Leigh Academy Marden
Goudhurst Road, Marden, Tonbridge, TN12 9JX
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- LEIGH ACADEMIES TRUST
- Acting Headteacher
- Mrs Stephanie Goodall
- Sponsor
- Leigh Academies Trust
- Constituency
- Weald of Kent
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 275
- Pupils on roll
- 323
- URN
- 148116
- Local authority
- Kent
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01622831393
About this school
Leigh Academy Marden is a primary academy in Tonbridge. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 323 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person 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
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- 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 | 38 | 34 | 42 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 68% | 79% | 74% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 8% | 9% | 19% |
| Expected standard in reading | 87% | 91% | 93% |
| Expected standard in maths | 84% | 82% | 79% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 82% | 94% | 79% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 109.0 | 107.0 | 108.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | +6.60 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +2.10 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +3.70 | - | - |
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 Leigh Academy Marden has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Kent average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 68% | 58.3% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 79% | 60.2% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 74% | 60.8% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.9% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 281 |
| 2023/24 | 293 |
| 2024/25 | 322 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Leigh Academy Marden compares
Leigh Academy Marden ranked 106th of 427 primary schools in Kent 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 43% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 74% | 5.7% | 35.7% | 323 | — |
| St Margaret's, Collier Street Church of England Voluntary Controlled School | 59% | 4.8% | 6.6% | 123 | 1.8 miles |
| Staplehurst School | 42% | 6.8% | 23.8% | 398 | 2.8 miles |
| Hunton Church of England Primary School | 69% | 6.2% | 26.2% | 106 | 3.3 miles |
| Leigh Academy Horsmonden | 70% | 3.8% | 11.6% | 195 | 3.3 miles |
| Colliers Green Church of England Primary School | 75% | 4.4% | 7% | 109 | 3.7 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.
Inspection history
- 28 February 2023
-
Ungraded inspection report16 October 2019
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 35.71%
- English as an additional language
- 5%
- Overall absence
- 5.74%
- Persistent absence
- 15.99%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Margaret's, Collier Street Church of England Voluntary Controlled School1.8 miles
Primary · Tonbridge
-
Staplehurst School2.8 miles
Primary · Tonbridge
-
Hunton Church of England Primary School3.3 miles
Primary · Maidstone
-
Leigh Academy Horsmonden3.3 miles
Primary · Tonbridge
-
Colliers Green Church of England Primary School3.7 miles
Primary · Cranbrook
Other schools in Tonbridge
Leigh Academy Marden ranks 6th of the 22 ranked primary schools in Tonbridge.
- Bishop Chavasse Primary School Primary
- Brenchley and Matfield Church of England Primary School Primary
- Cage Green Primary School Primary
- Capel Primary School Primary
- East Peckham Primary School Primary
- Hadlow Primary School Primary
- Hildenborough Church of England Primary School Primary
- Leigh Academy Horsmonden Primary
- Leigh Academy Paddock Wood Primary
- Leigh Primary School Primary
- Long Mead Community Primary School Primary
- Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Leigh Academy Marden teach?
- Leigh Academy Marden teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Tonbridge.
- Who is the acting headteacher of Leigh Academy Marden?
- The acting headteacher of Leigh Academy Marden is Mrs Stephanie Goodall, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Leigh Academy Marden last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Leigh Academy Marden, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Leigh Academy Marden?
- Leigh Academy Marden has 323 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Leigh Academy Marden full?
- Leigh Academy Marden has capacity for 275 pupils and 323 on roll (117%), so it is at or above 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 Leigh Academy Marden a faith school?
- No. Leigh Academy Marden has no designated religious character.
- Does Leigh Academy Marden have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Leigh Academy Marden as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs Leigh Academy Marden?
- Leigh Academy Marden is part of LEIGH ACADEMIES TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Leigh Academy Marden's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 68% 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 Leigh Academy Marden rank locally?
- Leigh Academy Marden ranked 106th of 427 primary schools in Kent 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 43% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Leigh Academy Marden's absence rate?
- Leigh Academy Marden's overall absence rate is 5.7% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Leigh Academy Marden's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Leigh Academy Marden'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 10 July 2026.