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Schools in Southborough

A town in Kent

  • Town
  • 8 schools and nurseries
  • 989 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, fewer than across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were below England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Southborough at a glance

Strong results at 11, weaker primary inspections

How Southborough's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries82 primary · 5 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better50%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1168%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths0%Attainment 8 3.8, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary29%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school17%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Southborough

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All Southborough primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Southborough

2 mainstream schools in Southborough, best first

Southborough CofE Primary School

Tunbridge Wells, TN4 0JY · State · Primary · Ages 5 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

72 first choices, 77 offers made

Met the standard at 1173%

England 62%

Days missed
5.3%
Pupils
631
Pupils per teacher
20.6
View school Southborough CofE Primary School

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

Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9DY · State · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Requires improvement

Results below the England average.

19 first choices, 22 offers made

Met the standard at 1159%

England 62%

Days missed
6.9%
Pupils
293
Pupils per teacher
18.9
View school St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
See all 3 primary schools

Secondary Schools in Southborough

0 in Southborough. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Meadows School

Tunbridge Wells, TN4 0RJ · Special · All-through · Ages 7 to 19

  • Ofsted:Good or better

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
21.0%
Pupils
65
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Meadows School

Nurseries in Southborough

5 in Southborough, highest Ofsted grade first

See all 5 nurseries

Sixth Forms in Southborough

1 in Southborough, by the school's Eduscope score

Meadows School

Tunbridge Wells, TN4 0RJ · Special · All-through · Ages 7 to 19

  • Ofsted:Good or better

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
21.0%
Pupils
65
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Meadows School

Special Schools in Southborough

1 in Southborough. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Meadows School

Tunbridge Wells, TN4 0RJ · Special · All-through · Ages 7 to 19

  • Ofsted:Good or better

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
21.0%
Pupils
65
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Meadows School
The map

Every school in Southborough, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Requires improvementSouthborough CofE Primary School, GoodMeadows School, Good or betterBright Horizons Southborough Springfield Road Day Nursery, GoodThe Little Learning Tree Preschool - Southborough, GoodPennington Park Pre School, GoodBright Horizons Southborough Woodlands Preschool, GoodHolden Park Pre-School, Good
  • Good6
  • Requires improvement1
  • Not graded yet1
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

By age

What's on offer for each age

Pick a stage to see every Southborough school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how Southborough's schools break down by type, faith and more.

Postcodes

Browse Southborough by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Southborough vs England

How good are Southborough's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Southborough

SouthboroughEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 2 primaries with one.

    50%

    England 96%

    Below England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    68%

    England 62%

    Above England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    0%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    17%

    England 18%

    Close to England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    29%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 2 schools that have one.

50%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding0
  • Good1
  • Requires improvement1
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Southborough in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%65%80%20182019202320242025
68% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap0%5%10%2018201920222023202420252026
0% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
17% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Southborough has 8 schools and nurseries.

There are 7% fewer pupils than in 2018.

29% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Southborough's state schools each January.

Down 7% since 2018.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

Southborough29%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Southborough

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Find a school to follow
Questions

Questions parents ask about Southborough

Nearby areas

How many schools are in Southborough?

Southborough has 8 schools, including 3 primary schools, 1 secondary school, 5 nurseries, 1 special school. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Southborough?

The highest-ranked schools in Southborough on Eduscope are Southborough CofE Primary School, St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in Southborough are rated Good or Outstanding?

50% of inspected schools in Southborough hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 1 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Southborough perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Southborough, 68% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Southborough?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Southborough is 20.0:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in Southborough schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Southborough is 17.2%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in Southborough?

There are 989 pupils enrolled across schools in Southborough, with 924 in primary and 65 in secondary. 29.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How do I choose the right school in Southborough?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 8 schools in Southborough by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

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