School Chooser

Fleetdown Primary Academy

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy636 pupilsDartfordKent
School Chooser Score
60
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 43 to 75
Out of 100. Better than 46% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, March 2025
Reached the expected level at 1164%England 63%
Attendance94.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families16%Far fewer than most schools
Places18 spare636 pupils, 654 places
Pupils per teacher23.8School workforce census

Fleetdown Primary Academy is a converter academy in Dartford for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 636 pupils and room for 654. About 16 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 60 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Lunedale Road, Darenth, Dartford, DA2 6JX01322 226891fleetdown.kent.sch.ukMrs Alice Harrington headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 25 March 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

96 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1164%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 78%78%20172018: 83%83%20182019: 72%72%20192023: 68%68%20232024: 74%74%20242025: 64%64%2025
Since 2017: -14%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†KentEngland
Pupils tested969596906563
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths64%74%68%72%83%78%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%8%10%11%14%5%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0106.0106.0105.0107.0105.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0106.0103.0106.0107.0105.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0106.0104.0109.0109.0107.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard84%81%79%79%89%81%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard75%85%74%84%89%86%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)69%81%74%90%88%92%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.6-1.6+0.8-1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.3-0.8+0.7-0.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%47%33%50%91%64%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged66%80%76%75%81%82%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Fleetdown Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
50%66%
Gap 16 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
58%70%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
78%64%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Full642 pupils for 630 places, 2024/25
102% full

The school is full, with 12 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Kent council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll636Census January 2026
Places65497% full
Pupils from low-income families16%16% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English28%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%61 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%25 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.419 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils53%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)15%£145,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls330 / 306
White British pupils41%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 4 pupils, for hearing impairment.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Kent with hearing impairment provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.9 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 31.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (53), Autistic spectrum disorder (8), Moderate learning difficulty (8), Hearing impairment (6), emotional and mental health (5), Multi-sensory impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025202420232022
Pupils on roll636648637648646
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals16%15%14%13%13%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language28%26%25%22%20%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%10%12%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%4%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.62024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.1%5.0%5.4%6.1%2.7%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.9%3.7%4.3%5.1%2.3%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.3%1.1%1.0%0.5%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.4%11.8%11.6%15.7%7.4%8.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.61.41.71.40.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

† These attendance figures are for Fleetdown Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers26.7full-time equivalent, 30 people
Pupils per teacher23.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers90%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants23.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,472
Teachers who left in the year4%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.22024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£5,000England £7,128. Total £3.2m
Income per pupil£5,949England £7,587. Total £3.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,360England £3,405
Money in reserve12%A healthy amount put by: £445k, £687 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£615kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,000spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m15312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate95 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Typical house price£370,000Dartford
Nearest bus stop30 mLibrary, 15 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
The Brent Primary SchoolAcademy910 m643Good 202443Compare
The Gateway Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles210Good 202291Compare
Stone St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles648Not inspected53Compare
Leigh Academy DartfordAcademy0.9 miles670No overall grade 2025100Compare
St Anselm's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.3 miles211No overall grade 202586Compare
Temple Hill Primary AcademyAcademy1.4 miles850No overall grade 202429Compare
Oakfield Primary AcademyAcademy1.5 miles716Good 202176Compare
Greenlands Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles182Requires improvement 20239Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Fleetdown Primary Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats46%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 60 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 6 · middle 63 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Fleetdown Primary Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Leigh Academy DartfordAcademy0.9 miles670No overall grade 2025100Compare
Birkbeck Primary SchoolCouncil6.1 miles664Good 202391Compare
Squirrels Heath Primary SchoolCouncil10.0 miles600Good 202482Compare
Parish Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy10.1 miles563Good 202386Compare
John Ball Primary SchoolCouncil10.7 miles672Outstanding 202490Compare
St Edward's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England10.7 miles675No overall grade 202484Compare
Fairlop Primary SchoolCouncil13.5 miles681Not inspected88Compare
Newport SchoolCouncil14.0 miles849No overall grade 202494Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 60 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 60% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 43 to 75. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.06
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 96 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 1.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
DfE progress measure; 96 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.03
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 581 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 96 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Fleetdown Primary Academy a good school?

It is about average. Fleetdown Primary Academy scores 60 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 43 to 75, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Fleetdown Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Fleetdown Primary Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 25 March 2025.

How good are Fleetdown Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 64% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Fleetdown Primary Academy have?

636 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 654 places, so it is 97% full.

Is Fleetdown Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 12 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Fleetdown Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Fleetdown Primary Academy?

The average class had 30.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 53% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Fleetdown Primary Academy have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for hearing impairment. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Lunedale Road, Darenth, Dartford, DA2 6JX
Telephone
01322 226891
Website
www.fleetdown.kent.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Alice Harrington
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
The Golden Thread Alliance (8 schools)
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Brent
Constituency
Dartford
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2021 (academy converter)
URN
148519 · LAESTAB 8865229 · UKPRN 10088076
Formerly
Fleetdown Primary School

Where these figures come from