Saxon Way Primary School

Saxon Way Primary School has demonstrated effective leadership and maintained the high standards established in previous inspections. The school fosters a positive learning environment where pupils are happy and eager to engage in their education. Strong relationships between staff and families, along with a well-designed curriculum, contribute to pupils achieving well academically. The focus on personal development and community engagement further enhances pupils' overall experience, ensuring they feel safe and supported.

Strengths

• Effective leadership has maintained high educational standards.
• Pupils demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning and feel safe.
• Well-sequenced curriculum designed to inspire all pupils.
• Strong behaviour management strategies promote a calm environment.
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Strong emphasis on reading and phonics from an early age.
• Wide range of enrichment opportunities enhance the learning experience.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checking of pupil understanding during lessons.
• Limited identification of essential knowledge in some subjects.

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 Saxon Way Primary School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.2% 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, 4.7% of pupils at Saxon Way 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 Saxon Way Primary School had 21.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 30.2% 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, 20.2% of pupils at Saxon Way Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 2024–25 Saxon Way Primary School received £6,583 and spent £7,178 for each of its 419 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £165,000 (£393 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Griffin Schools Trust, income was £7,909 and spending £8,064 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Gillingham · Medway local authority: places and applications

Saxon Way Primary School is part of The Griffin Schools Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Kingfisher Community Primary School Chatham
• Lordswood School Chatham
• Riverley Primary School London
• Willow Brook Primary School Academy London
• Lammas School London
• Nicholas Chamberlaine School Bedworth
• Exhall Junior School Warwickshire
• Race Leys Junior School Bedworth
• Park Lane Primary School Nuneaton
• Chivenor Primary School Birmingham

What is Saxon Way Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saxon Way Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Saxon Way Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Saxon Way Primary School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Saxon Way Primary School have?

Saxon Way Primary School has 396 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saxon Way Primary School cover?

Saxon Way Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Saxon Way Primary School?

Saxon Way Primary School is at Ingram Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1SJ.