Valley Park School
Maidstone, ME14 5DT · Kent · secondary school
Check the area around this school
82nd of 99 secondary schools in Kent we can score, 103 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to the 914 schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 0.7/10 among them, against 1.8/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 33.3 · 21 | 46% | 0.98 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.6 · 12 | 38% | 0.45 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 41.8 · 28 | 15% | 0.42 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Valley Park School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 24.7% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 37.6, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.6 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to the schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 0.2 out of 10 among them, against 1.0 out of 10 nationally.
Beyond the classroom
Pupils can join blogging and Warhammer clubs.
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,555 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,157. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their current attainment and the national median? What specific support is available for students aiming to improve their Progress 8 scores?
What Ofsted said about Valley Park School
Overview
Valley Park School is described as a ‘happy and welcoming place’ where pupils act out values of ‘ambition, respect and kindness’. The report states that the school has ‘strengthened the quality of education’ following lower-than-national GCSE results in 2024, resulting in pupils now ‘making better progress than has been the case historically’. Leaders are ‘unified in their vision’, and staff are ‘overwhelmingly happy and proud’ to work there.
Strengths
- Pupils have ‘warm relationships with adults built on mutual respect and trust’ and behave well in a ‘calm and orderly’ environment.
- The curriculum is ‘ambitious for all’ and designed so that knowledge ‘builds logically and sequentially’, with strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
- Reading is a priority, with a dedicated programme and sixth-form mentors helping pupils develop ‘greater fluency and confidence’.
- Sixth-form students appreciate the ‘wide range of subjects’ and vocational courses that help prepare them for ‘future lives and work’.
- Trustees and governors are ‘highly skilled’, and leaders support staff well-being, ensuring staff are ‘unified in their vision for the school’.
Areas to improve
- Some teachers do not consistently check pupils’ learning well enough in lessons, meaning ‘misconceptions or gaps in knowledge go unnoticed’.
- Teaching is not always adapted to the needs of all pupils, so those ready to move on are not always ‘provided with opportunities to do so’.
- Some pupils have a ‘limited understanding’ of essential PSHE content, particularly regarding ‘democracy and the rule of law’.
Safeguarding
The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 39.2 |
| 2024/25 | 37.6 |
| 2025/26 | 41.8 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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