Lift St James the Great
Chapman Way, East Malling, ME19 6SD
176 pupils · 84% of 210 capacity
- Phase
- Primary
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 3–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- LIFT SCHOOLS
- Local authority
- Kent
- Free school meals
- 55.1%
Ofsted
Good (2023) — Ungraded inspection — “School remains Good” (previous grade confirmed, not re-graded)
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 13 September 2023, published 8 October 2023. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Reaching the expected standard in reading, writing & maths | 79% |
| Reaching the higher standard | 11% |
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.9 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 21 | 19 | 26 | 19 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 16 | 15 | 25 | 15 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 22 | 22 | 28 | 22 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 17 | 15 | 26 | 16 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 27 | 15 | 22 | 16 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 21 | 18 | 27 | 18 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 25 | 22 | 34 | 24 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 20 | 19 | 27 | 19 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- More Park Catholic Primary School 1 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- Brookfield Infant School 1 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- Lunsford Primary School 1.1 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- Brookfield Junior School 1.1 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- Leybourne, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy 1.2 km · Most areas: Expected standard (2026)
- Ditton Church of England Junior School 1.5 km · Requires improvement (2019) · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.