Ditton Infant School

Ditton Infant School is performing well, having achieved a 'Good' rating across all inspected domains. The school has a positive culture that encourages kindness, respect, and safety among pupils. Leaders prioritize a supportive learning environment where students are eager to learn and engage in various activities that spark their interests, such as outdoor ventures and clubs. While there are many strengths in the quality of education provided, the school is conscious of the need for improvement, particularly in supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and ensuring all students read regularly to build fluency.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a culture that promotes kindness and respect.
• Staff effectively address any issues of bullying or unkindness.
• Curriculum development is well-supported by knowledgeable subject leaders.
• Pupils demonstrate a secure understanding in various subjects.
• All staff are trained to teach phonics effectively.
• High expectations for pupil achievement are communicated clearly.
• Strong emphasis on mental health and well-being is evident.
• Robust safeguarding procedures are in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils with SEND do not always achieve as well as they should.
• Support plans for SEND pupils are not always specific enough.
• Not all struggling readers are provided with adequate opportunities to read to adults.

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 Ditton Infant School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Ditton Infant 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 Ditton Infant School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.5% 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, 14.5% of pupils at Ditton Infant 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 Ditton Infant School received £9,021 and spent £9,228 for each of its 110 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £104,000 (£946 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 Aylesford · Kent local authority: places and applications

What is Ditton Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ditton Infant School is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Ditton Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ditton Infant School was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Ditton Infant School have?

Ditton Infant School has 110 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ditton Infant School cover?

Ditton Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Ditton Infant School?

Ditton Infant School is at Pear Tree Avenue, Ditton, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 6EB.