OFSTED
5 February 2025
Latest ungraded inspection
Latest published outcome
Standards maintained
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Free schools
Phase
Primary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Kent
Trust
THE WELLS FREE SCHOOL
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
213
213 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
99
46.5% of pupils
Male pupils
114
53.5% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
7.0 pts
below England
School
17.8%
Tunbridge Wells
12.9%
South East
19.0%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
33.7 pts
above England
School
54.0%
Tunbridge Wells
11.9%
South East
15.6%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
2.3 pts
above England
School
3.3%
Tunbridge Wells
1.9%
South East
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
41.3%
88
Any other White background
18.8%
40
Indian
14.1%
30
Any other Mixed background
5.6%
12
Any other Asian background
4.2%
9
Any other ethnic group
4.2%
9
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
16.9%
36 of
213 pupils
3.9 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
0.7 pts
below
England
6.0%
3.2 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 2 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
EXPECTED STANDARD
Reading, writing & maths
68.0%
7.6 pts
above England
EXPECTED STANDARD
74.0%
Reading
0.2 pts above England
School
74.0%
Tunbridge Wells
78.5%
South East
74.0%
England
73.8%
EXPECTED STANDARD
71.0%
Writing
0.7 pts above England
School
71.0%
Tunbridge Wells
76.6%
South East
70.5%
England
70.3%
EXPECTED STANDARD
84.0%
Maths
12.0 pts above England
School
84.0%
Tunbridge Wells
75.7%
South East
70.9%
England
72.0%
School results show the percentage of
pupils meeting the expected standard.
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages and are not
pupil-weighted official attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
4.30%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
1.92 pts
lower than
England
School
4.30%
Tunbridge Wells
5.96%
South East
6.30%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
7.03%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
8.79 pts
lower than
England
School
7.03%
Tunbridge Wells
15.04%
South East
15.75%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
0.00%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
1.80 pts
lower than
England
School
0.00%
Tunbridge Wells
1.79%
South East
1.93%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open primary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
101.4%
13.2 pts
above England
The Wells Free School
101.4%
Tunbridge Wells
92.8%
South East
89.5%
England
88.2%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.