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School profile Verified 18 August 2026

Kent Private schools

MEPA ACADEMY

27 & 29 EARL STREET, MAIDSTONE, ME14 1PF

MEPA ACADEMY is a private secondary-stage school in Kent, Kent, with a published age range of 11-16.

Private school Co-ed Ages 11-16 No sixth form listed No boarders
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
11-16
Ofsted ?
All standards Met
Boarding ?
No boarders
Compare Official website Map

On this page

At a glance

Key facts

Sector
Private school
Gender
Mixed
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
11-16
Boarding ?
No boarders
Route check
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Ofsted ?
All standards Met

Overview

MEPA Academy is built for pupils who want academic study to share the timetable with serious performing-arts training. The co-educational provision covers ages 11 to 16, and the academy opened in 2021 with no boarding; 24 pupils were recorded. Its identity is therefore specialist and compact, with the scale allowing performance work to sit close to the ordinary school day.

Key Stage 3 provides breadth before the programme combines English, mathematics and science with BTEC Performing Arts and BTEC Enterprise. Geography, music, art, history, languages and BTEC Sport add further options. Academic and practical work are integrated rather than treating performance as an after-school extra, so pupils can pursue examination subjects and vocational interests in the same routine.

Dance, singing, acting and musical theatre run through the years, with ISTD, IDTA and LAMDA examinations, audition support and performance opportunities forming part of the vocational route. The combination gives the academy a particular emphasis: technical training and live performance are developed alongside the academic subjects needed for a broader secondary education.

Entry is direct and centred on an audition day. Applicants complete English and mathematics assessments, join jazz, ballet and commercial-dance workshops, then audition individually in acting, singing or dance; an instrument may also be demonstrated. Late entrants follow the same process. All standards were met in September 2025, adding a positive current marker to a specialist admissions route.

Key points
Assessment route
Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
Places and demand
Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
Catchment
Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
Results
50% grade 5+ in English and maths and 33.7 Attainment 8

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2022/23 KS4 measures compared with Kent and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for MEPA ACADEMY, Kent, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
33.7
Grade 5+ English and maths
50%
EBacc APS
1.95
EBacc entry
0%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Kent and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for MEPA ACADEMY, Kent, and England. 60 50 40 30 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

School details
Sector
Private school
School type
Other independent school
Funding
Independent fee-paying
Application
Apply direct to school
Gender
Mixed
Age range
11-16
Headteacher
Mrs Mandy Ellen
Pupil roll
24 pupils
Sixth form
No

Location and contact

Address

Address
27 & 29 EARL STREET, MAIDSTONE, KENT
Postcode
ME14 1PF
Area
Kent

School leadership

Headteacher
Mrs Mandy Ellen

School contact

School phone
01622756644

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions
Admissions phone
01622756644
Open in Map Open school website

Admissions
Application route
Apply direct to school
Age range
11-16
Gender
Mixed
Boarding
No boarders
Day fees
Check school fees page
Scholarships and bursaries
Bursaries available
Entrance details
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
Admissions note
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.

Oversubscription and eligibility

Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.

Exam and test format

Entrance route and assessment

Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.

Assessment route
Apply direct to school
Papers and stages
2 papers
Format
Mixed format

Papers and rounds

  1. Paper 1

    Maths, English

    MEPA academic assessment

    The audition day includes academic assessments in English and Maths.

  2. Paper 2

    Interview, Other

    MEPA performing-arts audition and interview

    The auditioning process includes an interview, individual auditions for Acting, Singing and Dance, and workshops in Jazz, Ballet, commercial Dance and Musical Theatre.

Published assessment components

Maths, English and Interview are listed across the school's published assessment routes.

Published

  • Maths

  • English

  • Interview

    The auditioning process includes an interview, individual auditions for Acting, Singing and Dance, and workshops in Jazz, Ballet, commercial Dance and Musical Theatre.

Application

How to apply

  1. 1

    Apply direct to the school

    Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

    Check school admissions

Results

Attainment snapshot

Attainment 8 ?
33.7 Attainment 8
GCSE results
67% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths ?
50% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score ?
1.95 EBacc APS

Inspection
View report
All standards Met

Latest inspection: 23 September 2025

Quality of education
2
Behaviour and attitudes
1
Personal development
1
Leadership and management
2

Quick summary

  • Ofsted inspection outcome: Ofsted's latest independent school standard inspection began on 2025-09-23. The reported outcome is: All standards Met.
  • Ofsted safeguarding: The Ofsted dataset records safeguarding as: Yes.

Similar schools and comparisons

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Nearby schools with similar results

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Shortlist comparisons

Compare MEPA ACADEMY with Gad's Hill School Compare MEPA ACADEMY with The Dulwich School Cranbrook Compare MEPA ACADEMY with Darvell School

Explore this school in context

Private schools near Kent

Independent secondary-stage school profiles with direct-application, age range and boarding context.

Related pages and guides

Guides and related reading

Related guides are still being added.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How does MEPA ACADEMY handle admissions?

MEPA ACADEMY handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.

How do I apply to MEPA ACADEMY?

1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

When are the key dates for MEPA ACADEMY?

Use the school admissions page to confirm registration, assessment, interview and offer dates.

What does the latest inspection picture look like for MEPA ACADEMY?

MEPA ACADEMY is currently rated All standards Met following the latest published inspection dated 23 September 2025.