Dover, St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Dover
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This is a truly inclusive school where every child is valued and supported to succeed. The school has excellent support systems for children with additional needs and those learning English as an additional language, alongside strong teaching in reading and maths. Parents consistently praise the staff for being incredibly kind, attentive and helping children thrive academically, socially and personally.
Key Strengths
- Strong teaching of reading with well-trained staff helping children learn sounds from early years and providing effective catch-up support
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring all pupils' needs are met with precise, tailored help
- Pupils learn to use and apply mathematical concepts with skill, with staff checking learning well to spot and address misconceptions
- Warm relationships and consistently high behaviour expectations mean learning is not disrupted and pupils feel safe
- Broad range of trips, visits and clubs that are accessible to all, including musical instrument learning and local sports events
Areas for Improvement
- Handwriting and presentation skills need to be stronger so pupils can present their written work with accuracy and communicate their learning clearly
- Teaching of transcription skills requires further development to ensure all pupils produce high-quality written work across the whole curriculum
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical instrument learning, local sports events, police cadets, mini medics, trips and visits, fundraising activities, clubs
Dover, St Mary's Church of England Primary School serves its local community with a caring and welcoming ethos, where pupils proudly demonstrate values of peace, friendship, respect, trust and perseverance. The school has made strong improvements since its previous inspection, with high expectations and ambitious, inclusive practices helping all pupils to achieve well across the curriculum.
At a Glance
60.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 73% to 45%. Maths has declined from 67% to 55%. Writing has declined from 87% to 65%.
Class Sizes
23.9
Avg class size
26.5
Infant (KS1)
23.0
KS2
7
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Train Stations
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Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
77%
Available places
161 pupils
210 capacity
49 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Dover
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Dover
Admissions Demand - Kent
Places available
19,144
Applications
16,524
Got 1st preference
90.6%
Got preferred school
98.5%
Primary admissions across Kent (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.9457%
Overall absence
30.76923%
Persistent absence
169
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Dover, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
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