Balfour Junior School is a primary school in Chatham, serving pupils aged 7 to 11. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Balfour Junior School currently has around 480 pupils on roll, which is about 100% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 48.3% boys and 51.7% girls. Around 31.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 5.9%. Persistent absence is recorded at 18.5%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (52.9%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Balfour Road, Chatham, ME4 6QX |
| Website: | www.balfourjuniorschool.org.uk |
| Telephone: | 01634843833 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Medway |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Zoe Mayston |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 143880 |
Ofsted inspection date: 14/10/2015
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 7 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 480 |
| Number of Pupils: | 480 |
| Number of Boys: | 232 |
| Number of Girls: | 248 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 5.9% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 18.5% | 8.2% |
| White British | 52.90% | 254 |
| Indian | 8.50% | 41 |
| Other White | 8.10% | 39 |
| African | 7.70% | 37 |
| Bangladeshi | 5.80% | 28 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 3.10% | 15 |
| Other Asian | 2.30% | 11 |
| White and Asian | 2.10% | 10 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.90% | 9 |
| Other Mixed | 1.90% | 9 |
| Pakistani | 1.70% | 8 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 1.00% | 5 |
| White and Black African | 1.00% | 5 |
| Chinese | 0.60% | 3 |
| Other Black | 0.60% | 3 |
| Caribbean | 0.40% | 2 |
| Irish | 0.20% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Unclassified | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balfour Junior School Balfour Road , ME4 6QX | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Balfour Junior School Balfour Road , ME4 6QX | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Balfour Infant School Pattens Lane , ME1 2QT | - not rated | 385 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infant School, Chatham 4 New Street , ME4 6RH | - not rated | 714 yd | Voluntary controlled school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St John's Church of England Infant School 4 New Street , ME4 6RH | 3out of 4 | 714 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School City Way , ME1 2FA | - not rated | 564 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Fort Pitt Grammar School Fort Pitt Hill , ME4 6TJ | 4out of 4 | 876 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| Fort Pitt Grammar School Fort Pitt Hill , ME4 6TJ | - not rated | 876 yd | Foundation school | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| Holcombe Grammar School Holcombe , Maidstone Road ME4 6JB | 3out of 4 | 906 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Boys | More About School |
| Chatham Grammar School for Boys Holcombe , Maidstone Road ME4 6JB | - not rated | 906 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Boys | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oasis Restore 1 Kennington Road , SE1 7QP | - not rated | 2,047 yd | Academy secure 16 to 19 | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| MidKent College Medway Road , ME7 1FN | - not rated | 3,169 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Skies School 126 Maidstone Road , ME4 6DQ | - not rated | 440 yd | Other independent special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Redvers Centre Redvers Road , ME4 5UU | - not rated | 921 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Cedars School 70 Maidstone Road , ME1 3DE | - not rated | 1,252 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ripplevale School Rochester 9-13 New Road , Rochester ME1 1BG | - not rated | 1,276 yd | Other independent special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Rochester Independent College 254 St Margaret's Banks , ME1 1HY | - not rated | 1,401 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.