Gravel Hill Primary School, Bexleyheath

Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades Gravel Hill Primary School on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders monitor attendance closely and work with families to remove barriers to pupils attending school."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children in the early years settle quickly and feel secure."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise inclusion and articulate a clear vision for what an inclusive culture should involve at this school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a comprehensive personal development and wellbeing programme."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement varies across the school, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have not ensured that teaching is consistently effective."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders do not evaluate the impact of their work with sufficient precision."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that highly effective teaching is embedded across the school so that all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress through the curriculum, particularly in relation to writing"; "Leaders should ensure that they identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge without delay, thereby raising achievement in phonics, the multiplication tables check, and the end of key stage 2 tests"; "Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that they identify weaknesses quickly and provide effective challenge, securing rapid, sustained improvement across the school"; "Leaders should use assessment information more effectively to identify and address differences in the achievement of vulnerable pupil groups, so that their attainment continues to improve over time".

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils at Gravel Hill Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Bexley and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 82% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 44 families put Gravel Hill Primary School as their first choice and 102 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Gravel Hill Primary School are Pelham Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 76% maths); Mayplace Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 76% reading, 75% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 94% reading, 88% maths); and Upton Primary School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, 85% reading, 85% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Gravel Hill Primary School.

Gravel Hill Primary School is one of 8 schools run by Cygnus Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

25.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (34%), Asian (25%) and Black (15%).

The nearest railway station is Barnehurst Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Civic Centre / Bexleyheath, 70 metres away.

In 2024/25, Gravel Hill Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Gravel Hill Primary School are St Catherine's Catholic School (0.1 miles), St Columba's Catholic Boys' School (0.2 miles), Lift Bexleyheath (0.4 miles) and Beths Grammar School (0.6 miles).