School profile

Marling School

Secondary · Academy converter · Stroud, GL5 4HE

Good

Map showing Marling School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#81 of 3,312

Better than 97% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#587 of 2,536

Better than 76% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Marling School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 19 Nov 2024

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,082
GenderBoys
Admissions policySelective
Head teacherMr Peter Knight
TrustLIFT SCHOOLS
Local authorityGloucestershire
Opened01 Aug 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 137123.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolGloucestershireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.73.2, better than England, better than Gloucestershire50.246.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.100%, better than England, better than Gloucestershire70.1%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.98%, better than England, better than Gloucestershire52.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.61.6%, better than England, better than Gloucestershire17.5%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths100%, better than England, better than Gloucestershire66.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4151--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolGloucestershireEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.38.34, better than England, better than Gloucestershire36.2835
Average A-level gradeB--
Average points, best three A-levels37.71, similar to England, similar to Gloucestershire36.8335.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB---
AAB or better17.6%, similar to England, similar to Gloucestershire20.4%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.1, worse than England--
A-level progressBelow average, worse than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study193--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.z--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,082
Girls77
Boys1,005
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.4.1%
First language not English12.3%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,150
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.5.9%
Sixth form places2024/25400
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.58
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.2
Average class size23.9

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
63.5%
Indian
9%
Other White
4.8%
Other Asian
4.1%
White and Asian
4%
Other mixed
2.7%
African
2%
Chinese
1.8%
Other Black
1%
Pakistani
0.9%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher18.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.14.2
Teachers (FTE)58.44
Teaching assistants (FTE)8.83
Support staff (FTE)36.16
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2562.5
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2550.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/257.4

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.149
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.431
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.164
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.109
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)153

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolGloucestershireEngland
Overall absence4.4%, better than England, better than Gloucestershire8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.8.6%, better than England, better than Gloucestershire21.2%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.3%, better than England, better than Gloucestershire3.5%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate1.5%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.99.4%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.97.5%
School sixth form80.3%
Sixth form college10.2%
Further education6.4%
Employment1.9%
Apprenticeship0%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.86.4%
Higher education48.5%
Employment30.6%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.11.2%
Further education3.4%
Apprenticeship2.9%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Marling School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miSecondaryStroud High SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.4 miSecondaryArchway SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
0.4 miPrimarySt Matthew's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.5 miPrimaryRodborough Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryLift CallowellAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.6 miPrimaryThe Rosary Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryCashes Green Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryFoxmoor Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryStroud Valley Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryGastrells Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Marling School

What is Marling School's Ofsted rating?

Marling School is rated Good, last inspected on 19 Nov 2024. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Marling School rank in England?

Marling School ranks 81 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 97% of schools) and 587 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 76% of schools).

What are Marling School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 98% of pupils at Marling School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 73.2 (England 46.2).

What are Marling School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Marling School was B, and 17.6% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Marling School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Marling School made 149 offers from 431 applications (2.9 per offer), and 109 of 164 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Marling School?

Marling School has 1,082 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Marling School?

Marling School had 1,150 school places in 2024/25.

Does Marling School have a sixth form?

Yes, Marling School has a sixth form with 400 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Marling School?

At Marling School, the average class had 23.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Marling School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Marling School missed 4.4% of sessions (England 8%), and 8.6% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.