The Discovery School is a primary school in West Malling, serving pupils aged 4 to 11. The school is a community school 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.
The Discovery School currently has around 635 pupils on roll, which is about 101% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 51% boys and 49% girls. Around 8.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. Pupil backgrounds are varied across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 5.3%. Persistent absence is recorded at 11.8%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (72.1%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Outstanding. This indicates exceptional performance across all areas. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Discovery Drive, West Malling, ME19 4GJ |
| Website: | www.discovery.kent.sch.uk |
| Telephone: | 01732847000 |
| School Type: | Community school |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Kent |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Miss Tina Gobell |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 134057 |
Ofsted inspection date: 21/02/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 630 |
| Number of Pupils: | 635 |
| Number of Boys: | 324 |
| Number of Girls: | 311 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 5.3% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 11.8% | 8.2% |
| White British | 72.10% | 458 |
| Other Mixed | 7.40% | 47 |
| Other White | 4.60% | 29 |
| Indian | 3.30% | 21 |
| African | 2.40% | 15 |
| White and Black African | 1.60% | 10 |
| Pakistani | 1.40% | 9 |
| White and Asian | 1.30% | 8 |
| Chinese | 1.10% | 7 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.90% | 6 |
| Unclassified | 0.90% | 6 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.80% | 5 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.80% | 5 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.50% | 3 |
| Irish | 0.50% | 3 |
| Other Asian | 0.30% | 2 |
| Caribbean | 0.20% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Hill School Primary and Nursery Crispin Way , Kings Hill ME19 4LS | 4out of 4 | 1,468 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Valley Invicta Primary School At Kings Hill Warwick Way (Off Tower View) , Kings Hill ME19 4AL | - not rated | 1,548 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Mill Stream Junior School Mill Street , East Malling ME19 6DB | - not rated | 2,399 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Wateringbury Church of England Primary School 147 Bow Road , Wateringbury ME18 5EA | - not rated | 2,697 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| More Park Catholic Primary School Lucks Hill , ME19 6HN | - not rated | 2,822 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Malling School Beech Road , East Malling ME19 6DH | 3out of 4 | 2,543 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.