Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford, Dartford
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Dartford. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 25 schools in Dartford with published results, and 247th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford in detail
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of all the children, staff and Governors I would like to warmly welcome you to Our Lady's Catholic Primary School. We are an outstanding Catholic school (Section 48) with a good rating from Ofsted (Section 5) and we are very proud of this and all that we can offer."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include cooking and art.
Coming up: an open day on Thursday 26 November 2026 at 10am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford reached the expected standard in reading and 94% 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 (100% in reading, 97% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford
For September 2026 entry, 40 families put Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford as their first choice and 90 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 12 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford are West Hill Primary Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 88% reading, 81% maths); Westgate Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 97% reading, 94% maths); Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Dartford (0.4 miles, Good, 76% reading, 65% maths); and River Mill Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 90% reading, 87% maths).
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
West Hill Primary AcademyWestgate Primary SchoolHoly Trinity Church of England Primary School, DartfordRiver Mill Primary School
What parents say
54 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford (as of September 2025): 65% would recommend the school, 69% say their child is happy there and 11% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (78%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (11%).
Who goes there
8.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 48.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (41%), Mixed (20%) and Asian (15%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Dartford Rail Station, about 750 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is West Hill (e-bound), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 374 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford are Dartford Grammar School (0.2 miles), Dartford Grammar School for Girls (0.3 miles), Dartford Science & Technology College (0.4 miles) and Leigh UTC Dartford (1.1 miles).
Dartford Grammar SchoolDartford Grammar School for GirlsDartford Science & Technology CollegeLeigh UTC Dartford
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from February 2012, 14 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
Your child will thrive in this caring, inclusive school where high expectations help pupils achieve above average results. Teachers make learning fun and kind staff create warm relationships where children feel safe and celebrated. The school offers exciting enrichment activities from gardening and animal care to themed trips and a wide range of clubs.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve well above average results in national tests and demonstrate strong engagement with learning
- Systematic phonics teaching helps pupils learn to read quickly and well, with good support for those who fall behind
- Teachers have strong subject knowledge and there is a sharp focus on technical and subject-specific vocabulary
- Warm, respectful relationships and good behaviour create a safe, orderly environment where pupils feel cared for
- Broad enrichment opportunities including gardening club, animal experiences, themed trips, and Thursday clubs for all pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Early years and key stage 1 curricula are not clearly connected, so children do not always build on foundations when moving up
- Teachers sometimes miss opportunities to address misconceptions or deepen pupils' thinking during lessons
- Teachers do not consistently check what pupils remember across all subjects, which slows progress over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Gardening club, animal experiences, themed trips, Thursday enrichment clubs, lunchtime self-organised clubs, culture day celebrations, links with local care home
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School is a vibrant and inclusive Catholic primary school where pupils work hard and achieve well above average results in national tests. The school maintains high expectations and provides a broad, ambitious curriculum with strong support for all learners.
At a Glance
8.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
54 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 94% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 91% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
32.7
Avg class size
32.7
KS2
3
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford.
- Dartford Kumon Centre480m away · Not yet graded
- West Hill Life Ltd630m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, 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
- 47
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 36 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
13 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 Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford
Will you get a place at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford for 2014 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
103%
Over capacity
216 pupils
210 places
6 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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
17.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
219
Total Pupils
109
Boys
110
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
21.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,778
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,188
Per pupil
£1232k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.4%
Overall absence
3.0%
Persistent absence
200
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
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford
Questions parents ask about Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford
What are SATs results like at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?
Of the pupils at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 94% did so in maths.
What is Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford's Ofsted rating?
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?
No fixed boundary. When Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, 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 Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?
Classes at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford average 32.7 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford has around 219 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?
2.4% of sessions were missed at Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford in 2024/25. 3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, 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 Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford: Dartford Kumon Centre (480m away, registered, not yet graded) and West Hill Life Ltd (630m away, 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 Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 36 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 13 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 Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford?
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Dartford is at King Edward Avenue, Dartford, Kent, DA1 2HX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)