Classpot

Palace Wood Primary School

Maidstone, ME16 0ABPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Sep 2022
KS2 Results
56%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.8×
Not oversubscribed
48 1st-choice / 60 places
Ranking
#9,033
of 13,686 nationally

About Palace Wood Primary School

Palace Wood Primary School sits below the Kent local authority average for Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths at the expected standard, with 56% of pupils reaching that benchmark compared with the LA average of 63%. This places the school in the bottom half of primary schools in Maidstone, ranked 31st out of 44 in the borough and 304th out of 459 across Kent. The gap is most pronounced in maths, where 68% of pupils met the expected standard against a wider context that typically sees higher figures, though reading also lags at 68%. On the positive side, writing is a relative strength: 81% of pupils achieved the expected standard, well above the school's own combined figure. The proportion reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 11%, which is modest but not unusual for a school with this profile. The school's most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2017 rated it Good overall, with Good marks for leadership, management and early years provision, and it has held that rating through a subsequent ungraded inspection in 2022.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressAsh Grove, Maidstone, Maidstone, ME16 0AB
HeadteacherClare Cairns
Local AuthorityKent
Number of Pupils426
Free School Meals (FSM)18.3%
School Capacity426 / 420 (101% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

15 Sept 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

Latest monitoring visit (15 Sept 2022): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 18 Sept 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

6
LibraryArt StudiosPlaying FieldsICT SuiteGymnasiumChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

7

Sports

NetballFootballSwimmingDance

Clubs & Activities

ChessDramaCoding

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageVisionPhysicalOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Palace Wood Primary School

Palace Wood Primary School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.