School Chooser

Loose Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy662 pupilsNurseryMaidstoneKent
School Chooser Score
64
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 48 to 77, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 53% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1174%England 63%
Attendance96.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families11%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull662 pupils, 654 places
Pupils per teacher25.0School workforce census

Loose Primary School is a converter academy in Maidstone for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 662 pupils, 8 more than it has places for. About 11 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 64 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 53% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Loose Road, Maidstone, ME15 9UW01622 743549loose-primary.kent.sch.ukMr Daniel Childs headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 27 June 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
28 April 2022UngradedSchool remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

100 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1174%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level6%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 76%76%20172018: 74%74%20182019: 72%72%20192023: 60%60%20232024: 60%60%20242025: 74%74%2025
Since 2017: -2%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†KentEngland
Pupils tested10010196959696
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths74%60%60%72%74%76%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths6%2%13%13%17%17%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0106.0106.0105.0106.0106.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0103.0104.0106.0105.0107.0104.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0104.0105.0106.0108.0106.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard85%76%75%80%78%80%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard80%69%72%83%75%85%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)81%70%73%88%92%89%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.2-1.5-2.2-0.6
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.6-0.5-1.6+1.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged27%22%33%58%54%45%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged80%69%63%73%77%80%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Loose Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 4 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
27%80%
Gap 53 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
71%80%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
75%74%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%6%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Full663 pupils for 654 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 9 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Kent council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll662Census January 2026
Places654101% full
Pupils from low-income families11%11% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English11%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%60 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size31.520 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils55%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)10%£100,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls328 / 334
White British pupils80%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.9 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 32.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (25), emotional and mental health (18), Autistic spectrum disorder (12), language and communications needs (8), Specific learning difficulty (6), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll662657661656655655
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%8%9%8%9%10%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language11%10%10%8%9%8%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%8%8%8%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.7%4.4%4.9%5.1%3.0%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.4%3.6%4.1%2.5%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%1.0%1.2%1.0%0.6%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.6%9.2%10.0%9.6%5.3%4.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.42.93.12.30.3
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00100

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers26.5full-time equivalent, 33 people
Pupils per teacher25.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers94%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants21.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,675
Teachers who left in the year31%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.72024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£5,760England £7,128. Total £3.8m
Income per pupil£5,982England £7,587. Total £3.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,807England £3,405
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £568k, £865 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£146kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,760spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m8212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate60 per 1,000 people34% lower than the England average
Typical house price£365,000Maidstone
Nearest bus stop80 mThe Walnut Tree, 6 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Tiger Primary SchoolFree school900 m392Good 202318Compare
Leigh Academy OaksAcademy0.9 miles211Report card 202697Compare
Leigh Academy MolehillAcademy1.1 miles312No overall grade 202499Compare
Boughton Monchelsea Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles202Good 202318Compare
Park Way Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles307Good 202426Compare
Coxheath Primary SchoolAcademy1.3 miles463Good 202337Compare
South Borough Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles448Good 202390Compare
Archbishop Courtenay Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles329Good 202379Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Loose Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats53%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 64 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 14 · middle 64 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Loose Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St John's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England12.8 miles633Good 202373Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 64 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 64% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 48 to 77. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.06
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 100 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.03
DfE progress measure; 100 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 577 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 100 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Loose Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Loose Primary School scores 64 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 53% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 48 to 77, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Loose Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Loose Primary School good at its last full inspection on 27 June 2023.

How good are Loose Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 74% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Loose Primary School have?

662 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 654 places, so it is 101% full.

Is Loose Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 9 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Loose Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Loose Primary School?

The average class had 31.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 55% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Loose Road, Maidstone, ME15 9UW
Telephone
01622 743549
Website
www.loose-primary.kent.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Daniel Childs
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Coppice Primary Partnership (4 schools)
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Loose & Linton
Constituency
Weald of Kent
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2018 (academy converter)
URN
146143 · LAESTAB 8862044 · UKPRN 10068467
Formerly
Loose Primary School

Where these figures come from