Leigh UTC Dartford, Dartford

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Leigh UTC Dartford on 7 areas: 2 exceptional and 5 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Leadership and governance - Exceptional. "Leaders have created a school where all staff and pupils seek to achieve their very best."

Post 16 provision - Exceptional. "Sixth-form students' personal development is superb."

Achievement - Strong standard. "Although pupils start school with levels of attainment which are typically below average, the rapid progress that they make through the curriculum means that they achieve in line with national averages by the end of Year 11."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Overall, pupils attend regularly because of leaders' effective work to promote the importance of good attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "The curriculum prepares pupils extremely well for the world of work or further study, providing them with the technical knowledge and skills they need."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and with some significant barriers are supported very effectively to succeed."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Pupils develop deep levels of knowledge through the rich 'personal professional studies' curriculum, which incorporates a wide range of stimulating, important and relevant topics."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should build on their very successful work to raise pupils' overall attendance even further so that all pupils benefit fully from the excellent education that the school provides".

Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Leigh UTC Dartford averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 48.1 in Kent and 47 across England.

36% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Kent and 47% in England.

That is down from 44.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.35: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 35.1, against 45.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 18 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Biology, Statistics and Physics.

For September 2026 entry, 91 families put Leigh UTC Dartford as their first choice and 341 named it as one of their preferences, for 119 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Leigh UTC Dartford are Dartford Grammar School (1.3 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 78.9); Stone Lodge School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.5); Dartford Grammar School for Girls (1.4 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 77.3); and Harris Academy Riverside (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.1).

Leigh UTC Dartford's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Leigh UTC Dartford is one of 33 schools run by Leigh Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.4 in 2024/25.

Of the 122 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 39% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 60 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 30% went on to university or other higher education, 20% to apprenticeships and 42% into work. 2% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

In 2026, 109 pupils (15.8%) received SEN support and 16 (2.3%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Dartford Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Brunel Way (sw-bound), 120 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 193 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.

In 2024/25, Leigh UTC Dartford issued 165 suspensions, 23.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Leigh UTC Dartford are Dartford Bridge Community Primary School (0.2 miles), River Mill Primary School (0.5 miles), Temple Hill Primary Academy (0.6 miles) and St Anselm's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.