Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School
Corseley Road, Groombridge, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9SF
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs Elizabeth Derham
- Diocese
- Diocese of Chichester
- Constituency
- Sussex Weald
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 218
- Pupils on roll
- 117
- URN
- 114559
- Local authority
- East Sussex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01892864305
About this school
Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Tunbridge Wells. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 117 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 32 | 20 | 19 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 63% | 75% | 74% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 13% | 0% | 11% |
| Expected standard in reading | 91% | 90% | 84% |
| Expected standard in maths | 75% | 85% | 79% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 91% | 80% | 79% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 108.0 | 109.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 104.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.80 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -2.40 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.90 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | East Sussex average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 63% | 54.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 75% | 56.2% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 74% | 57.6% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.8% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.9% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 178 |
| 2023/24 | 146 |
| 2024/25 | 132 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School compares
Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School ranked 23rd of 131 primary schools in East Sussex for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 76% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 85% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 74% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 117 | — |
| Langton Green Primary School | 88% | 4.3% | 5.4% | 422 | 1.9 miles |
| St Michael's Primary School | 71% | 6.8% | 4.1% | 74 | 2.0 miles |
| Fordcombe Church of England Primary School | 62% | 8.2% | 33.9% | 57 | 2.2 miles |
| Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School | 65% | 6.4% | 45.1% | 108 | 2.6 miles |
| St Mark's Church of England Primary School | 68% | 4.7% | 21.5% | 333 | 2.6 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 4.55%
- English as an additional language
- 1.5%
- Overall absence
- 3.92%
- Persistent absence
- 4.17%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Langton Green Primary School1.9 miles
Primary · Tunbridge Wells
-
St Michael's Primary School2.0 miles
Primary · Hartfield
-
Fordcombe Church of England Primary School2.2 miles
Primary · Tunbridge Wells
-
Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · Tunbridge Wells
-
St Mark's Church of England Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · Tunbridge Wells
Other schools in Tunbridge Wells
Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School ranks 6th of the 23 ranked primary schools in Tunbridge Wells.
- Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Bishops Down Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Broadwater Down Primary School Primary
- Claremont Primary School Primary
- Fordcombe Church of England Primary School Primary
- Frant Church of England Primary School Primary
- Lamberhurst St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School Primary
- Langton Green Primary School Primary
- Pembury School Primary
- Rusthall St Paul's CofE Primary School Primary
- Skinners' Kent Primary School Primary
- Skinners' Temple Grove Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School teach?
- Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Tunbridge Wells.
- Who is the headteacher of Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
- The headteacher of Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School is Mrs Elizabeth Derham, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School?
- Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School has 117 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School full?
- Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School has capacity for 218 pupils and 117 on roll (54%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Chichester.
- Does Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 63% in 2022/23 and 74% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School compare with other schools in East Sussex?
- Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School ranked 23rd of 131 primary schools in East Sussex for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 76% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 85% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 3.9% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.