The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
Pickhurst Academy is a Key Stage 2 only setting (Years 3 to 6) serving families in West Wickham, with four forms of entry and an age range of 7 to 11. It sits within the Chancery Education Trust and has a published capacity of 528 pupils, with 512 pupils recorded on Ofsted’s listing.
Academic results are a clear strength. In the latest published Key Stage 2 data in this profile, 81% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%, and 37% achieved the higher standard compared with an England average of 8%. (These figures refer to Year 6 outcomes, even though the school begins at Year 3.)
Leadership stability looks settled after a period of change. Mrs Andrea Rampton is named as headteacher in official records and the most recent full inspection report; her appointment to the Executive Headteacher role is listed as 12 June 2023.
Families do not pay tuition fees because this is a state school. The practical costs to plan for tend to be uniform, trips, and any optional wraparound or clubs.
The tone is ambitious but not narrow. Formal reporting highlights a “rich curriculum” alongside a steady emphasis on inclusion, with pupils described as thriving and behaviour described as exemplary. The same report also points to pupils’ confidence in the school’s community culture, including a strong sense of looking after one another and valuing difference.
A distinctive feature for a junior school is the amount of thought given to transition. The published transition plan sets out a structured bridge from Year 2 into Year 3 that includes multiple familiarisation days on site, joint handovers between teaching teams, planned meetings between SENCOs, and the use of social stories, especially for pupils with additional needs or anxiety. It is unusually explicit about safeguarding continuity too, with designated safeguarding leads meeting to ensure files and concerns are transferred securely.
House identity appears to be used as a community organiser, with house names referenced as part of school life (Chatham, Rochester, Sydney, Wolfe). The point for parents is not the labels themselves, it is that belonging and participation are designed in, rather than left to chance.
Pickhurst’s performance data places it above the England picture in several ways.
Expected standard (reading, writing, maths combined): 81%, compared with an England average of 62%.
Higher standard (reading, writing, maths): 37%, compared with an England average of 8%.
Scaled scores: reading 107 and maths 107, with GPS at 108 (strong indicators of secure attainment).
Science: 91% reached the expected standard, compared with an England average of 82%.
On FindMySchool’s rankings (based on official data), Pickhurst is ranked 2,842nd in England for primary outcomes and 1st locally within the West Wickham area, placing it above England average and comfortably within the top quarter of schools in England. (That “top quarter” interpretation comes from the school’s percentile position.)
For parents comparing several nearby junior options, this is the kind of profile where the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison view is genuinely useful, not to chase marginal differences, but to see whether a school’s strengths are consistent across reading, maths and GPS rather than concentrated in one area.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
Reading, Writing & Maths
81%
% of pupils achieving expected standard
Curriculum breadth looks deliberate. The school site presents a full spread of subjects plus a defined enrichment set, including Philosophy for Children and Citizenship, and a structured personal development offer through PSHE, SMSC and British Values, and pupil leadership routes such as School Council and Eco-School activity.
A practical, experience-led approach comes through in the examples used in official reporting. Year 5 science learning is linked to a visit to the Royal Observatory, and Year 6 includes a residential in Norfolk described as a highlight for pupils. These are not just “nice extras”, they are curriculum anchors that help pupils retain knowledge and build confidence working away from home for the first time.
Outdoor learning is also signposted clearly. Forest School sessions are described as part of the entitlement, with a focus on practical and social skills and wider learning about health and the natural world. For pupils who learn best through doing, this can be a meaningful counterbalance to the intensity of Year 6.
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
As a junior school, the main destination planning point is the move from Year 6 into Year 7. The transition strategy published by the school focuses on practical preparation and relationship-building with local secondaries, rather than naming a fixed list of destination schools.
Key elements include Heads of Year 7 visiting to meet pupils and Year 6 staff, planned handover conversations between senior leaders, SENCOs and safeguarding leads across phases, and a transition week that takes pupils off normal timetable so they can practise the rhythms of secondary life, including timetables and PE kit routines. The school also brings in Transport for London to support safe independent travel, and runs Bikeability to build road safety skills for pupils likely to commute further in Year 7.
The implication is reassuring for families whose child is anxious about secondary transfer. Preparation is framed as a gradual skills build, not a single “moving up” event at the end of summer term.
The admissions picture is shaped by the fact that Pickhurst is a junior school, with the standard entry point at Year 3.
Applications for admission into Year 3 are made through London Borough of Bromley, using the coordinated primary admissions process.
Applications open 1 September 2025
Closing date 15 January 2026
Offer date 16 April 2026
The school’s published admission number is 132 places in each of Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The admissions policy sets out priorities that include looked-after and previously looked-after children, children attending the linked infant academy, siblings (defined broadly across household structures), children of eligible staff, then proximity. Distance measurement is described as using Ordnance Survey data and a straight-line measurement from home to school using the local authority’s measuring system.
Because distance cut-offs are not fixed year to year, families considering a move should treat proximity as helpful rather than definitive. Using a precise distance tool, rather than “best guess” mapping, is the sensible way to sanity-check a shortlist.
The school’s published transition planning gives a strong clue about day-to-day pastoral practice: it treats wellbeing support as a system, not an add-on. Joint SENCO meetings across feeder infant schools, structured social stories, planned parent workshops about junior-school routines, and explicit safeguarding handover steps are all practical mechanisms that reduce anxiety and prevent pupils from slipping through gaps.
Special educational needs support includes both mainstream SEN leadership and a defined specialist strand. The contact information published by the school identifies a SENCO for mainstream enquiries and a separate SENCO role for the ARP, signalling a structure that distinguishes between the two routes rather than blending everything into one label.
The latest Ofsted inspection (13 and 14 December 2023) judged the school Outstanding across overall effectiveness and all key areas.
Enrichment is not left vague, there are named, regular options referenced in official reporting and on the school site.
From the inspection evidence, clubs explicitly mentioned include choir, karate, and sewing. Those three are a useful snapshot because they span performance, physical discipline, and practical creativity, which often correlates with a school that tries to serve different strengths.
The school also lists additional after-school activities delivered by external providers. Examples include handball, tag rugby, and basketball in the Buzzers programme, plus clubs such as Cooking Stars and Drama Kids. The strongest implication for parents is choice: a child can join something that builds confidence socially (drama), something structured and physical (team sport), or something hands-on (cooking), without needing the family to source options elsewhere.
The published school day runs 8.50am to 3.20pm, with gates opening from 8.30am for morning drop-off.
Wraparound care is available via an external provider listed by the local authority, with sessions shown as 7.30am to 8.40am and 3.20pm to 6.00pm on weekdays, plus a holiday club window.
For transport planning, the most helpful practical cue from the school’s own transition planning is that independent travel is actively taught before pupils leave Year 6, including public transport safety input and Bikeability.
Junior-only entry point. Admission is primarily into Year 3, so families need to plan the Year 2 to Year 3 transfer process carefully and on time, rather than assuming it works like a Reception intake.
Competition can come down to distance. The admissions policy makes clear that, after priority groups, proximity is a deciding factor and it is measured precisely using mapped data rather than “walking route” logic.
A structured culture may not suit every child. The school’s emphasis on ambitious outcomes and highly organised transition will feel reassuring to many families, but children who struggle with routines may need additional support at the start of Year 3. The published transition plan helps, but it is still a step up.
Specialist provision is a separate pathway. Woodlands (ARP) is for pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan and uses specific curriculum pathways and targeted approaches; this is positive for the children it is designed for, but families should understand it is not the same as routine classroom differentiation.
Pickhurst Academy looks like a high-performing junior school with a calm, organised approach to learning and a notably detailed transition system at both entry (Year 3) and exit (Year 7). The combination of strong Key Stage 2 outcomes, a broad enrichment mix, and a clearly-defined specialist strand should appeal to families who want a structured environment where pupils are expected to achieve well and are prepared carefully for the secondary move. It suits children who respond well to clear routines and enjoy being busy, whether that is through music, sport, practical clubs, or curriculum-linked trips.
The most recent full inspection judged Pickhurst Academy Outstanding, and the published Key Stage 2 outcomes in this profile are well above England averages, including 81% meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined.
Applications are made through the London Borough of Bromley’s coordinated process for transfer from infant to junior. For September 2026 entry, applications open on 1 September 2025, close on 15 January 2026, and offers are released on 16 April 2026.
The school day is published as 8.50am to 3.20pm, and wraparound care is available through an external provider listed by the local authority, with weekday sessions shown from 7.30am and running to 6.00pm after school.
Pickhurst has both mainstream SEND leadership and Woodlands, an Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) for pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan in Key Stage 2. The ARP describes small-group teaching, visually supported communication, inclusion into mainstream lessons where appropriate, and defined curriculum pathways to match different needs.
The school publishes a transition programme that includes meetings and handovers with local secondary schools, a transition week to practise secondary-style routines, and practical preparation for independent travel, including public transport safety input and Bikeability.
Get in touch with the school directly
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