School Chooser

Painters Ash Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedFoundation391 pupilsGravesendKent
School Chooser Score
82
Above
similar schools
Likely range 69 to 90
Out of 100. Better than 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1177%England 63%
Attendance95.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families22%A bit fewer than most schools
Places29 spare391 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher18.7School workforce census

Painters Ash Primary School is a foundation school in Gravesend for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 391 pupils and room for 420. About 22 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 82 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Masefield Road, Northfleet, Gravesend, DA11 8EL01474 568991paintersashprimary.co.ukGeorgina Salter headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 1 March 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1177%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level17%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
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: 66%66%20172018: 77%77%20182019: 64%64%20192023: 77%77%20232024: 67%67%20242025: 77%77%2025
Since 2017: +11%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017KentEngland
Pupils tested606060586059
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths77%67%77%64%77%66%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths17%8%7%12%8%5%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0104.0106.0103.0105.0104.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score110.0106.0108.0106.0106.0105.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0104.0106.0106.0104.0105.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard90%73%88%67%78%75%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard97%85%97%86%87%85%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)77%75%78%86%83%80%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.5-2.0+1.6+0.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.5+0.6+3.0+2.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged65%61%76%60%78%42%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged83%69%77%66%76%78%

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. 3 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
65%83%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
77%76%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
81%77%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
5%17%
Gap 12 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.

Nearly full400 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
95% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. 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 roll391Census January 2026
Places42093% full
Pupils from low-income families22%22% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English24%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%63 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.013 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)22%£130,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls187 / 204
White British pupils60%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (26), Other difficulty or disability (24), Autistic spectrum disorder (9), language and communications needs (8), Hearing impairment (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll391397404406391395
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals22%24%26%22%21%21%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language24%27%24%23%22%19%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%11%9%15%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.9%4.2%5.1%5.0%3.1%4.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.7%3.3%3.8%3.8%1.9%3.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%0.9%1.3%1.2%1.3%1.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.3%8.9%9.3%10.6%7.6%10.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers21.0full-time equivalent, 24 people
Pupils per teacher18.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers92%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£40,086
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.52024/25

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£6,144England £7,738. Total £2.4m
Income per pupil£6,064England £7,697. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,045England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £54k, £136 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£32kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,144spent 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 m23512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate99 per 1,000 people9% higher than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Gravesham
Nearest bus stop200 mThe Painters Ash, 11 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
Springhead Park Primary SchoolFree school0.7 miles438Good 202341Compare
Shears Green Junior SchoolFoundation0.7 miles493Good 202325Compare
Shears Green Infant SchoolAcademy0.7 miles258Not inspectedCompare
Cecil Road Primary and Nursery SchoolFoundation1.0 miles442No overall grade 202557Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, NorthfleetAcademy1.0 miles217Outstanding 202387Compare
Copperfield AcademyAcademy1.0 miles459Report card 202538Compare
Saint George's Church of England SchoolAcademy1.0 miles1,631Good 202343Compare
St Botolph's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles422Good 202361Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Painters Ash Primary School with the 45 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 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats67%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 82 is 26 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 56 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 45 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Painters Ash Primary School, 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
Aveley Primary SchoolAcademy6.1 miles425Good 202390Compare
Scargill Junior SchoolAcademy10.2 miles358Not inspected91Compare
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic14.0 miles416Outstanding 202399Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 82 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 82% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 69 to 90. 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%above
+0.16
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.10
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 366 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.10
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 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 Painters Ash Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Painters Ash Primary School scores 82 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 69 to 90, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Painters Ash Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Painters Ash Primary School good at its last full inspection on 1 March 2023.

How good are Painters Ash Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 77% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 17% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Painters Ash Primary School have?

391 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 93% full.

Is Painters Ash Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Painters Ash Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.1% 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 Painters Ash Primary School?

The average class had 28.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Masefield Road, Northfleet, Gravesend, DA11 8EL
Telephone
01474 568991
Website
www.paintersashprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Georgina Salter
Type of school
Foundation school (Foundation school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Trust
Northfleet Schools Co-Operative Trust (6 schools)
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Painters Ash
Constituency
Gravesham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
118491 · LAESTAB 8862525 · UKPRN 10073104

Where these figures come from