Palace Wood Primary School, Maidstone
Palace Wood Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Maidstone. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 19th-highest of the 43 schools in Maidstone with published results, and 7,071st of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Palace Wood Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Palace Wood Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 68% in reading and 68% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Palace Wood Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 57 families put Palace Wood Primary School as their first choice and 146 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Palace Wood Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Palace Wood Primary School are Allington Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 87% reading, 95% maths); St Francis' Catholic Primary School, Maidstone (0.7 miles); St Francis' Catholic Primary School, Maidstone (0.7 miles, Good, 63% reading, 63% maths); and Brunswick House Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 72% reading, 78% maths).
Palace Wood Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Allington Primary SchoolSt Francis' Catholic Primary School, MaidstoneSt Francis' Catholic Primary School, MaidstoneBrunswick House Primary School
Who goes there
15.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 36 pupils (8.6%) received SEN support and 8 (1.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Barming Rail Station, about 1140 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Conway Road (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Palace Wood Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 200 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Palace Wood Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 2.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Palace Wood Primary School are The Maplesden Noakes School (0.7 miles), St Simon Stock Catholic School (0.7 miles), Maidstone Grammar School for Girls (0.8 miles) and St Augustine Academy (0.9 miles).
The Maplesden Noakes SchoolSt Simon Stock Catholic SchoolMaidstone Grammar School for GirlsSt Augustine Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from July 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2017 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
15.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 68% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 68% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.9
Avg class size
28.2
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
13
Total classes
6 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Palace Wood Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Palace Wood Primary School.
- Hermitage Hawks690m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Palace Wood Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Palace Wood Primary School is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Palace Wood Primary School
Will you get a place at Palace Wood Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Palace Wood Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Palace Wood Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Palace Wood Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kent, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Palace Wood Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kent got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
422 pupils
420 places
2 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Maidstone
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Maidstone
Across Kent council
Places available
18,893
Applications
16,593
Got 1st preference
89.7%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
10.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
417
Total Pupils
206
Boys
211
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
16.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,888
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,995
Per pupil
£2338k
Total funding
£115k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
11.6%
Persistent absence
380
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Palace Wood Primary School
What are SATs results like at Palace Wood Primary School?
Of the pupils at Palace Wood Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Palace Wood Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Palace Wood Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Palace Wood Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Palace Wood Primary School is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Palace Wood Primary School?
Palace Wood Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Palace Wood Primary School?
Classes at Palace Wood Primary School average 29.9 pupils (2025/26). 6 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Palace Wood Primary School?
Palace Wood Primary School has around 417 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Palace Wood Primary School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Palace Wood Primary School in 2024/25. 11.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Palace Wood Primary School?
Apply through Kent's coordinated admissions process, naming Palace Wood Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Palace Wood Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Palace Wood Primary School: Hermitage Hawks (690m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Palace Wood Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Palace Wood Primary School?
Palace Wood Primary School is at Ash Grove, Allington, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0AB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)