The Gateway Primary Academy Review 2026: High-attaining, one-form entry primary with clear routines

A one-form entry primary with a simple promise: the Gateway to achievement. In practice, that shows up in two places parents notice quickly, calm routines and consistently high attainment by the end of Year 6. The school sits in Temple Hill, between Bluewater and Dartford town centre, and runs at its published capacity of 210 pupils, which keeps year groups predictable in size and staff knowing families well.

Leadership is stable. Mr J Cassem is named as headteacher on the school website, and the June 2022 inspection report notes that the current headteacher was appointed in February 2019.

The school’s own language leans towards calm, confidence, and children feeling secure. That tone is reinforced by how expectations are framed: five core values (Respect, Honesty, Teamwork, Kindness, Politeness) and seven Golden Rules that are revisited regularly, including in assemblies. The point is not the posters, it is that behaviour expectations are kept short, repeatable, and consistent, which tends to suit pupils who thrive on clarity.

Pastoral routines are structured rather than complicated. A good example is self-regulation work through Zones of Regulation, positioned as a shared language that families can also use at home. For many children, especially those who struggle to describe feelings or identify triggers, having a consistent set of categories and strategies can reduce low-level anxiety and classroom disruption.

Scale matters here. With a published admission number of 30 for Reception, and a maximum roll of 210, peer groups are broad enough for friendship choice but not so large that pupils can disappear. That dynamic can feel reassuring for families who value community and predictable routines over a large-school feel.

This is where the school stands out most clearly. In 2024, 93.33% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 35.67% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, well above the England average of 8%. Reading, mathematics, and grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) scaled scores were 108, 109, and 112 respectively.

Rankings (FindMySchool proprietary rankings based on official data) place the school 571st in England and 4th in Dartford for primary outcomes. That sits well above England average (top 10%), and in practice is closer to the top 4% by rank position.

Parents comparing multiple local primaries can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view these attainment measures side by side, including the England benchmarks.

The curriculum intent is ambitious and deliberately skills-based. In the school handbook, TASC is used as a problem-solving approach, and Building Learning Power is used to develop learning behaviours such as resilience, reflectiveness, reciprocity, and resourcefulness. The practical implication is that pupils are expected to explain their thinking, not just complete tasks, which tends to build confidence for Year 6 tests and for secondary transition.

Phonics and early reading are treated as core foundations. While the review cannot use third-party performance tables for extra statistics, the most recent inspection focused deep dives on early reading and mathematics among other areas, which aligns with the school’s outcomes profile.

Curriculum sequencing is an area the school has actively been working on, particularly in subjects such as PE and design technology, where leaders were described as being in the process of identifying and ordering the knowledge and skills pupils should build over time. For parents, the takeaway is sensible: core outcomes are already very strong, and curriculum development work is focused on making foundation subjects as coherently planned as English and mathematics.

As a Dartford primary, Year 6 leavers move on to a range of local Kent secondary schools. The school signposts families to engage directly with their child’s allocated secondary school about timings for Year 6 transition activities and visits during Term 6, and it provides transition resources for pupils and parents.

Because the school does not publish a destination list with numbers, it is best to treat secondary transfer here as family-led and varied rather than funnelled to one route. For children, the benefit of the school’s structured learning habits is that they transfer well to different secondary settings, including larger comprehensives and more academically selective environments.

Reception entry is part of Kent’s co-ordinated admissions process, rather than direct application to the school. For September 2026 entry, Kent’s published dates are: applications opened Friday 7 November 2025 and closed Thursday 15 January 2026, with National Offer Day on Thursday 16 April 2026. Kent also sets Thursday 30 April 2026 as the deadline to accept or refuse the offered place.

The school is oversubscribed. In the latest admissions data available here, there were 121 applications for 28 offers for the relevant entry route, which equates to 4.32 applications per place. Put simply, competition is a defining feature.

When oversubscribed, the school’s published admission number is 30 and its 2026 to 2027 admission arrangements set out the priority order, including children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, looked-after and previously looked-after children, sibling connection, health and special access reasons, children of staff (in defined circumstances), and then nearness of home to school using straight-line distance. Families should read the oversubscription criteria carefully before relying on proximity alone.

Parents who are close to the boundary for likely allocation should use FindMySchoolMap Search to check their distance precisely and to sense-check the practical risk of relying on a place here.

Safeguarding and personal development are framed in practical, age-appropriate ways. The most recent inspection report describes pupils learning about personal and online safety, including through visits from services such as police and fire brigade, which is a strong example of preventative education rather than reactive messaging.

On the staffing side, the school identifies its Deputy Head as the SENCo, and it makes clear how families can raise concerns about learning needs. That clarity matters in a small school, where early identification and consistent classroom strategies are often more impactful than complicated intervention structures.

Daily routines also support wellbeing. Gate and collection procedures are specific, with separate collection points and times for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, which helps reduce end-of-day stress for pupils and families, particularly those with younger siblings on site.

Extracurricular provision is strongest when it is anchored in regular events and participation opportunities, rather than an impressive list. The school website shows a steady rhythm of sports fixtures and festivals across year groups, including district athletics and targeted tournaments such as Year 3 and 4 football and handball. For pupils, this matters because competition and representation develop confidence, teamwork, and resilience, especially when pupils are not yet teenagers and need structured chances to take on challenge.

There is also a clear celebration mechanism. Golden Time is linked to the Golden Rules, and assemblies are used to recognise pupils who consistently meet expectations and demonstrate the school’s values. The implication is that reward is tied to behaviour and learning habits over time, not only to one-off achievement, which can feel fairer for quieter children.

Breakfast club is another practical extension. It is described as including a healthy breakfast and structured activities such as table tennis, puzzles, and construction games. For working families, this can be the difference between rushed mornings and a calm start, and for pupils it can support readiness to learn, particularly those who arrive better regulated after a predictable routine.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The school day is clearly structured: gates open at 8.45am and close at 9.00am; Key Stage 1 finishes at 3.10pm and Key Stage 2 at 3.15pm. Breakfast Club runs from 8.00am to 9.00am.

After-school clubs are listed on the school website, but wraparound childcare beyond clubs is not set out in a single, definitive place. Families who need regular after-school care should ask the school directly what is available, on which days, and whether places are limited.

• High competition for places. Admissions data indicates 4.32 applications per place for the relevant entry route, and the school is oversubscribed. Families should plan with realistic contingencies.

• A small-school experience. One-form entry suits many children, but it also means fewer parallel friendship groups. For some pupils, that is comforting; for others, a larger setting offers more social breadth.

• Expectations and routines are explicit. Values and rules are used as a common language. That usually supports calm behaviour, but families seeking a looser style may prefer a different fit.

• Wraparound clarity may require a phone call. Breakfast Club timings are published, but parents needing consistent after-school childcare should verify what is available rather than assuming.

The strongest case for this school is simple: exceptionally high primary attainment by Year 6, delivered in a small, structured setting with clear expectations. Admission is the obstacle; once in, pupils benefit from consistent routines, strong core teaching, and a culture that values both learning habits and behaviour. Best suited to families who want a one-form entry primary with calm systems and a high academic ceiling, and who are prepared for competitive admissions.