Plume School

Type Secondary / Academy converter
Age Range 11-18
Religion Unknown
Address Fambridge Road
Maldon
Essex
CM9 6AB
Phone 01621854681
Reference Number 137790

Plume School demonstrates good overall effectiveness across various aspects of education, including the quality of education, behaviour, and leadership. The school's curriculum is well-designed and adapted for diverse student needs, promoting personal development and a positive school environment. Although recent key stage 4 outcomes highlighted underperformance due to high levels of persistent absence and some curriculum disruption, the supportive nature of the staff and broad extracurricular offerings provide a strong foundation for student growth. Additionally, the school effectively fosters a culture of respect and tolerance among its pupils, contributing to a welcoming and engaging learning atmosphere.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 1786
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 51.01%
Girls: 48.99%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 24.9%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 3.4%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 19.9

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 157 153 310
8 153 145 298
9 159 143 302
10 165 131 296
11 159 130 289
12 63 87 150
13 55 86 141

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 89.8%
White, Other 4.2%
Mixed, Other 1.6%
White & Asian 0.8%
Unclassified 0.7%
White & Black (Caribbean) 0.5%
Irish 0.4%
White & Black (African) 0.3%
Asian, Other 0.2%
Chinese 0.1%
Indian 0.1%
African 0.1%

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
 >  Quality of education Good
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Good
  >  Personal Development Good
  >  Leadership & Management Good
  >  Sixth Form Provision Good
Last Report Date 28 Nov 2023
Date Report
28 Nov 2023 School inspection:
16 Jan 2018 Full inspection:
15 Jul 2014 Monitoring visit
16 Jan 2014 Full inspection:
14 Feb 2012 Academy conversion letter
02 Mar 2011 Full inspection:
Previously as Plume School
02 Mar 2011 Full inspection:
26 Jan 2009 Curriculum and development visit
26 Jan 2009 Curriculum and development visit
19 Sep 2007 Full inspection:
19 Sep 2007 Full inspection:
27 Mar 2007 Curriculum and development visit
27 Mar 2007 Curriculum and development visit
14 Mar 2005 Full inspection
14 Mar 2005 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Pupils demonstrate pride in attending the school and appreciate staff support.
  • The curriculum is broadly designed to prepare pupils well for adulthood.
  • Strong focus on reading, with regular support for weaker readers.
  • Well-developed personal development curriculum covering important life skills.
  • Effective leadership that engages well with parents.
  • Trustees provide robust support and challenge to school leaders.

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent opportunities for pupils to revisit and practice important knowledge across subjects.
  • Some pupils display less than optimal behaviour, particularly around the Mill Road campus.

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

  • English
  • Maths
  • 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
  • 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education

Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.

School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
42.9

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 37%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 54.3%

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

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GCSE Results

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Points

Points Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Average Points 32.33
Average Points (best 3) 32.42

Grades

School Local Nationwide
Average Grade C+ C+ C+
Average Grade (best 3) C+ C+ C+
Percentage Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Students getting AAB or better 7.8%
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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 148 6
Third Preference 93 10
From another Local Authority 0 0

Previous Years

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Destinations after GCSE's

Staying in Education
 >  Further Education
 >  School Sixth Form
 >  Sixth Form College
 >  Other Education
Apprenticeships
Employment
Not in education or employment
Unknown

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Name Distance
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