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Temple Hill Primary Academy, Dartford

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 3–11

Temple Hill Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Dartford, part of The Golden Thread Alliance. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 25 schools in Dartford with published results, and 6,288th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.

SATs results
In line with England
Ofsted
Good (2019)
Demand
Every first choice offered
Attendance
Below England average
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

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

Temple Hill Primary Academy in detail

Results

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Temple Hill Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 66% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.

Getting a place at Temple Hill Primary Academy

For September 2026 entry, 67 families put Temple Hill Primary Academy as their first choice and 148 named it as one of their preferences, for 72 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Admissions history and your chances at Temple Hill Primary Academy

Compared with nearby schools

The nearest other state primary schools to Temple Hill Primary Academy are St Anselm's Catholic Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 90% reading, 83% maths); River Mill Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 90% reading, 87% maths); Dartford Bridge Community Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 81% reading, 89% maths); and Leigh Academy Dartford (0.8 miles, Good, 100% reading, 96% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Temple Hill Primary Academy.

St Anselm's Catholic Primary SchoolRiver Mill Primary SchoolDartford Bridge Community Primary SchoolLeigh Academy Dartford

The trust

Temple Hill Primary Academy is one of 8 schools run by The Golden Thread Alliance, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

All 8 schools in The Golden Thread Alliance

What parents say

23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Temple Hill Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (91%).

Who goes there

39.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 40.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (40%), Black (21%) and Asian (18%).

Temple Hill Primary Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 8 places, 5 pupils on roll.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Dartford Rail Station, about 960 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Edmund's Church (opposite), 90 metres away.

The area around the school

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Temple Hill Primary Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 389 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, Temple Hill Primary Academy issued 39 suspensions, 4.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

Secondary schools nearby

The secondary schools closest to Temple Hill Primary Academy are Leigh UTC Dartford (0.6 miles), Stone Lodge School (0.9 miles), Sir Geoffrey Leigh Academy (1.2 miles) and Dartford Grammar School (1.2 miles).

Leigh UTC DartfordStone Lodge SchoolSir Geoffrey Leigh AcademyDartford Grammar School

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

Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Leon Dawson
Pupils:850
LA:Kent
Phone:01322224600
Address:St Edmund's Road, Temple Hill, Dartford, DA1 5ND
Trust:THE GOLDEN THREAD ALLIANCE (8 schools)
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2016

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago

This judgement is from June 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.

-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 26 November 2024View full report
URN:143219
UKPRN:10057853
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Dartford
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.

What This School Does Well

Temple Hill Primary Academy is a welcoming, inclusive school where all children thrive. The school excels at teaching reading through expert phonics instruction and provides outstanding support for pupils with additional needs. Staff are united in their commitment to helping every child become a successful learner and confident individual ready for their next stage of education.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent phonics teaching and early reading support that builds pupil confidence and skill
  • Strong support for pupils with SEND, with quick identification and appropriate adaptations to help them learn successfully
  • Well-sequenced curriculum from early years to Year 6 that excites pupils and reflects the diversity of the school population
  • Improved behaviour and attendance through an engaging new behaviour policy that motivates pupils with rewards
  • Inclusive, harmonious school culture where pupils value equality and respect each other's backgrounds and beliefs

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited opportunities for pupils to write across different subjects and for different purposes, which is hindering writing skill development
  • Some pupils still struggle to write as well as they should for their ages, despite the school's focus on this area

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with the school demonstrating a clear commitment to keeping pupils safe and creating a positive culture around safeguarding.

Extracurricular Activities

London visit for all pupils, visitors from various professions to inspire career thinking, community charity fundraising activities, environmental improvement projects, before- and after-school provision

Temple Hill Primary Academy is a friendly, inclusive school where pupils from diverse backgrounds get along well and enjoy their learning. The school has made good progress with rising outcomes across most areas, though writing skills remain an area for development.

At a Glance

39.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

Resourced provision: Speech and language

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

23 responses
Would recommend96%
Child is happy100%
Child does well96%
High expectations96%
Feels safe100%
Well behaved96%
Bullying dealt with (of parents with a view)100%
Kept informed91%
Handles concerns (of parents who raised one)91%
Wider development96%

Source: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2024/25

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+14ppMaths+5ppWriting-2pp

Reading has improved from 66% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 73% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025).

Class Sizes

29.4

Avg class size

27.6

Infant (KS1)

32.1

KS2

26

Total classes

13 classes with more than 30 pupils

2025/26 academic year

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Social & online

Keep up with Temple Hill Primary Academy

Before and after school care

Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Temple Hill Primary Academy.

  • Progressive Sports @ St Anselm's300m away · Not yet graded
  • Munchkin Sports River Mill Primary After School Care530m away · Not yet graded
  • The Pass Masters900m away · Not yet graded

Getting There

Train Stations

Dartford Rail Station
958m · 16 min walk

Bus Stops

St Edmund's Church (opp)
89m · 1 min walk
St Edmunds Road (W-bound)
176m · 3 min walk
Nightingale Grove (opp)
218m · 4 min walk
Farnol Road (adj)
273m · 4 min walk
St Anselm's School (adj)
276m · 4 min walk

Free school transport

Check free transport to Temple Hill Primary Academy from your postcode →

You apply to the council where you live. Temple Hill Primary Academy 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
20
Fatal
0
Serious
7
Children hurt
6

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 13 slight.

6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.

3 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.

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Commute and house prices

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Your chances of a place at Temple Hill Primary Academy

Will you get a place at Temple Hill Primary Academy? Get the admissions report

Your home postcode, set against Temple Hill Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.

What the report includes for Temple Hill Primary Academy:

  • The straight-line distance from your home to Temple Hill Primary Academy.
  • We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
  • Applications, first choices and offers at Temple Hill Primary Academy for 2017 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

834 pupils

840 places

6 spare places in 2025

2025, DfE school capacity data

Area Demand Pressure - Dartford

High pressure
New homes approved:1,837
Projected new pupils:459

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dartford

Across Kent council

Low demand council-wide0.88 applications per place

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: Every first choice offered

Inspection History(2)

26 November 2024
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
25 June 2019
Leadership & ManagementGood

SEND & SEN Provision

SEN Overview

145

SEN Support

32

EHC Plans

20.8%

of Total Pupils

2026 academic year

Provision & Specialist Facilities

Temple Hill Primary Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 8 places, 5 pupils on roll.

Source: GIAS, Department for Education.

Pupils by Need Type

Speech, Language & Communication140
Social, Emotional & Mental Health24
Physical Disability4
Specific Learning Difficulty3
Multi-Sensory Impairment2
Other2
Moderate Learning Difficulty1
Autistic Spectrum Disorder1
EHC Plan
SEN Support

Pupil Demographics

Ethnicity

White British
39.5%
Asian
18.4%
Black
21.1%
Mixed
6.3%
Chinese
0.7%
Other
1.3%
Unclassified
1.5%

2026 academic year

Key Indicators

Free School Meals39.3%
English as Additional Language40.8%

850

Total Pupils

448

Boys

402

Girls

2026 academic year

Workforce

43

Teachers

19.8:1

Pupil-teacher ratio

£49,665

Mean salary

2026 data

School Funding

£5,798

Per pupil

£5535k

Total funding

£512k

Pupil premium

Deprivation£717,815
EAL funding£109,485
Lump sum£142,484

2025-26 financial year allocations

Pupil Absence
2024/25

7.6%

Overall absence

23.5%

Persistent absence

808

Enrolments

Authorised4.9%
Unauthorised2.7%
Persistent (10%+)23.5%
Severe (50%+)1.4%

Absence trend

6.5%
18/19
8.5%
20/21
8.5%
21/22
8.2%
22/23
7.0%
23/24
7.6%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Questions parents ask about Temple Hill Primary Academy

What are SATs results like at Temple Hill Primary Academy?

Of the pupils at Temple Hill Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.

What is Temple Hill Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Temple Hill Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2019, it was rated Good.

What is the catchment area for Temple Hill Primary Academy?

No fixed boundary. When Temple Hill Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

Is it hard to get a place at Temple Hill Primary Academy?

Temple Hill Primary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.

How big are the classes at Temple Hill Primary Academy?

Classes at Temple Hill Primary Academy average 29.4 pupils (2025/26). 13 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.

How many pupils go to Temple Hill Primary Academy?

Temple Hill Primary Academy has around 850 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.

Does Temple Hill Primary Academy have specialist SEN provision?

Temple Hill Primary Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 8 places, 5 pupils on roll.

What is attendance like at Temple Hill Primary Academy?

7.6% of sessions were missed at Temple Hill Primary Academy in 2024/25. 23.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).

How do I apply to Temple Hill Primary Academy?

Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Temple Hill Primary Academy 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 Temple Hill Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?

Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Temple Hill Primary Academy: Progressive Sports @ St Anselm's (300m away, registered, not yet graded), Munchkin Sports River Mill Primary After School Care (530m away, registered, not yet graded) and The Pass Masters (900m 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 Temple Hill Primary Academy?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 13 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Temple Hill Primary Academy?

Temple Hill Primary Academy is at St Edmund's Road, Temple Hill, Dartford, Kent, DA1 5ND.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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