School profile

Valley Park School

Secondary · Academy converter · Maidstone, ME14 5DT

Good

Map showing Valley Park School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,384 of 3,312

Worse than 71% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#2,420 of 2,536

Worse than 95% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Valley Park School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 28 Jan 2025

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,555
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr D Jones
TrustVALLEY INVICTA ACADEMIES TRUST
Local authorityKent
Opened01 Apr 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136581.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.41.8, worse than England, worse than Kent4746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.56.1%, worse than England, worse than Kent65.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.33.3%, worse than England, worse than Kent47.5%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.5.7%, worse than England, worse than Kent15.9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths50.8%, worse than England, worse than Kent61.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4264--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.22.4, worse than England, worse than Kent34.8735
Average A-level gradeD+--
Average points, best three A-levels26.98, worse than England, worse than Kent36.1435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC---
AAB or better4.8%, worse than England, worse than Kent17.3%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.54, worse than England--
A-level progressBelow average, worse than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study160--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Merit--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,555
Girls868
Boys687
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.20.6%
First language not English22.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,601
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.2.9%
Sixth form places2024/25340
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.239
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.24
Average class size26.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
60.6%
Other White
11.8%
African
5.4%
Other mixed
5%
Other Asian
3.9%
Other ethnic group
3.8%
White and Asian
1.6%
White and Black Caribbean
1.4%
Indian
1.1%
White and Black African
1%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher18
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.7
Teachers (FTE)86.35
Teaching assistants (FTE)15.99
Support staff (FTE)54.6
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2584.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2570.1
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/256
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/258

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.237
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.980
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.223
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.167
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)8

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Overall absence7.3%, better than England, similar to Kent7.8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.21.3%, similar to England, similar to Kent21.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3%, better than England, similar to Kent3.2%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate12.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.92.1%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.85.7%
Further education44.7%
School sixth form41%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.5%
Employment3.8%
Apprenticeship2.6%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.87.7%
Higher education44.1%
Employment36.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.8.4%
Apprenticeship4.5%
Further education1.7%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Valley Park School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miSecondaryInvicta Grammar SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.2 miSecondarySchool of Science and Technology MaidstoneFree schools
Outstanding
0.3 miPrimaryValley Invicta Primary School At East BoroughAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimaryMaidstone, St John's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.7 miSecondaryMaidstone Grammar SchoolFoundation school
Good
0.8 miNot applicableMEPA ACADEMYOther independent school
Good
0.9 miPrimarySouth Borough Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miPrimaryPark Way Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.0 miPrimarySt Paul's Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryNorth Borough Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Valley Park School

What is Valley Park School's Ofsted rating?

Valley Park School is rated Good, last inspected on 28 Jan 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Valley Park School rank in England?

Valley Park School ranks 2,384 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 71% of schools) and 2,420 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 95% of schools).

What are Valley Park School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 33.3% of pupils at Valley Park School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 41.8 (England 46.2).

What are Valley Park School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Valley Park School was D+, and 4.8% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Valley Park School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Valley Park School made 237 offers from 980 applications (4.1 per offer), and 167 of 223 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Valley Park School?

Valley Park School has 1,555 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Valley Park School?

Valley Park School had 1,601 school places in 2024/25.

Does Valley Park School have a sixth form?

Yes, Valley Park School has a sixth form with 340 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Valley Park School?

At Valley Park School, the average class had 26.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Valley Park School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Valley Park School missed 7.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 21.3% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.