School Chooser

Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford

Primary · ages 4-11MixedRoman Catholic219 pupilsDartfordKent
School Chooser Score
95
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 89 to 98
Out of 100. Better than 91% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, June 2025
Reached the expected level at 1185%England 63%
Attendance97.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull219 pupils, 218 places
Pupils per teacher26.1School workforce census

Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Dartford for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 219 pupils, 1 more than it has places for. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 95 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 91% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

King Edward Avenue, Dartford, DA1 2HX01322 222759our-ladys.kent.sch.ukMiss Isabel Quinn headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 June 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
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
12 February 2020UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1185%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level24%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score112.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score110.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 94%94%20172018: 91%91%20182019: 84%84%20192023: 80%80%20232024: 88%88%20242025: 85%85%2025
Since 2017: -9%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KentEngland
Pupils tested333230323232
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths85%88%80%84%91%94%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths24%19%3%38%31%13%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score112.0111.0112.0110.0111.0107.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score110.0108.0109.0110.0110.0108.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score112.0114.0111.0111.0112.0110.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard100%100%100%91%97%97%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard94%97%97%94%100%97%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)85%91%83%91%94%94%
Reading progressReading progress score+4.9+4.4+3.7+2.2
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.6+3.3+4.1+2.6

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.

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. None of the gaps is 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 11Boys vs girls
69%100%
Gap 31 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
90%85%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 4 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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Full216 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
103% full

The school is full, with 6 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 roll219Census January 2026
Places218100% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English48%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%31 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size32.73 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils100%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)7%£21,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls109 / 110
White British pupils14%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (19), Autistic spectrum disorder (10), emotional and mental health (6), Hearing impairment (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll219217219217217217
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%7%7%7%7%5%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language48%42%38%30%28%23%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support7%7%7%9%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school3.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence2.4%2.5%2.9%4.0%1.8%2.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.1%2.4%2.9%4.0%1.6%1.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.3%0.2%0.1%0.0%0.2%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence3.0%2.6%2.1%5.3%1.1%2.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers8.4full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher26.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers80%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,778
Teachers who left in the year22%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.82024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£5,916England £7,738. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£5,902England £7,697. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,663England £3,480
Money in reserve3%Not much put by: £38k, £177 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£2,955it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£5,916spent 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 m43412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate158 per 1,000 people74% higher than the England average
Typical house price£370,000Dartford
Nearest bus stop110 mWest Hill, 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
West Hill Primary AcademyAcademy410 m542Report card 202657Compare
Westgate Primary SchoolAcademy480 m209Good 202491Compare
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, DartfordChurch of England620 m405Good 202339Compare
River Mill Primary SchoolFree school0.7 miles407Good 202390Compare
Wentworth Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles649Good 202345Compare
Oakfield Primary AcademyAcademy0.9 miles716Good 202176Compare
Leigh Academy DartfordAcademy1.0 miles670No overall grade 2025100Compare
Temple Hill Primary AcademyAcademy1.0 miles850No overall grade 202429Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats91%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 95 is 26 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 29 · middle 69 · highest 98100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 95 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 95% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 89 to 98. 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%well above
+0.30
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 33 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 1.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.17
DfE progress measure; 33 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.11
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.16
2024/25; 200 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.17
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 33 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 Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford scores 95 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 91% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 89 to 98, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford not judged at its last full inspection on 17 June 2025.

How good are Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 85% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 24% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford have?

219 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 218 places, so it is 100% full.

Is Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 6 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?

Pupils were in school 97.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 3% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?

The average class had 32.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 100% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
King Edward Avenue, Dartford, DA1 2HX
Telephone
01322 222759
Website
www.our-ladys.kent.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Isabel Quinn
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Southwark
Local authority
Kent
Ward
West Hill
Constituency
Dartford
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
118768 · LAESTAB 8863733 · UKPRN 10072740

Where these figures come from