Best Schools in Dartford

How many schools are there in Dartford?

Dartford has 35 open schools: 25 state primary, 9 state secondary or all-through and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Dartford are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Dartford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Dartford Grammar School and Dartford Grammar School for Girls. Counting Good as well, 94% of the 33 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Dartford Grammar SchoolDartford Grammar School for Girls

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Dartford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 9 schools in Dartford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Dartford Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 78.9 and 100% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Dartford Grammar School for Girls (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 77.3 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Wilmington Grammar School for Boys (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 67.6 and 95% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Dartford Grammar SchoolDartford Grammar School for GirlsWilmington Grammar School for Boys

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Dartford have the best SATs results?

Of the 25 primary schools in Dartford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Leigh Academy Dartford (100% in reading, 96% in maths); Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford (100% in reading, 94% in maths); and Westgate Primary School (97% in reading, 94% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Leigh Academy DartfordOur Lady's Catholic Primary School, DartfordWestgate Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Dartford?

Yes. Dartford Grammar School, Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Wilmington Grammar School for Boys and Wilmington Grammar School for Girls are state grammar schools in Dartford. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Dartford Grammar SchoolDartford Grammar School for GirlsWilmington Grammar School for BoysWilmington Grammar School for Girls

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Dartford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Dartford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Dartford?

Apply to your council - Kent or Bexley, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.