St Simon Stock Catholic School
113%
Capacity
1,151
Pupils
3.1x
Demand
About St Simon Stock Catholic School
St Simon Stock Catholic School in Maidstone holds a Good rating from its most recent graded inspection in 2010, and an ungraded inspection in 2021 confirmed the school remains Good, with leadership and management judged Outstanding. The most telling academic metric is its Progress 8 score of 0.21, which is well above the Kent local authority average of -0.13. This means pupils at the school make significantly more progress between Key Stage 2 and GCSEs than their peers across the county. The school ranks 5th out of 10 secondary schools in Maidstone on this measure, placing it in the top half locally, and 33rd out of 106 similar schools across Kent. Nationally, it sits in the top third of all schools, with a Progress 8 percentile of 33.1. The Attainment 8 score of 47.9 is solid, and 70.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths.
At GCSE, the school's EBacc average point score is 4.14, though only 25.3% of pupils entered the EBacc suite of subjects, and just 13.5% achieved the full EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is more mixed: the value added score is -0.31, which is below average, and the average points per entry grade is C-. The best three A-levels average grade is a C, with 10.9% of students achieving AAB or higher. The Progress 8 breakdown shows the school's strongest subject area is the EBacc bucket (0.35), followed by open subjects (0.28) and English (0.2), while maths is slightly negative at -0.11. This suggests the school's academic strengths lie in humanities and languages rather than mathematics.
The school is significantly oversubscribed: for 2025/26, it received 558 applications for 178 places, a ratio of 3.13 applicants per place, with 149 of 154 first-preference families offered a spot. Facilities are extensive and include a swimming pool, theatre, chapel, sports hall, and a dedicated sixth form centre. The school offers a wide range of sports from badminton to martial arts, and clubs including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Young Enterprise, and Model UN. SEND provision covers nine categories, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Speech, Language & Communication needs. As a Roman Catholic secondary for ages 11-18, this school will particularly suit families who value strong academic progress in a faith-based environment, especially those whose children are strong in humanities and open subjects rather than maths.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Oakwood Park, Maidstone, Maidstone, ME16 0JP |
| Headteacher | Andrea Denny |
| Local Authority | Kent |
| Number of Pupils | 1,151 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 16.3% |
| School Capacity | 1,151 / 1,018 (113% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
13 Oct 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (13 Oct 2021): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 12 Feb 2010. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.21)
1041st of 3,141
Nationally
162nd of 461
In South East
5th of 10
In Maidstone
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make 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
28.8
'22/23
27.6
'23/24
26.3
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
2022/2356%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 179 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)56%
- FE college31%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Not sustained4%
- Employment3%
96% 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
2022/2363%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 120 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
9%
Russell Group
10%
Top-third HE
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)63%
- Employment19%
- Not sustained10%
- 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- Sociology38
- Psychology27
- Biology23
- Chemistry23
- Geography20
- Mathematics20
- Economics16
- Physics16
- English Literature15
- History10
- Business Studies:Single9
- Computer Studies / Computing9
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
13Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed178
558
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
154 families put this school as their 1st choice (28% 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: ssscs.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half 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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British57.7%
- White (other)11.2%
- Mixed10.3%
- Asian9.1%
- Black0.5%
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
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this 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.
14
Total schools
13
Oversubscribed
9
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 St Simon Stock Catholic 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 0JP
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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