Dame Janet Primary Academy

About Dame Janet Primary Academy

Dame Janet Primary Academy in Thanet was rated Good by Ofsted in its most recent graded inspection, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating. The school’s most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which stood at 62% in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure is just one percentage point below the Kent local authority average of 63%, placing the school in the middle of the pack locally — ranked 12th out of 25 primary schools in Thanet and 224th out of 459 across the county. Nationally, it sits around the 51st percentile, meaning it performs broadly in line with the typical primary school. The school’s average scaled scores in reading (104) and maths (103) are both above the national baseline of 100, though the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in those subjects is modest at 16% and 17% respectively.

Looking more closely at the Ofsted report, inspectors rated leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all as Good. The school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections, with the ungraded inspection in March 2024 confirming it remains Good. Behaviour and attitudes were not separately graded in the most recent report, but the improvement from Requires Improvement to Good in the previous graded inspection suggests solid progress. At Key Stage 2, 71% of pupils met the expected standard in both maths and writing, while 66% did so in reading. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is not possible to measure how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The early years provision was rated Good, which is reassuring for parents considering the school’s nursery provision for younger children.

Dame Janet is a state primary for mixed genders aged 4 to 11, with a capacity of 360 and currently 315 pupils on roll. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 54 applications for 24 places, with 19 first-preference offers made — an oversubscription ratio of 2.25. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage, as 63.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Facilities include a sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, art studios and a chapel. Sports on offer include cricket, tennis, football, athletics, swimming and dance, while clubs include Eco Club, Book Club and Drama. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, covering moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families looking for a well-regarded local primary with strong SEND support and a clear upward trajectory in its Ofsted rating.

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