OFSTED
18 June 2024
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Requires improvement
OEIF
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Requires improvement
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Free schools
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Kent
Trust
HADLOW RURAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL LIMITED
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
377
377 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
159
42.2% of pupils
Male pupils
218
57.8% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
8.6 pts
above England
School
33.4%
Tonbridge and Malling
17.7%
South East
19.0%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
19.5 pts
below England
School
0.8%
Tonbridge and Malling
8.2%
South East
15.6%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
23.1 pts
above England
School
24.1%
Tonbridge and Malling
2.8%
South East
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
89.9%
339
White and Black Caribbean
2.1%
8
Any other White background
1.9%
7
Unclassified
1.9%
7
Gypsy / Roma
1.3%
5
Any other Mixed background
1.1%
4
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
43.5%
164 of
377 pupils
22.7 pts
above England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
20.2 pts
above
England
6.0%
2.5 pts
above
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 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
36.3
2.9 pts
below England
Latest published: -0.08 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority 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
12.81%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
6.59 pts
higher than
England
School
12.81%
Tonbridge and Malling
6.01%
South East
6.30%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
39.58%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
23.76 pts
higher than
England
School
39.58%
Tonbridge and Malling
15.90%
South East
15.75%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
7.26%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
5.46 pts
higher than
England
School
7.26%
Tonbridge and Malling
1.60%
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 secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
100.5%
8.2 pts
above England
Hadlow Rural Community School
100.5%
Tonbridge and Malling
96.8%
South East
95.0%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.