Dulverton Primary School

Dulverton Primary School is a community primary school in Bexley for pupils aged 3 to 11. Inspectors found it performing at an exceptionally high level across every key judgement, with outstanding quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This was a graded inspection; under current arrangements the school did not receive an overall effectiveness grade. It was previously judged good, and this was its second routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff have high expectations and provide excellent support, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced from the early years, teachers have strong subject knowledge and check understanding carefully, and pupils produce work of excellent quality. Reading is a high priority, with systematic phonics and focused practice helping pupils read fluently, confidently and for enjoyment. Children get off to a very strong start in the early years. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary, attendance is strong, and the school’s personal development offer is thoughtful and comprehensive. Pupils learn about citizenship, health, safety, tolerance and British values, and take part in volunteering and fundraising. Leaders and governors continually review provision, staff feel well supported, and parents report highly positive views. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and no significant weaknesses were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Nurturing relationships help children feel secure from the early years
• High expectations and excellent support for pupils with SEND
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum across subjects
• Strong early years provision prepares children well for later learning
• Highly systematic phonics and focused reading practice build fluency and enjoyment
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and sustained concentration in lessons
• Strong attendance with swift responses to absence
• Thoughtful personal development and citizenship education
• Wide-ranging wider offer including music, drama, cooking and educational visits
• Effective leadership and governance with strong staff support
• Thoughtful parent engagement, including weekly reading invitations
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Dulverton Primary School attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.2% of pupils at Dulverton Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Dulverton Primary School had 23.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.4% of pupils at Dulverton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Dulverton Primary School received £6,807 and spent £6,830 for each of its 434 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £235,000 (£542 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bexley · Bexley local authority: places and applications

What is Dulverton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dulverton Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Dulverton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Dulverton Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Dulverton Primary School have?

Dulverton Primary School has 444 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dulverton Primary School cover?

Dulverton Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Dulverton Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Dulverton Primary School?

Dulverton Primary School is at Dulverton Road, New Eltham, London, SE9 3RH.