Byron Primary School

Byron Primary School is a primary academy within The Westbrook Trust and was judged good across all inspected areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This follows a previous inspection grade of requires improvement, and the report recognises that leaders and the trust have made vital improvements, particularly in reading and the curriculum. Pupils generally achieve well, behave well and benefit from clear routines and a strong start in the early years. The school’s reading provision is a notable strength. Phonics is taught well from the start of Reception, books are closely matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge, and weaker readers receive effective support to catch up. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), become confident readers. Mathematics in key stage 2 is also stronger than published outcomes suggest, and staff use assessment well in English and mathematics to shape further learning. There are still areas to improve. In some subjects, pupils do not consistently develop the depth of knowledge and subject-specific vocabulary intended by the curriculum, which can make their written and spoken language less precise. Teachers are also not always systematic in checking for and correcting errors in pupils’ work, so some gaps and misconceptions can persist. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and governance and trust support are helping to sustain a culture of continuous improvement.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour, with pupils keen to meet them and behaving well.
• Clear and well-established routines that help early years children make a strong start.
• Strong phonics teaching from the start of Reception, with books carefully matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge.
• Effective personalised support helps weaker readers catch up quickly.
• Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, become confident readers.
• Curriculum improvements in most subjects, with teachers clear about the knowledge and skills pupils should develop.
• Key stage 2 mathematics learning is stronger than published outcomes indicate, with effective revisiting and problem-solving.
• Teachers identify potential learning needs promptly, and staff understand how to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
• Substantial well-being and family support, including work that contributes to improved attendance.
• Pupils learn about their diverse community, rights and responsibilities, positive relationships and safety.
• Wide musical opportunities, including choir, instrumental lessons and productions at a local theatre.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.
• Trust and governance support and challenge leaders, helping to establish a culture of continuous improvement.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils’ vocabulary and depth of knowledge are not consistently developed across some subjects, limiting precision in written and spoken language.
• Teachers are not consistently systematic in checking for and correcting errors in pupils’ work, so mistakes and gaps can persist.
• There is variation in how well teachers build pupils’ knowledge and subject-specific vocabulary across the curriculum.

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 Byron Primary School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.6% 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, 2.3% of pupils at Byron 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 Byron Primary School had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.8% 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, 13.1% of pupils at Byron Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 2024–25 Byron Primary School received £6,202 and spent £6,062 for each of its 521 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £49,000 (£93 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of The Westbrook Trust, income was £6,373 and spending £6,345 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

Byron Primary School is part of The Westbrook Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Brompton-Westbrook Primary School Gillingham
• Oaklands School Chatham
• St Margaret's Infant School Gillingham

What is Byron Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Byron Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Byron Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Byron Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Byron Primary School have?

Byron Primary School has 502 pupils on roll.

What age range does Byron Primary School cover?

Byron Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Byron Primary School?

Byron Primary School is at Byron Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5XX.