Joydens Wood Junior School, Dartford
Joydens Wood Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Dartford, part of Nexus Education Schools Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 23rd-highest of the 25 schools in Dartford with published results, and 9,801st of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 109% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Capacity
- Full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Joydens Wood Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Joydens Wood Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 70% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 64% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Joydens Wood Junior School
Across Kent, 90% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Kent lodged 237 appeals against primary school offers; 166 reached a hearing and 18 succeeded (10.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Joydens Wood Junior School are Joydens Wood Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Maypole Primary School (0.3 miles, 83% reading, 82% maths); Hextable Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 76% reading, 79% maths); and Wilmington Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 87% reading, 83% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Joydens Wood Junior School.
Joydens Wood Infant SchoolMaypole Primary SchoolHextable Primary SchoolWilmington Primary School
The trust
Joydens Wood Junior School is one of 20 schools run by Nexus Education Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
84 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Joydens Wood Junior School (as of September 2025): 60% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
11.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 67 pupils (21.3%) received SEN support and 9 (2.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Crayford Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Birchwood Drive (adjacent), 250 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Joydens Wood Junior School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 41 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
Joydens Wood Junior School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Joydens Wood Junior School are Leigh Academy Wilmington (0.7 miles), Wilmington Grammar School for Girls (0.8 miles) and Wilmington Grammar School for Boys (0.8 miles).
Leigh Academy WilmingtonWilmington Grammar School for GirlsWilmington Grammar School for Boys
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Joydens Wood Junior School excels at creating a happy, supportive environment where children feel safe and enjoy learning. The school has made strong improvements to reading teaching, with pupils developing excellent comprehension skills and a love of books. Pupils benefit from numerous leadership roles and responsibilities, which builds their confidence and pride in contributing to the school community.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with consistent phonics teaching and pupils developing good comprehension skills
- Positive behaviour and attitudes across the school, with pupils demonstrating school values well
- Wide range of leadership opportunities that make pupils proud to contribute to the school community
- Good support for pupils with SEND, with adaptations enabling them to access learning
Areas for Improvement
- Handwriting skills are not taught consistently - some pupils are not forming letters correctly, which affects their writing fluency
- Assessment in some foundation subjects is not precise enough to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge
- Tasks in foundation subjects do not fully enable pupils to demonstrate their subject knowledge through writing
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
History workshops, sporting activities and local tournaments
Joydens Wood Junior School is a happy and safe place where pupils enjoy learning across a broad curriculum. However, the quality of education requires improvement as the school works to address gaps in pupils' learning and inconsistencies in how some subjects are taught.
At a Glance
11.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
84 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 64% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 64% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 81% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.3
Avg class size
26.3
KS2
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Joydens Wood Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Joydens Wood Junior School.
- Joydenswood breakfast and after school club ltdAt the school · Not yet graded
- Joydens Wood Performing Arts ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Joydens Wood Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Joydens Wood Junior School is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
109%
Over capacity
327 pupils
300 places
27 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dartford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dartford
Across Kent council
Places available
18,893
Applications
16,593
Got 1st preference
89.7%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
67
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
24.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
315
Total Pupils
159
Boys
156
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
16.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,365
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,949
Per pupil
£1738k
Total funding
£48k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
16.2%
Persistent absence
351
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Joydens Wood Junior School
Questions parents ask about Joydens Wood Junior School
What are SATs results like at Joydens Wood Junior School?
Of the pupils at Joydens Wood Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 70% did so in maths.
What is Joydens Wood Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Joydens Wood Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Joydens Wood Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Joydens Wood Junior School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Joydens Wood Junior School?
Joydens Wood Junior School was full in 2025, at 109% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Joydens Wood Junior School?
Classes at Joydens Wood Junior School average 26.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Joydens Wood Junior School?
Joydens Wood Junior School has around 315 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Joydens Wood Junior School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Joydens Wood Junior School in 2024/25. 16.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Joydens Wood Junior School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Joydens Wood Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Joydens Wood Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: Joydenswood breakfast and after school club ltd (registered, not yet graded) and Joydens Wood Performing Arts Club (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Joydens Wood Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Joydens Wood Junior School?
Joydens Wood Junior School is at Birchwood Drive, Wilmington, Dartford, Kent, DA2 7NE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)