Northfleet Nursery School, Gravesend
Northfleet Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Gravesend. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, ended in a report card: 6 exceptional. Before that it was rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in September 2013.
- Ofsted report card
- 6 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Northfleet Nursery School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 9 June 2026 inspection grades Northfleet Nursery School on 6 areas: 6 exceptional. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Exceptional. "Children achieve highly and make excellent progress from their starting points."
Attendance and behaviour - Exceptional. "Children love coming to this nursery and their attendance is high."
Curriculum and teaching - Exceptional. "Leaders have designed a broad, carefully sequenced and aspirational curriculum."
Inclusion - Exceptional. "Leaders build positive relationships with parents and carers as part of children's transition into the nursery."
Leadership and governance - Exceptional. "Leaders and governors have an astute understanding of the school's priorities and act in children's best interests."
Personal development and wellbeing - Exceptional. "Leaders have a deep understanding of the school's local context and have honed the personal development programme so that it is extremely relevant and ambitious."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 52.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (31%), Asian (26%) and Black (17%).
In 2026, 17 pupils (18.3%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gravesend Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Arriva Depot (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 372 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.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementExceptional
- Attendance and behaviourExceptional
- Curriculum and teachingExceptional
- InclusionExceptional
- Leadership and governanceExceptional
- Personal development and wellbeingExceptional
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Northfleet Nursery School
Children develop confidence, resilience and enthusiasm for learning in this nursery school's welcoming and inspirational environment. Children arrive eagerly and cannot wait to begin well-designed activities with staff who understand their interests and needs. Children are helped by skilled staff to overcome any barriers to wellbeing or learning. Children rightly feel happy and safe. They know that their trusted key person will help them with any worries. Children develop a love of learning and they thrive personally, socially and emotionally. Children enjoy coming to the nursery and they attend well. Staff work in partnership with children's families to encourage regular attendance habits in preparation for their future transition to school. Leaders understand the barriers to attendance that some families experience and provide just the right support. Children relish the well-embedded daily routines, such as snack time and work time, taking part in them wholeheartedly. During structured group times, children concentrate intently as they are guided by staff through sociable conversations. Bullying is not tolerated and hardly ever happens. If there are any behaviour concerns, staff address them immediately and expertly model conflict resolution for children. Children are challenged to learn a highly ambitious and coherently sequenced curriculum which focuses particularly on language development. The curriculum is regularly reviewed and tailored to meet children's individual needs and interests. Any children with barriers to learning have bespoke support and typically achieve as well as their peers. Children gain a deep understanding of the key knowledge and skills needed for future learning. This means that all children, particularly those at the early stages of learning English, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children, achieve very well from their starting points. Children from all starting points thrive at this nursery and are extremely well prepared to transition into primary school.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 9 June 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its September 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Keep up with Northfleet Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Northfleet Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Northfleet Nursery 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
- 26
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 7 serious and 18 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
Area Demand Pressure - Gravesend
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Gravesend
Across Kent council
Places available
19,539
Applications
18,644
Got 1st preference
78.9%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All secondary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
17
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
18.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
93
Total Pupils
55
Boys
38
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
23.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,892
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Northfleet Nursery School
What is Northfleet Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Northfleet Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Northfleet Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Northfleet Nursery School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Northfleet Nursery School?
Northfleet Nursery School has around 93 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Northfleet Nursery School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Northfleet Nursery 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.
How many road collisions happen near Northfleet Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 7 serious and 18 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Northfleet Nursery School?
Northfleet Nursery School is at 140 London Road, Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 9JS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)