Gordons Children's Academy, Infant

The Gordon Children's Academy, Infant, has shown overall good performance with notable improvements since the appointment of the current headteacher in October 2021. The school emphasizes a positive behavior culture, encouraging pupils to achieve their best through their inclusive values of ambition and kindness. Parents express high confidence in the leadership, citing the headteacher's approachable nature and the engaging discussions their children are having at home. The school is making substantial progress in enhancing its early years and the quality of education across key subjects like reading, mathematics, and science. However, there are still areas needing attention to optimize pupil learning and curriculum effectiveness.

Strengths

• Strong leadership under the new headteacher.
• High parent confidence in school management.
• Effective early years provision with a focus on developing children's language.
• Clear expectations for pupil behavior and conduct.
• Well-sequenced curriculum in reading, mathematics, and science.
• Strong emphasis on personal, social and health education.
• Active involvement of governors who challenge leadership effectively.

Areas for Improvement

• Some foundation subject curriculums are overcrowded and lack clarity.
• Inconsistent subject-specific expertise among teachers.
• Assessment in certain subjects is not used effectively.

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 Gordons Children's Academy, Infant attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.3% 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 Gordons Children's Academy, Infant 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 Gordons Children's Academy, Infant had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 51.2% 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, 15.6% of pupils at Gordons Children's Academy, Infant were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Gordons Children's Academy, Infant is part of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• Gordons Children's Academy, Junior Rochester
• All Faiths Children's Academy Rochester
• Cedar Children's Academy Rochester
• Maritime Academy Rochester
• The Rochester Grammar School Rochester
• Holcombe Grammar School Chatham
• New Horizons Children's Academy Chatham
• The Victory Academy Chatham
• Colchester Royal Grammar School Colchester
• Goodwin Academy Deal

What is Gordons Children's Academy, Infant's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gordons Children's Academy, Infant is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Gordons Children's Academy, Infant last inspected by Ofsted?

Gordons Children's Academy, Infant was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Gordons Children's Academy, Infant have?

Gordons Children's Academy, Infant has 135 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gordons Children's Academy, Infant cover?

Gordons Children's Academy, Infant for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is Gordons Children's Academy, Infant?

Gordons Children's Academy, Infant is at Gordon Road, Strood, Rochester, Kent, ME2 3HQ.