School Updated 26 April 2026

Kent / Kent 11+

Oakwood Park Grammar School

Oakwood Park, Maidstone, ME16 8AH

A selective boys grammar school in Maidstone, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,088 pupils on roll.

Boys Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #112
Admissions
Boys only
Assessment
GL Assessment
Places in Year 7
160
Competition
3.5 applicants per place
Catchment
There is no fixed catchment area. After priority categories, distance from the permanent home address to the school is measured in a straight line using the NLPG address point.
Ofsted
Good

Overview

A selective boys grammar school in Maidstone, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,088 pupils on roll. Families looking at Maidstone, Kent will usually see Oakwood Park Grammar School as a selective option for boys aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,088 pupils on roll and 160 Year 7 places.

For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 160 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks moderate by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.

On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.62 and Attainment 8 at 64.9. 95.5% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 20% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 66% moving into higher education.

Published school information highlights facilities such as Library. The wider offer currently includes Sport. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. Oakwood Park Grammar School is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.

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Key points

Assessment route
GL Assessment across a 3-stage process, covering English, Maths, VR, NVR and Creative Writing.
Places and demand
160 places in Year 7 and 3.5 applicants per place
Catchment
There is no fixed catchment area. After priority categories, distance from the permanent home address to the school is measured in a straight line using the NLPG address point.
Results
96.8% grade 5+ in English and maths and 68.9 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 20% AAB or better and 66% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Kent and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Oakwood Park Grammar School, Kent, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
68.9
Grade 5+ English and maths
96.8%
EBacc APS
6.60
EBacc entry
93.7%

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 Oakwood Park Grammar School, Kent, and England. 80 66.7 53.3 40 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Kent and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Oakwood Park Grammar School, Kent, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details

School type
Academy converter
Admissions
Boys only
Age range
11-18
Headteacher
Mrs Sarah Craig
Pupil roll
1,088 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Trust
Oakwood Park Grammar School
FSM
7.2%
EAL
14.6%
EHCP
0.5%

Facilities

Library

Extracurriculars

Sport

Location and contact

Address

Address
Oakwood Park, Maidstone, Kent
Postcode
ME16 8AH
Area
Kent
Exam area
Kent 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Mrs Sarah Craig

School contact

School email
office@opgs.org
School phone
01622726683

Admissions contact

Admissions email
admissions@opgs.org
Admissions phone
01622726683

Admissions

Year 7 places
160 places (2025 entry)
Applications listed
561 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
141 first preferences (2025 entry)
Applicants per place
3.5 applicants per place
Catchment picture
There is no fixed catchment area. After priority categories, distance from the permanent home address to the school is measured in a straight line using the NLPG address point.
Residence requirement
After priority categories, distance from the permanent home address to the school is measured in a straight line using the NLPG address point.
Pass mark note
The latest checked Kent Test qualifying threshold was a total score of 332 with no single score below 108 for the 2025 test cycle. This is a Kent grammar suitability threshold, not a school offer cut-off.

There is no fixed catchment area. After priority categories, distance from the permanent home address to the school is measured in a straight line using the NLPG address point.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    EHCP naming the school

    Candidates with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are admitted before oversubscription criteria are applied, provided the grammar-school suitability requirement is met.

  2. 2

    Looked-after and previously looked-after children

    Eligible looked-after and previously looked-after children, including qualifying children previously in state care outside England, receive priority.

  3. 3

    Current family association

    Priority applies where the policy's current family association definition is met.

  4. 4

    Health or special access reasons

    Supported health or special access reasons are considered under the policy's evidence requirements.

  5. 5

    Student or Pupil Premium

    Eligible candidates in receipt of Student Premium or Pupil Premium receive priority where the required evidence is supplied.

  6. 6

    Distance from home to school

    Remaining eligible applicants are ordered by straight-line distance from the permanent home address to the school using the NLPG address point.

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

The Kent Test has English and mathematics, reasoning and writing components. The writing exercise is not part of the automatic score but may be used for headteacher assessment.

Assessment route
GL Assessment
Papers and stages
3 papers
Format
Mixed format
Age standardisation
Published as age-standardised

This school uses the shared Kent Test consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.

Open Kent Test guide

Papers and rounds

  1. Paper 1

    English, Maths

    English and mathematics paper

    Multiple-choice English and mathematics questions form one Kent Test paper.

  2. Paper 2

    VR, NVR

    Reasoning paper

    The reasoning paper covers verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

  3. Paper 3

    Creative Writing

    Writing exercise

    The writing exercise is not included in the automatic score but may be considered by a headteacher assessment panel.

What the test includes

English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Creative writing are included in the published format.

Science is not listed in the current published format.

Included

  • English

  • Maths

  • Verbal reasoning

    The reasoning paper covers verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

  • Non-verbal reasoning

    The reasoning paper covers verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

  • Creative writing

    Included within the published English paper.

Not listed

  • Science

Application

Key dates

  1. Kent Test dates pending

    Expected May 2026

  2. Common Application Form deadline

    31 October 2026

  3. Supplementary evidence deadline

    31 October 2026

  4. National Offer Day

    1 March 2027

How to apply

  1. 1

    Register for the Kent Test

    Use the Kent Test registration route when Kent County Council opens registration for the 2027 entry cycle.

    Kent Test registration
  2. 2

    Sit the Kent Test

    Candidates need a grammar assessment through the Kent Test before they can be considered for a Year 7 place.

    Kent Test guidance
  3. 3

    Submit supplementary evidence if needed

    Use the supplementary information route for Student/Pupil Premium or previously-in-care-outside-England priority where relevant.

    Admissions
  4. 4

    Submit the Common Application Form

    Name the school on the local-authority CAF by 31 October 2026 for September 2027 entry.

    Admissions

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8
+0.62 Progress 8
Attainment 8
68.9 Attainment 8
GCSE results
97.5% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths
96.8% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score
6.60 EBacc APS
A-level results
20% AAB or better
A-level average points
38.50 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression
66% in higher education
Apprenticeships
2% in apprenticeships
Employment
22% in sustained employment

Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.

Subject performance

Maths
94.3% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English
96.2% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences
91.7% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages
71.6% grade 5+ in EBacc languages

Performance trends

Recent trend

Overall GCSE performance

This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.

Oakwood Park Grammar School Grammar schools England
Overall GCSE performance across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Oakwood Park Grammar School, grammar schools, and England. 80 70 60 50 40 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 68.4 74.2 49.4
2022/23 66.5 71.8 47.0
2023/24 64.9 72.1 46.7
2024/25 68.9 72.3 46.8

Recent trend

Average A-level result

This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.

Oakwood Park Grammar School Grammar schools England
Average A-level result across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Oakwood Park Grammar School, grammar schools, and England. 50 pts 45 pts 40 pts 35 pts 30 pts 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 B- average (37.9 points) 44.0 points 37.5 points
2022/23 C+ average (34.0 points) 40.5 points 33.7 points
2023/24 B- average (35.2 points) 41.3 points 34.5 points
2024/25 B average (38.5 points) 41.8 points 35.0 points

Recent trend

Where pupils go after Year 11

This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.

Oakwood Park Grammar School Grammar schools England
Where pupils go after Year 11 across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Oakwood Park Grammar School, grammar schools, and England. 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 99% 99.1% 94.1%
2022/23 98% 98.9% 93.9%
2023/24 99% 99.0% 93.3%
2024/25 97% 97.8% 91.4%

Latest year breakdown

In education 95%
In apprenticeships 0%
In employment 2%

Inspection

Good

Latest inspection: 2 May 2024

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

Similar schools and comparisons

Nearby schools families also consider

Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.

Nearby schools with similar results

Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does Oakwood Park Grammar School use?

Oakwood Park Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to Oakwood Park Grammar School?

1. Register for the Kent Test: Use the Kent Test registration route when Kent County Council opens registration for the 2027 entry cycle. 2. Sit the Kent Test: Candidates need a grammar assessment through the Kent Test before they can be considered for a Year 7 place. 3. Submit supplementary evidence if needed: Use the supplementary information route for Student/Pupil Premium or previously-in-care-outside-England priority where relevant. 4. Submit the Common Application Form: Name the school on the local-authority CAF by 31 October 2026 for September 2027 entry.

When are the key dates for Oakwood Park Grammar School?

Kent Test dates pending: Expected May 2026. Common Application Form deadline: 31 October 2026. Supplementary evidence deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027

What does the latest Ofsted picture look like for Oakwood Park Grammar School?

Oakwood Park Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 2 May 2024.