SchoolScoresLift St James the Great
Academy · Primary, ages 3 to 11 · Mixed · Nursery class
Part of LIFT SCHOOLS
Chapman Way, East Malling, ME19 6SD
01732 841912 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 7 March 2018.
This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good |
| Outcomes for pupils | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Early years | Good |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 13 September 2023: Ofsted found the school was still Good.
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 4 September 2023 and 2 September 2024.
Kent comparisons use the 248 of its 459 state primary schools with comparable results. The other 211 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school Joint 217th highest of 248 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 12% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 85% | 93% | 88% |
| My child feels safe at this school Joint 231st highest of 248 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 7% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 81% | 94% | 90% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved Joint 216th highest of 248 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 10% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 73% | 88% | 84% |
| Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 14 parents whose child had been bullied Joint 113th highest of 188 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 36% of 6,022 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 50% | 55% | 49% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 24 parents who had raised a concern Joint 207th highest of 244 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 14% of 8,398 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 67% | 81% | 75% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent Joint 219th highest of 248 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 11% of 8,868 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 73%said yes | 88% | 84% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families. Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Kent figures pool parents at the Kent schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25
28 pupils in this year group.
79% — 17 points above the Kent average, and 17 points above the England average.
| Measure | This school | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 79% | 62% | 62% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 11% | 10% | 8% |
| Met the expected standard in reading | 82% | 75% | 75% |
| Met the expected standard in writing | 82% | 74% | 72% |
| Met the expected standard in maths | 86% | 71% | 74% |
| Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. | 110 | 106 | 106 |
| Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. | 107 | 104 | 105 |
Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Kent. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were about one first-choice application for every place.
| Places offered | 21 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 19 |
| Of those, offered a place | 19 (100%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 26 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.0 · 2025: 0.9 · 2026: 0.9
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 45th highest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Higher than 91% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 51.4% | 27.2%* | 26.3% |
| With an education, health and care plan Joint 216th highest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Higher than 41% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 2.6% | 3.0%* | 3.5% |
| Receiving special educational needs support Joint 110th highest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Higher than 71% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 17.7% | 13.8%* | 15.0% |
| English as an additional language Joint 228th highest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Higher than 49% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 9.4% | 15.8%* | 23.4% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) Joint 354th lowest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Lower than 15% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 6.6% | 5.5%* | 5.2% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) Joint 435th lowest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Lower than 2% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 28.6% | 14.4%* | 13.0% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 272nd lowest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Lower than 42% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 1.6 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| Pupils suspended at least once Joint 287th lowest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Lower than 38% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 1.0% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.03% |
| Pupils per teacher Joint 406th highest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Higher than 10% of 16,642 state primary schools in England. | 15.8 | 20.5 | 20.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) Joint 366th highest of 459 state primary schools in Kent. Higher than 17% of 16,653 state primary schools in England. | 8.7 | 10.3 | 10.6 |
| Teachers who left during the year Joint 129th highest of 443 state primary schools in Kent. Higher than 70% of 15,063 state primary schools in England. | 18.9% | 14.4%* | 14.4%* |
Comparisons are with primary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby primary schools
- More Park Catholic Primary School 0.6 miles · Ofsted: Good (2013, before conversion), confirmed 2023 · 72% met expected standard (KS2)
- Brookfield Infant School 0.7 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023)
- Lunsford Primary School 0.7 miles · Ofsted: Good (2013), confirmed 2023 · 35% met expected standard (KS2)
- Brookfield Junior School 0.7 miles · Ofsted: Good (2017), confirmed 2023 · 63% met expected standard (KS2)
- Leybourne, St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary Academy 0.7 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 7 expected · 81% met expected standard (KS2)
- Ditton CofE Junior School 0.9 miles · Ofsted: Requires improvement (2019, before conversion) · 44% met expected standard (KS2)
- Ditton Infant School 1.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2022)
- West Malling CofE Primary School and McGinty Speech and Language Srp 1.1 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023) · 60% met expected standard (KS2)
- Valley Invicta Primary School At Leybourne Chase 1.4 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 76% met expected standard (KS2)
- Valley Invicta Primary School At Aylesford 1.5 miles · Ofsted: Outstanding (2023) · 70% met expected standard (KS2)
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Lift St James the Great's Ofsted rating?
Lift St James the Great was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 7 March 2018. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 13 September 2023, Ofsted found the school was still Good.
How did Lift St James the Great do in its SATs?
In 2024/25, 79% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 17 points above the England average of 62%.
Would parents recommend Lift St James the Great?
73% of the 26 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 4 September 2023 and 2 September 2024 said they would recommend Lift St James the Great to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is Lift St James the Great oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 19 families put Lift St James the Great as their first choice for 21 places: about one first-choice application for every place. 19 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 138074.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 4 September 2023 to 2 September 2024.
- Results: DfE school performance tables, Key stage 2 2024/25.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.