Leigh Academy Dartford, Dartford
Leigh Academy Dartford is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Dartford, part of Leigh Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 25 schools in Dartford with published results, and 203rd of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Leigh Academy Dartford in detail
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at Leigh Academy Dartford reached the expected standard in reading and 96% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (98% in reading, 97% in maths).
Getting a place at Leigh Academy Dartford
For September 2026 entry, 115 families put Leigh Academy Dartford as their first choice and 234 named it as one of their preferences, for 90 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 25 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Leigh Academy Dartford
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Leigh Academy Dartford are The Gateway Primary Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 93% reading, 87% maths); St Anselm's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 90% reading, 83% maths); Westgate Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 97% reading, 94% maths); and The Brent Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 74% reading, 74% maths).
Leigh Academy Dartford's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
The Gateway Primary AcademySt Anselm's Catholic Primary SchoolWestgate Primary SchoolThe Brent Primary School
The trust
Leigh Academy Dartford is one of 33 schools run by Leigh Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
92 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Leigh Academy Dartford (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 94% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (94%).
Who goes there
35.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (42%), Asian (17%) and Black (16%).
In 2026, 115 pupils (17.2%) received SEN support and 5 (0.7%) 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.
Staffing
Leigh Academy Dartford had 19 teachers in 2026, one for every 33 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Dartford Rail Station, about 920 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Livingstone Hospital (opposite), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 443 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Leigh Academy Dartford issued 14 suspensions, 2.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Leigh Academy Dartford are Sir Geoffrey Leigh Academy (0.5 miles), Stone Lodge School (0.9 miles), Dartford Grammar School (1 mile) and Dartford Grammar School for Girls (1.1 miles).
Sir Geoffrey Leigh AcademyStone Lodge SchoolDartford Grammar SchoolDartford Grammar School for Girls
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from January 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at helping every child thrive, including those learning English as an additional language or with additional needs. Pupils receive expert teaching across all subjects with a strong focus on reading, and they develop into confident learners who work hard to meet high expectations. The school goes beyond academics to develop well-rounded young people who understand the importance of kindness, respect, and making the world a better place.
Key Strengths
- Exceptionally ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge logically and helps pupils make connections across subjects
- Expert support for pupils with English as an additional language and SEND through the 'Invisible Inclusion' approach
- Outstanding focus on reading - pupils receive daily practice with expert phonics teaching and additional interventions when needed
- Exemplary pupil behaviour with calm, orderly classrooms where pupils show kindness and respect
- Excellent personal development programme helping pupils understand British values and make a positive difference in the world
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Multicultural picnics, money management through micro-loan initiatives, fundraising for girls' education in India, multiple clubs and trips
Leigh Academy Dartford is an outstanding primary school where pupils achieve exceptionally well and embody the school's motto of being 'Determined, Persistent Achievers Learning to Change the World'. The school has improved from its previous Good rating to Outstanding across all key areas.
At a Glance
18.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
92 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 remained stable at around 100% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 96% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 96% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.9
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.9
KS2
24
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Leigh Academy Dartford
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Leigh Academy Dartford.
- Progressive Sports @ DartfordAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leigh Academy Dartford from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leigh Academy Dartford 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
- 61
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 61 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 49 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
15 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
Your chances of a place at Leigh Academy Dartford
Will you get a place at Leigh Academy Dartford? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Leigh Academy Dartford's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Leigh Academy Dartford:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Leigh Academy Dartford.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Leigh Academy Dartford for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kent got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
628 pupils
630 places
2 spare places 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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
115
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
17.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
670
Total Pupils
340
Boys
330
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
35.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,610
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,042
Per pupil
£3526k
Total funding
£165k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
12.0%
Persistent absence
550
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
Questions parents ask about Leigh Academy Dartford
What are SATs results like at Leigh Academy Dartford?
Of the pupils at Leigh Academy Dartford who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 96% did so in maths.
What is Leigh Academy Dartford's Ofsted rating?
Leigh Academy Dartford's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Leigh Academy Dartford?
No fixed boundary. When Leigh Academy Dartford is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Leigh Academy Dartford?
Leigh Academy Dartford was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Leigh Academy Dartford?
Classes at Leigh Academy Dartford average 27.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Leigh Academy Dartford?
Leigh Academy Dartford has around 670 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Leigh Academy Dartford?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Leigh Academy Dartford in 2024/25. 12% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leigh Academy Dartford?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Leigh Academy Dartford on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Leigh Academy Dartford have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Progressive Sports @ Dartford (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 Leigh Academy Dartford?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 61 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 49 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 15 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 Leigh Academy Dartford?
Leigh Academy Dartford is at York Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1SQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)