Plume School, Maldon
Plume School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Maldon. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 55th-highest of the 80 schools in Essex with published results, and 2,299th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 102% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Plume School in detail
Plume School in its own words
On phones, the school says: "Mobile Phone Pouch Store Please visit this website https://store.schoolphonepouch.co.uk/plume or scan the QR code if you need to order a replacement mobile phone pouch."
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Plume School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.5 in Essex and 47 across England.
38% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Essex and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 42.9.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.37: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 32.5, against 45.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 30 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
Getting a place at Plume School
For September 2026 entry, 274 families put Plume School as their first choice and 562 named it as one of their preferences, for 288 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Where pupils go next
Of the 289 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 37% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.
Of the 113 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 35% went on to university or other higher education, 12% to apprenticeships and 41% into work. 16% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
3.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 363 pupils (20.3%) received SEN support and 49 (2.7%) 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 autism.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Plume School.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Upper Plume School (opposite), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Plume School issued 172 suspensions, 9.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Plume School are Maldon Primary School (0.3 miles); St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon (0.3 miles); All Saints Maldon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.3 miles); and Wentworth Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Maldon Primary SchoolSt Francis Catholic Primary School, MaldonAll Saints Maldon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolWentworth Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
23.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.54 to -0.37 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 44.6 to 42.2 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 43% to 38% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 42.2 | 37.7% |
| Disadvantaged(81) | - | 32.5 | 18.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(211) | - | 45.9 | 45% |
| Boys(160) | - | 40.4 | 36.3% |
| Girls(132) | - | 44.3 | 39.4% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(10) | - | 52.8 | 60% |
| Non mobile(282) | - | 42.7 | 38.7% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 10 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 289 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.17%
Exclusion rate
172
Suspensions
9.63%
Suspension rate
90 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,786 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Social & online
Keep up with Plume School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Plume School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Plume School is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 17 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
2 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 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 Plume School
Will you get a place at Plume School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Plume School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Plume School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Plume School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Plume School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
102%
Over capacity
1,788 pupils
1,758 places
30 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Maldon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Maldon
Across Essex council
Places available
17,590
Applications
16,568
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
363
SEN Support
49
EHC Plans
23.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,789
Total Pupils
913
Boys
876
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
126
Teachers
14.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,552
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,827
Per pupil
£10874k
Total funding
£416k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.0%
Overall absence
22.3%
Persistent absence
1,556
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Plume School
What are GCSE results like at Plume School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Plume School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 42.2. 38% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Plume School's Ofsted rating?
Plume School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for Plume School?
No fixed boundary. When Plume School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Plume School?
Plume School was full in 2025, at 102% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Plume School?
Classes at Plume School average 21.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Plume School?
Plume School has around 1789 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Plume School?
8% of sessions were missed at Plume School in 2024/25. 22.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Plume School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Plume School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Plume School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 17 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 2 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Plume School?
Plume School is at Fambridge Road, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6AB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)