The Malling School

About The Malling School

The Malling School has been rated Good overall by Ofsted following its most recent inspection in 2023, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2019. The school’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year sits at -0.21, which places it in the Average banding nationally. This means that, on average, pupils achieve slightly below the national expected level of progress across eight subjects, though the score is not far off the Kent local authority average of -0.13. Within Tonbridge and Malling, the school ranks 8th out of 10 secondary schools on this metric, putting it in the bottom half locally. The Attainment 8 score of 40.5 gives a useful snapshot of overall GCSE performance, while 57.2% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, and 32.8% reached the higher grade 5 threshold. The school’s EBacc average point score of 3.63 and EBacc entry rate of 52.8% suggest a reasonable take-up of the academic core, though only 18.9% of pupils achieved the full EBacc at grade 4 or above.

The Ofsted breakdown reveals real strengths in behaviour and personal development, both rated Outstanding, and leadership and management also judged Outstanding. The quality of education and sixth-form provision are both rated Good. This is a school that has clearly turned a corner under headteacher John Vennart, with inspectors noting strong leadership driving the improvement. The sixth form is officially part of the school and received a Good rating, which is reassuring for families considering staying on post-16. The Progress 8 breakdown shows that pupils performed weakest in maths (Progress 8 score of -0.33) and strongest in the EBacc subjects (-0.08), suggesting the school’s academic focus may be more humanities-oriented. With 29.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake compared to the national average, which provides important context for its results.

The Malling School is a mixed, non-denominational secondary for ages 11 to 18, located in Tonbridge and Malling, Kent. It is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 619 applications for 147 places, with 270 first-preference applications and 143 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.21. This suggests strong local demand despite the middling Progress 8 score. Facilities are generous for a state school, including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, art studios, and a dedicated sixth-form centre. The school offers a wide range of clubs and activities, from DofE and Model UN to coding, gardening, and Young Enterprise. SEND provision is comprehensive, with support for specific learning difficulties, autism, speech and language needs, physical disabilities, and a resourced provision. This is a school that suits families who value strong pastoral care and behaviour, a broad extracurricular offer, and a sixth form, and who are comfortable with academic results that are slightly below the local average but improving.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About The Malling School

Helpful Guides for Parents