Leigh Academy Molehill Review 2026: Outstanding primary with an IB Primary Years Programme lens

At morning drop-off, the routine is purposeful, and the message is clear, learning matters here. Leigh Academy Molehill is a state primary in Bearsted, Maidstone, for children aged 3 to 11, with an on-site nursery (Little Moles) for ages 3 to 5. The academy describes itself as opened in 1954 to serve the local area, and that long-standing community role still shows in how closely it aligns curriculum, pastoral care, and family engagement.

The headline for parents is the combination of rigorous academic outcomes and a coherent whole-school approach. The school is authorised as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School and teaches the Primary Years Programme (PYP) alongside the National Curriculum, with a strong emphasis on structured learning, language-rich classrooms, and pupil leadership. In 2024, 88.33% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, well above the England average of 62%, with 43.33% at the higher standard (England average 8%). It is also a competitive school to access at Reception entry, with 83 applications for 34 offers in the most recently provided admissions cycle and an oversubscribed status.

Leadership is clearly front-and-centre. The principal is Mrs Laura Smith, and governance records list the principal’s ex officio appointment date as 22 April 2025. The current inspection profile is also strong: in the 10 December 2024 inspection, all key judgements were graded Outstanding, including early years.

The culture here is built around high expectations and calm, consistent routines. Official reporting describes a “calm and purposeful” learning environment, with pupils demonstrating strong respect for peers and values, and behaviour described as exemplary. Those are not abstract statements, they usually translate into classrooms where transitions are smooth, talk is purposeful, and pupils know what good learning looks like.

A distinctive feature is how pupils are positioned as active participants in school life rather than passive recipients. The inspection narrative points to influential pupil leadership and the idea that pupils’ voices shape decisions. That matters for parents deciding between schools that are academically strong on paper but do not always develop the confidence and responsibility that carry into secondary school. Here, the reported pattern is that leadership roles and structured opportunities for responsibility are part of the day-to-day fabric.

The site and setting also support the school’s identity. The academy states that its grounds have been developed specifically to aid curriculum studies, and outdoor learning is not a bolt-on. Forest School is framed as a participant-led approach that builds a mutual relationship with the woodland environment, with sustainability and ecological impact explicitly considered. For many children, that outdoor strand provides a practical balance to the high academic cadence, especially for pupils who learn best through hands-on experiences and exploratory tasks.

Nursery is integrated into the wider school story rather than treated as a separate business unit. Little Moles Nursery opened in September 2021 and operates term-time, 9am to 3pm, for children aged 3 to 5. The nursery describes a mix of adult-led and child-led learning opportunities and a strong focus on building independence and confidence in small and large group activities. This integration can make Reception transition smoother, because routines, expectations, and language are already aligned with the main school.

For a primary school, the most meaningful benchmark is the combined reading, writing and mathematics measure, paired with how many pupils reach the higher standard.

In 2024, 88.33% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared to the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 43.33% reached greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with the England average of 8%. Science is also strong, with 88% reaching the expected standard, above the England average of 82%.

On scaled scores, the school’s 2024 averages were 112 in reading, 109 in mathematics, and 109 in grammar, punctuation and spelling. High scores were common: 65% achieved a high score in reading, 42% in mathematics, and 58% in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Writing also appears strong, with 23% at greater depth.

Rankings are one way parents shortlist quickly, as long as they are treated as a starting point rather than the whole story. Leigh Academy Molehill is ranked 513th in England and 1st in Maidstone for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That places it well above the England average, within the top 10% of schools in England.

If you are comparing several local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool can help you put these figures side-by-side without losing sight of context such as cohort size and admissions pressure.

The teaching model is built around a carefully sequenced curriculum, with knowledge revisited frequently so pupils can retain and apply it confidently. The most useful detail for parents is that learning is not framed as a set of disconnected topics. Instead, it is described as deliberately structured so concepts build logically year-on-year.

The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) is the defining curriculum layer. The school describes the National Curriculum as the knowledge and skills entitlement by the end of primary, with the PYP acting as the framework for how learning is organised and connected. In practical terms, that usually means more emphasis on inquiry, careful vocabulary development, and wider themes that allow pupils to make connections across subjects.

Reading is clearly treated as a whole-school priority. The inspection narrative describes a systematic approach to phonics, targeted support where needed, and reading embedded daily through ambitious texts. For families with younger children, this is one of the most dependable predictors of later success, because strong early reading reduces barriers across the curriculum, from word problems in mathematics to understanding historical sources.

Early years is positioned as a strong foundation rather than simply childcare. The inspection narrative describes children in early years making excellent progress, building attention and engagement, and learning through play being carefully designed to reinforce key skills such as counting. That matters for parents weighing whether their child will be stretched early without being rushed. The underlying implication is that early years is designed to be purposeful while still developmentally appropriate.

As a primary school, the destination story is mainly about transition readiness rather than published secondary placement lists. The most reliable evidence here is the reported emphasis on strong foundations, consistent routines, leadership opportunities, and a curriculum that supports pupils to connect ideas across subjects.

For families in Maidstone and Bearsted, the local secondary landscape includes a mix of non-selective and selective pathways across Kent. Rather than assuming a particular destination pattern, the best approach is to discuss likely options during open events and ask how the school supports transition, including academic records transfer, pastoral handover, and any specific preparation for the move from Year 6 to Year 7.

If your child is considering a selective route later on, the strongest preparation is often indirect: secure reading comprehension, fluent number sense, and the confidence to handle unfamiliar problems. On the published evidence, those are all areas the school treats seriously.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. The main cost of entry is competition for places.

Reception admissions follow Kent County Council’s co-ordinated admissions scheme and timetable, with Leigh Academies Trust acting as the admissions authority. The school’s published admission number (PAN) is 45 for Reception entry.

Oversubscription criteria follow a familiar priority order. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are admitted where appropriate. The subsequent priorities include looked-after and previously looked-after children, siblings, children of staff in specific circumstances, health and special access reasons, then distance. Distance is measured as a straight-line calculation using National Land and Property Gazetteer address point data.

Demand data supports the view that entry is competitive. In the most recently provided cycle, there were 83 applications for 34 offers, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed. With a subscription proportion of 2.44, that implies roughly two and a half applications per offered place, which is meaningful pressure for a primary school.

For September 2026 Reception entry in Kent, the published local authority timetable states that applications open on Friday 7 November 2025 and close on Thursday 15 January 2026. National Offer Day is Thursday 16 April 2026, with the deadline to accept or refuse the offered school on Thursday 30 April 2026.

The academy notes that open day dates are published online in September or October for the following year’s Reception intake. If you are planning ahead, that statement is useful because it tells you when to start actively checking, even if precise dates are not yet posted.

Parents considering proximity-based criteria should use the FindMySchool Map Search tool to check their precise distance to the school compared with typical admissions patterns, and to sanity-check travel practicality for daily routines.

Pastoral strength here is framed as a combination of consistent adult expectations and genuine support structures. The inspection narrative describes staff removing barriers so all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, can learn well. The school also operates a specialist resourced provision on site, including support for speech, language and communication needs and for pupils with hearing impairment.

Safeguarding is a critical parent concern, and the official report confirms it clearly: the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The wider wellbeing message is that pupils feel supported and are given meaningful responsibility. That combination often reduces low-level behaviour issues because pupils feel known and listened to, while still being held to clear standards. The school’s emphasis on respectful conduct and open-minded discussion also suggests a deliberate approach to social development, not just academic outcomes.

A school with strong outcomes is more convincing when it also shows that learning extends beyond test preparation. Here, the school publishes a broad co-curricular programme that is unusually specific for a primary, which helps parents picture day-to-day life.

Several clubs and activities stand out because they align with the school’s stated values and curriculum priorities. Mock Trials and Student Council reinforce pupil voice and structured debate, matching the emphasis on leadership roles. Eco Club complements the Forest School approach and the sustainability strand. Young Voices and Choir provide a clear music pathway, while Sign Language is a distinctive inclusion feature that aligns with the school’s specialist resourced provision and communication focus.

For families balancing academic ambition with a child’s need for variety, these named options matter. They suggest that enrichment is planned, not improvised. It is also worth noting that the inspection narrative references pupils celebrating achievements such as listening to classmates play the guitar, which signals that performance and confidence-building opportunities are part of school life rather than occasional showcases.

Outdoor learning is a major pillar. Forest School is described as regular visits to wooded areas on site, with basic resources such as rope and tarpaulins used to develop skills as the need arises. The implication for pupils is practical independence and teamwork, alongside curriculum links that can make learning feel more tangible.

The school publishes a detailed structure for the academy day. Breakfast club runs 7:40am to 8:40am. Registration is 8:40am. The day ends at 3:10pm for early years and 3:15pm for Years 1 to 6.

Wraparound care is clearly established. After School Club starts at 3:15pm with pick-up at 4:30pm or 5:30pm, and it is open to pupils from Reception to Year 6. The school also offers nursery provision within Little Moles for ages 3 to 5, operating 9am to 3pm during term time, and families should check the nursery pages for current session structures and funding information.

For travel planning, families should map the school run carefully, particularly if you are relying on morning wraparound to manage commuting. Bearsted is part of the Maidstone area, with local bus routes and rail links in the wider locality, but day-to-day practicality will depend on your precise starting point and parking or walking preferences.

• Competitive entry at Reception. Demand data shows the school is oversubscribed, with 83 applications for 34 offers in the most recently provided cycle. Families should plan for realistic alternatives and keep an eye on the coordinated timetable.

• Curriculum approach may feel different from a purely National Curriculum presentation. The IB Primary Years Programme framing can suit children who enjoy inquiry and connections across subjects, but parents who prefer a narrower, worksheet-led approach may want to understand how phonics, spelling, and arithmetic practice are built into the model.

• Nursery hours and planning. Little Moles Nursery operates term-time, 9am to 3pm. For some families that fits well; for others, wraparound needs may require additional arrangements outside the nursery day.

• Inclusive provision brings a wider range of needs. The school operates specialist resourced provision on site, including support for communication needs and hearing impairment. Many families value the inclusive culture this supports, but it is worth asking how resources are deployed in classes and how specialist support integrates with mainstream learning.

Leigh Academy Molehill is an academically high-performing primary with an unusually coherent whole-school identity, combining a structured, sequenced curriculum with the IB Primary Years Programme framework. The Outstanding inspection profile, strong 2024 outcomes, and emphasis on calm routines and pupil leadership create a persuasive picture for parents who want both high standards and a clear values base.

Best suited to families in the Maidstone and Bearsted area who want a high-expectations primary with strong reading foundations, a well-developed enrichment offer, and established wraparound care. The main limiting factor is admission demand, so families should plan early and keep alternatives active alongside an application here.