About Us - Leigh Academy Paddock Wood

We are a thriving and engaging three-form entry school in the heart of West Kent in the town of Paddock Wood. Our educational vision is to create inquisitive and proactive learners who understand the world around them and want to make the world a better place. Our curriculum interweaves the National Curriculum with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme so that all learning is in relevant and purposeful contexts. Our children have autonomy within their learning and know how to apply what they learn across all walks of life.

At Leigh Academy Paddock Wood, we champion personal development. We want to immerse children in opportunities to develop and grow so that they move into secondary education with not only a plethora of skills to access their learning successfully, but also the knowledge of the professions they can aspire to pursue later in life.

Our broad curriculum is supported by specialist teachers of French, PE and Computing. All of our pupils learn French and engage in other subjects in French too; we aim for all pupils to leave us conversant in the language. Pupils leave us with a strong understanding and appreciation of music and sporting skills. We are proud of the opportunities provided for children to represent the school in a range of sports and have enjoyed a lot of success in recent years.

We embed independence, stamina and considered risk into children’s learning. We have our own school minibuses and we frequently take children out into the local area and into central London. More further afield, we enjoy taking Year 5 pupils to the Brecon Beacons for a residential. We have a strong regard for extra-curricular learning and are proud of the healthy catalogue of clubs that we provide for all children. Whether it be a range of sports clubs, art and dance, music or computing, we always endeavour to tap into the diverse interests of our pupils. Our wrap around care is thriving and parents value the service on offer.

We have a highly effective and dedicated teaching team which is widely respected and supported by our academy community. Our teachers vary in experience from Early Careers Teachers to 30+ years and each brings something valuable to share, and a passion to learn. Opportunities to collaborate on planning, assessment and the sharing of expertise enhance our robust professional development offer. Our staff and the wider Leigh Academies Trust team offer a vast support network for professional development and opportunities for progression.

Our academy benefits from significant parental and community support who work in tandem to organise fundraising events. Such fundraising has helped to enrich our curriculum and learning environment, we are extremely grateful for such support.

‘Our highly ambitious community builds thinking learners, who act with agency and create lasting memories.’

Vision, Values and Ethos