The Maplesden Noakes School

A good academy converter school in Kent. Explore Ofsted ratings, admissions information, and performance data for The Maplesden Noakes School.

Maidstone, ME160TJ Ofsted: Good Age 11-18 Mixed intake
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Performance Score

Overall school rating

50

/ 100

Secondary with Sixth Form weighted harmonic mean of 5 indicators

Indicators used for Secondary with Sixth Form schools

Progress 8 score
42.1
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: -0.55
English & Maths grade 4+ %
47.1
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 46.6%
Continue in education or training
35.2
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 42.0%
Sustained employment
73.2
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: 37.0%
Ofsted inspection outcome
75.0
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 20.0%
Raw: Good

How we weight each phase

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Primary schools

  • KS2 pupils meeting expected standard 40.0%
  • KS2 pupils exceeding expected standard 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

Secondary schools

  • Progress 8 score 40.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

All-through schools

  • Progress 8 score 25.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 20.0%
  • KS2 pupils meeting expected standard 20.0%
  • KS2 pupils exceeding expected standard 15.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 20.0%

Secondary with Sixth Form schools

  • Progress 8 score 20.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 20.0%
  • Continue in education or training 20.0%
  • Sustained employment 20.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 20.0%

Sixth Form Only schools

  • Continue in education or training 40.0%
  • Sustained employment 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

Special schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Alternative Provision schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Independent schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Ofsted Inspection

Official inspection outcomes

Good
Overall effectiveness
Good
Last inspected
1 May 2024
Previous grade
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

Source: Ofsted inspection outcomes. Grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate.

Contact Information

How to reach this school

Source: GIAS
Address
Buckland Road
Maidstone, ME160TJ
Phone
1622759036
Website
maplesden.kent.sch.uk/

Location

Find the school on the map

Source: Geocoding
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School Information

Basic details and characteristics

Source: GIAS
URN
137833
Type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary with Sixth Form
Address
Buckland Road, Maidstone, ME16 0TJ
Website
http://www.maplesden.kent.sch.uk/
Age range
11-18
Gender
Mixed
School status
Open
Trust/MAT
THE MAPLESDEN NOAKES SCHOOL
Capacity
1,500 pupils
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Sixth Form
Yes
Nursery
No

School Performance Data

Official government statistics

Source: DfE

School Demographics

Total Pupils
1,411
Free School Meals
22.5% (317 pupils)
Special Educational Needs
1.3% (18 pupils)

Daily Attendance

Attendance Rate
89.9%
Needs improvement
Persistent Absence
30.8%
Missing 10%+ of school days

Real Success Rates

What happens to students after they leave this school

Continue Education
42.0%
University, college, or sixth form
Enter Employment
37.0%
Full or part-time jobs
Start Apprenticeships
11.0%
Learning while earning
Not in Education or Work
9.0%
NEET - needs support

Sixth Form University Progression

Where sixth form students go after graduation

University Progression
37%
Quality: Average
Sixth Form Size
134 students
Per cohort
Apprenticeships
11.0%

Calculated Fields

Derived insights and analysis

Source: Calculated

Class Size Information

Average Class Size
88 pupils
Large Classes
Pupils per Year Group
176
Average across all year groups
Total School Size
1,411 pupils
11-18

Subjects This School Excels At

Subjects where students perform significantly above national average

Art & Design (GCE A level)
★★ ★★★
(17 students)
Applied Sciences (BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*)
★ ★★★★
(11 students)

Strong performance in 2 subjects

From the School Website

Information extracted from the school's own website

Source: School Website

Ethos & Values

"A School Built on Kindness, Empathy and Respect"

Kindness Empathy Respect Equity

Head Teacher's Message

Maplesden Noakes School presents itself as a place built on Kindness, Empathy and Respect, with a focus on developing the whole child and providing the best curriculum and experiences to help students reach their full potential and prepare for life beyond school. The Co-Headteachers are Moira Watts and Tom Newcombe, who emphasise collaboration, high standards and student well-being.

Curriculum Highlights

KS3 (Years 7-9): broad curriculum with Core Subjects (English, Maths, Science); Humanity/Language subjects (History, Geography, RSHE, French); plus PE, Design Technology, Graphics, Food, Computing, Art, Drama, Dance, Music. Year 9 offers a KS4 Taster Carousel to explore a wider range of subjects. KS4 (Years 10-11): English Language & Literature, Maths, Science (Double Award); three other subjects including History, Geography, Computer Science or French; options include PE, Art, Drama, Dance, Music, D&T, Graphics, Food, Health & Social Care, Film Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Religious Studies and Business Studies; Core PE and RSHE are included. KS5 (Years 12-13): wide range of courses including A Levels, Applied A Levels, BTECs, and EPQ; Sixth Form includes Careers Education, Information and Guidance (CEIAG), and Work Experience as part of the Business Challenge; PSHE sessions delivered by dedicated PSHE teachers; supported university applications, apprenticeships and future employment preparation.

SEND Provision

The Green Room is the dedicated SEND department at Maplesden Noakes. The SENCo is Mrs. L. Dalmedo. The school creates Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs) for students with the highest needs and assigns each student a caseworker from the SEND department. Interventions include Caseworker Support, Morning Meet and Greet, Resilience Group, and Social Communication Skills, with break and lunchtime support. Depending on the needs, some subjects have TA support. For students with Specific Learning Difficulties, Kent’s Mainstream Core Standards are followed; for visual stress, overlays and coloured paper are available; laptops are provided for those with significant fine motor difficulties. Reviews and provision plans are updated at the start of each academic year. Parents can discuss provision with subject teachers. The school collaborates with external mentoring and counselling services to support emotional well-being and uses a centralised information-sharing system to inform teachers of individual needs. For further assistance, please contact the SEND team via the SENCo.

Admissions Criteria

Admission arrangements for 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 are published. Secondary transfer is via Kent County Council (KCC). Key dates include: KCC closing date for applications (31 October 2025), National Offer Day (2 March 2026), and deadline to accept/refuse the place (16 March 2026). In Year Casual Admissions are handled using the In Year Admission Form (IYAF). The Admissions Policy (2025, 2026, 2027) and related documents are available in the Downloads section. For queries, contact [email protected].

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