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St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9DYPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Requires Improvement
Mar 2024
KS2 Results
68%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.8×
Not oversubscribed
18 1st-choice / 23 places
Ranking
#4,955
of 13,686 nationally

About St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a popular choice among local families, with 69 applications for just 23 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3:1. Of those, 18 families put it as their first preference, and all 18 received offers. This level of demand suggests parents see real value in the school, even though its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024 rated overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement. The school has held a Good rating previously, so the change will be a key consideration for prospective parents. The school serves a diverse community, with 48.2 per cent of its 333 pupils eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. It is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary, with a headteacher, Claire Harris, leading a mixed-gender school for children aged 4 to 11.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressPowder Mill Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9DY
HeadteacherClaire Harris
Local AuthorityKent
Number of Pupils333
Free School Meals (FSM)48.2%
School Capacity333 / 420 (79% full)

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 English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

26 Mar 2024
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement
Early Years Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 13 May 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

5
Outdoor PlaygroundForest SchoolLibraryPlaying FieldsChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

10

Sports

FootballCricketSwimmingDanceCross Country

Clubs & Activities

Eco ClubChessScience ClubBook ClubFilm Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismMental HealthSpeech & LanguageLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:15

Source: st-matthews-school.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.