the Kent average and a strong local reputation, St Mark's is a solid choice — though the nearest Outstanding-rated alternative, Valley Invicta Primary School at Aylesford, is only 2.7 km away.

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