Dartford Science & Technology College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 April 2026

Pupils are known as individuals at this warm and welcoming school. The school's values support pupils to develop positive character traits. Pupils are encouraged to be creative, kind, brave, resilient and curious. This ensures that the school is calm and harmonious. Pupils behave with integrity. They do not tolerate any disruption to their learning. Pupils have positive attitudes to their education. Social times are tranquil. Bullying is rare, and pupils feel safe. They know that staff will take any worries they may have seriously. Pupils are punctual to lessons. They are determined to be successful. This leads them to attend well, including students in the sixth form. The school has a highly inclusive ethos. As a result, potential barriers to learning are identified and reduced quickly. Across subjects, pupils benefit from a broad and well-organised curriculum. Pupils are keen to learn. They value the expertise of their teachers and the support they receive. Many pupils achieve well from their individual starting points, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They are well prepared for their next steps in education or training. Pupils develop their confidence through a wide variety of activities. This includes a broad range of visits that support pupils’ academic and personal development. The school's house system enhances pupils' sense of identity and belonging. Pupils enjoy the many clubs on offer. They can develop their talents and interests through clubs such as crochet, sports, performing arts and contributing to the eco project. Pupils make a positive contribution to their school and local community. For example, pupils regularly collect for the local food bank and host afternoon tea for local senior citizens. Sixth-form students undertake their leadership roles with humility. They are inspirational role models for younger pupils.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that pupils develop secure and detailed knowledge across all aspects of the personal development programme so that they are well prepared for life beyond school.
• Leaders should continue to ensure that highly effective teaching, including the precise use of assessment, is embedded consistently well across the curriculum so that all pupils are supported to achieve highly across all subjects.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)