About The School

Please read a letter from our Chair of Governors.

You can also read our Ofsted Report as well as our Denominational Inspection Report.

“Serve the Lord with Joy”is our school motto St. Bartholomew’s exists to: 

• Encourage the spiritual development of all pupils by helping each child to develop their relationship with God through prayer and worship;
• To recognise the importance of forging links with the parish, home and local community; 
• To ensure that the highest educational standards are achieved in the light of the National Curriculum;
• To recognise and encourage talent of all kinds and degrees and to endeavor to stretch the intellectual, creative and physical capacity of each child to work in an atmosphere of praise, encouragement and mutual respect from which self-discipline will arise; 
• To prepare children to adapt to demands of the changing world, show respect for other cultures and religions (beliefs) and equip them for their life.

The school has just celebrated its 50th Anniversary.

It opened its doors to 139 children of the community on 22nd April 1969.  Now it has 350 pupils and is popular and over-subscribed annually.

St. Bartholomew’s is the Parish School of Holy Apostles. Both the Presbytery and the Parish Church share the same site as the school.

It is well equipped with a purpose built ICT suite, a library, tablet technology and portable charging station and good access to internet learning and whiteboard technology.  Each class has the support of a skilled Teaching Assistant for prime teaching time in the morning and these and other TAs provide a comprehensive intervention system in the afternoons to help with inclusion.

An excellent Parent’s Association Group has operated in continuity since 1970 and supports the work of the school community.

The school enjoys excellent support from the Parish Clergy and in turn the school contributes to the development of the parish via charity work and engagement with Liturgical events. Children have regular access to the Sacraments and hosts the annual First Communion Programme.  

The school also takes part in the Annual Unity Service which involves schools from Swanley and its satellite villages and those schools in the Gravesend Deanery.

The school is very lucky to have excellent playground facilities for each of the key stages together with extensive grounds to accommodate many sporting activities and events, and provides the opportunity for children, both boys and girls, to play football.

We have planning permission for the erection of a Nursery on site which, as soon as we are able to construct this, will accommodate 52 children in total.