A recent inspection of St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School in Tunbridge Wells has highlighted concerns regarding the academic progress of some pupils, despite the school meeting all national safeguarding standards.
The inspection, carried out by Ofsted on 3 February 2026, was the first assessment conducted since headteacher William Liddle took the position in September 2025. While the report found that pupils behave well and maintain positive attitudes towards learning, inspectors identified that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs are not making the progress expected of them.
According to the findings, there are significant gaps in learning for these students that are not being consistently addressed during daily lessons. Data shows that the three-year average for disadvantaged pupils achieving expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics is 20 per cent, compared to a national average of 68 per cent for non-disadvantaged pupils. The school, which serves 264 pupils aged 5 to 11, is part of the Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership, a trust overseen by chief executive Annemarie Whittle and board chair Caroline Stockmann.
Inspectors have requested that the school focus on three key areas for improvement. These include using assessments more effectively to guide teaching, ensuring that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs make faster progress, and building further expertise among the teaching staff. The school received £75,750 in pupil premium funding for the 2025-2026 academic year, which is intended to support the 21.4 per cent of the student population identified as disadvantaged.
Despite these academic concerns, the school continues to perform well in other areas. Attendance rates now meet or exceed national averages, and the school remains compliant with all legal safeguarding requirements. The school was previously judged as good overall during an inspection in 2021.
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