Lift New RickstonesPlume School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Lift New Rickstones and Plume School are secondary schools.
Lift New Rickstones scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Plume School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Plume School is ahead on our composite score.
Lift New Rickstones was judged Good and Plume School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 42.5 for Lift New Rickstones and 42.2 for Plume School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Lift New Rickstones (46.8 in 2021-22, 42.5 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Plume School (45.5 in 2021-22, 42.2 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | WithamLift New Rickstones | MaldonPlume School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D53/100 | D54/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 51st of 80 in Essex | 47th of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,221 | 1,789 | |
| Capacity | 1,100 | 1,841 | |
| Location | Witham, CM8 2SD | Maldon, CM9 6AB | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 42.5 Stronger figure | 42.2 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 39.8% Stronger figure | 37.7% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 61.9% | 62.7% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 181 | 292 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 19 | 140 | |
| A-level average points | 26.8 | 32.2 Stronger figure | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C- | C+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 32.4 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 7.8% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,204 | 1,786 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 31.3% | 26.4% | |
| English as an additional language | 4.2% | 3.4% | |
| SEN support | 16.0% | 17.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.9% | 2.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.2% | 8.0% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 23.2% | 22.3% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Lift New Rickstones
Plume School
Full profiles: Lift New Rickstones · Plume School