Oakwood Park Grammar School
105%
Capacity
1,088
Pupils
3.9x
Demand
About Oakwood Park Grammar School
Oakwood Park Grammar School in Maidstone holds a Good rating from Ofsted following its most recent inspection in 2024, but the real story is in its academic results. The school’s Progress 8 score of 0.62 is classified as ‘well above average’ nationally, meaning pupils here achieve nearly two-thirds of a grade more per subject than students with similar starting points across England. That places Oakwood Park 2nd out of 10 schools in the Maidstone local authority area, and 64th out of 461 secondaries in the South East region. Nationally, it sits in the top 12% of all schools for progress. The Attainment 8 score of 64.9 is strong, and 95.5% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths — well above the national average. The school also has a high EBacc entry rate of 92.9%, with 42.9% of pupils achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above.
At Key Stage 5, the sixth form is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and the data backs that up. The average points per entry is 35.18, equivalent to a B- grade, and the best three A-levels average out at a C+. The value-added score is -0.02, which is classed as average, meaning students make roughly the expected level of progress compared with similar pupils nationally. The school’s Progress 8 score of 0.62 is significantly above the Kent local authority average of -0.13, and it outperforms most of its immediate peers in Maidstone. The strongest progress is in maths (0.8) and EBacc subjects (0.7), while English progress is also positive at 0.54. For context, the nearest Outstanding school is Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, 1.5 km away, but Oakwood Park’s own sixth form provision has been independently judged as Outstanding, which is a notable strength.
Oakwood Park is a boys’ grammar school for ages 11 to 18, with 1,088 pupils on roll — slightly above its capacity of 1,035. It is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 561 applications for 143 places, a ratio of 3.92 applicants per place, and 116 of those 141 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, sports hall, astro turf, gymnasium, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rugby, hockey, rowing, cricket, and athletics, while clubs range from chess and debate to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Young Enterprise. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and speech, language and communication needs. This is a school for academically able boys who thrive in a selective environment with strong exam results and a clear focus on progress, particularly in maths and the sciences.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Boys |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Oakwood Park, Maidstone, Maidstone, ME16 8AH |
| Headteacher | Sarah Craig |
| Local Authority | Kent |
| Number of Pupils | 1,088 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 7.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,088 / 1,035 (105% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
2 May 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (2 May 2024): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 10 Mar 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.62)
359th of 3,141
Nationally
64th of 461
In South East
2nd of 10
In Maidstone
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
37.9
'22/23
34.0
'23/24
35.2
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2387%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 173 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)87%
- FE college6%
- Not sustained2%
- Apprenticeship1%
- Employment1%
98% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2360%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 160 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
23%
Russell Group
28%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)60%
- Employment23%
- Not sustained9%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Further education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Geography54
- Mathematics49
- Biology48
- Psychology48
- Economics44
- Physics37
- Sociology33
- Chemistry29
- History25
- Media/Film/Tv Studies20
- Physical Education / Sports Studies19
- Design and Technology (Product Design)18
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed143
561
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
141 families put this school as their 1st choice (25% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: opgs.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British68.8%
- Asian8.8%
- Mixed6.5%
- White (other)6.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
13
Total schools
12
Oversubscribed
8
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Oakwood Park Grammar School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Oakwood Park, Maidstone
Maidstone, ME16 8AH
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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