Getting a Year 7 place in 2026
11+ test
Marling School is a grammar school, so Year 7 places go by the 11+ test and the school's other rules, not by distance. Last year, the last place offered went to the child ranked 538 on the school's list.
149places
164families put it first
66%of those got in
More about how places were given
149 Year 7 places for September 2026. 164 families put it first, about 1.1 for each place.
Places go by rank in the 11+ test and the school's other criteria. Last rank in - 538.
Looked-after children, EHC plans, siblings, catchment areas and faith can come before distance, and distances change every year. Read the admissions policy before you apply.
September 2026 Year 7 entry, Gloucestershire County Council. What this means
Secondary offer day (allocation day): 1 March 2027. Key dates
In short.
Average GCSE grade
7.3
About typical (7.5)
English: average grade
7.5
About typical (7.5)
Maths: average grade
7.3
About typical (7.3)
English and maths grade 4+
100%
About typical (99%)
English and maths grade 5+
98%
About typical (97%)
Ofsted
Good
Full inspection, 2024
Lessons missed
4.4%
About typical (4.2%)
Pupils per teacher
18.5
About typical (18.5)
Typical is the middle school when all 7 Gloucestershire grammar schools are lined up, half above and half below. Tap a box for the detail. GCSE grades run from 9 (highest) to 1; a 4 is a standard pass, roughly the old C.
How places are given.
This is a grammar school. Children must sit the Gloucestershire grammar schools' 11+ test, which all seven grammar schools share. For September 2027 entry the test was on Saturday 12 September 2026.
Only children who reach the school's qualifying standard can be offered a place. It isn't a fixed pass mark: it depends on how a child's score ranks against everyone who sat the test. Most of the grammar schools set a lower standard for children in care and children eligible for pupil premium. Places then go in the order set out in the school's rules.
Read the school's admission rules for September 2027 (PDF)
Free school transport. If this is your nearest suitable school and the walking route is more than 2 miles (children under 8) or 3 miles (8 and over), the council usually provides free transport. Families on lower incomes can get help over shorter distances. School transport
GCSE results.
Average GCSE grade, each year
Each year is a different group of pupils.
Results subject by subject
Average grade (9 is highest) and how many entries got a standard pass (grade 4+) or a top grade (7+), for subjects with 10 or more entries. "County" is the average for all Gloucestershire grammar schools.
| Subject | Entries | Average grade | Grade 4+ | Grade 7+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 151 | 7.1county 7.0 | 100% | 68% |
| English Literature | 151 | 7.0county 6.8 | 98% | 63% |
| Mathematics | 151 | 7.3county 7.5 | 100% | 74% |
| Biology | 132 | 7.0county 7.6 | 100% | 60% |
| Chemistry | 132 | 7.2county 7.6 | 100% | 66% |
| Physics | 132 | 7.3county 7.6 | 100% | 69% |
| History | 89 | 7.0county 7.2 | 94% | 64% |
| Geography | 88 | 7.7county 7.5 | 100% | 85% |
| Design and Technology | 58 | 7.0county 7.3 | 98% | 69% |
| Business Studies | 50 | 6.6county 7.3 | 100% | 46% |
| Spanish | 32 | 7.2county 7.4 | 100% | 75% |
| Computer Science | 29 | 7.5county 7.1 | 97% | 76% |
| German | 28 | 6.9county 7.2 | 100% | 57% |
| Physical Education | 25 | 7.0county 7.3 | 100% | 68% |
| Combined Science | 19 | 6.7county 6.9 | 100% | 47% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 18 | 7.8county 7.6 | 100% | 83% |
| Music | 18 | 5.8county 7.1 | 94% | 28% |
| French | 14 | 7.8county 7.4 | 100% | 79% |
| Art and Design | 12 | 7.2county 7.4 | 100% | 75% |
| Drama | 11 | 6.6county 6.9 | 100% | 55% |
GCSE results 2025/26 (provisional), subject results. Small subjects can swing a lot from year to year.
Where it ranks in Gloucestershire
Positions are among Gloucestershire grammar schools with a published figure. 1st means the highest results. Typical is the school in the middle when they are lined up from highest to lowest. Jargon buster.
GCSE results 2025/26 (provisional).
Sixth form and next steps.
After Year 11
Where pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24 went.
Stayed in education, training or work
99%
Glos 92% · England 91%
Went to a school sixth form
80%
here or at another school
Went to a college
17%
sixth form or further education college
Started an apprenticeship
0%
See three years and more detail
| Leaving year | 2021/22153 pupils | 2022/23158 pupils | 2023/24157 pupils | Glos 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stayed in education, training or work | 98% | 99% | 99% | 92% |
| School sixth form | 80% | 78% | 80% | 46% |
| Sixth form college | 12% | 13% | 10% | 10% |
| Further education college | 5% | 2% | 6% | 29% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 2% | 0% | 4% |
| Work | 0% | 0% | 2% | 3% |
| Did not stay in any of these | 1% | 0% | 0% | 5% |
| Not known | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% |
Percentages of pupils who left that year. “Glos” is all Gloucestershire state schools and colleges. Rows can add up to more or less than 100% because of rounding and pupils doing more than one thing.
A level results 2025
Average grade per A level
B
Glos B- · England C+
Average of best three A levels
B-
Got AAB or better
18%
in three A levels
Progress
Below average
compared with similar students nationally
193 students took A levels. “Progress” compares grades with students across England who got similar GCSEs.
A level results subject by subject
2025: how many entries got the top grades, and whether students did better or worse than expected from their GCSEs.
| Subject | A* to B | Progress | A* or A | Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 60%England 63% | Average | 43% | 90 |
| Physics | 51%England 54% | Below | 20% | 49 |
| Biology | 50%England 52% | Average | 27% | 48 |
| History | 67%England 59% | Average | 21% | 48 |
| Psychology | 65%England 48% | Average | 31% | 48 |
| Chemistry | 58%England 57% | Average | 30% | 43 |
| Economics | 61%England 62% | Below | 14% | 36 |
| English Literature | 100%England 56% | Above | 46% | 22 |
| Geography | 68%England 55% | Average | 32% | 22 |
| Government and Politics | 62%England 59% | Average | 24% | 21 |
| Business Studies | 60%England 49% | Average | 15% | 20 |
| Design and Technology (Product Design) | 79%England 45% | Average | 26% | 19 |
| Computer Science | 83%England 49% | Average | 33% | 18 |
| Mathematics (Further) | 88%England 80% | Average | 41% | 17 |
| Sociology | 71%England 49% | Below | 24% | 17 |
| Physical Education / Sports Studies | 56%England 45% | Average | 22% | 9 |
| Fine Art | 100%England 72% | Above | 100% | 8 |
| Drama and Theatre Studies | 100%England 63% | Average | 33% | 6 |
| French | 0%England 68% | – | 0% | 5 |
| Religious Studies | 0%England 57% | – | 0% | 5 |
| Spanish | 0%England 67% | – | 0% | 5 |
Subjects with 5 or more entries. Progress “Above” or “Below” means the difference from expected grades is big enough not to be chance; otherwise it shows “Average”. Small subjects can swing a lot from year to year.
Other courses taken in 2025: Extended Project (88 entries); Core maths (9 entries).
After sixth form
Where students who finished here went.
Started a degree within two years
74%
Glos 56% · England 58%
Went to a ‘top third’ university
40%
Glos 20% · England 16%
Went straight into work
31%
Glos 35% · England 27%
Started an apprenticeship
3%
Glos 8% · England 7%
Started a degree within two years: girls 77%, boys 73%.
See three years and more detail
| Leaving year | 2021/22185 pupils | 2022/23232 pupils | 2023/24206 pupils | Glos 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stayed in education, training or work | 90% | 84% | 86% | 83% |
| University or other higher education | 49% | 50% | 48% | 38% |
| Further education | 2% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 3% | 3% | 7% |
| Work | 34% | 29% | 31% | 34% |
| Did not stay in any of these | 7% | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| Not known | 3% | 4% | 2% | 6% |
Percentages of pupils who left that year. “Glos” is all Gloucestershire state schools and colleges. Rows can add up to more or less than 100% because of rounding and pupils doing more than one thing.
‘Top third’ universities are those with the highest entry grades. Degree figures count the two years after sixth form, so include gap years (students who finished in 2022/23); the yearly table counts only the first year, so its university figure is lower. Progression to higher education and destination measures, Department for Education, published October 2026.
Ofsted.
Ofsted
Good
Full inspection, 2024
“The school has high expectations of its pupils and students. Pupils and students uphold the school motto of ‘let us go forward through study to character’. They are positive about their learning. Pupils especially enjoy debate and discussion. They are curious and apply their learning with careful thought. […]”
Read the full report (PDF) · Ofsted, Open Government Licence.
Inspection history (3 reports)
- 19 November 2024School inspection · report
- 12 November 2013Full inspection: Outstanding · report
- 28 November 2011Curriculum and development visit · report
Grades from different years were given under different rules, so they are not directly comparable. Reports from before a school became an academy are listed under its old school on the Ofsted website.
What parents told Ofsted.
Not enough parents filled in Ofsted's Parent View survey for this school to publish results. Ofsted only publishes a school's results once 10 or more parents have answered (November 2025 to September 2026).
See this school on Ofsted Parent View, or add your own views if your child goes there.
Day to day.
Pupils
Attendance and behaviour
Teachers and money
Behaviour policies differ between schools, so compare suspensions with care. Pupils and staff: school census and workforce census, Department for Education.
Questions parents ask.
How close do you need to live to get a place at Marling School?
Marling School is a grammar school, so Year 7 places go by the 11+ test and the school's other rules, not by distance. Last year, the last place offered went to the child ranked 538 on the school's list. Distances change every year, and children in priority groups (such as looked-after children, children with an EHC plan naming the school and brothers or sisters of current pupils) can get places before distance is used.
How many families applied to Marling School?
For September 2026 Year 7 entry, 164 families put Marling School as their first choice, and 149 places were offered. (Department for Education, secondary applications and offers 2026)
What are Marling School's GCSE results?
In 2026, pupils at Marling School got an average Attainment 8 score of 73.2, and 100% got grade 4 or above in both English and maths. (Department for Education, provisional GCSE results 2025/26)
What did Ofsted say about Marling School?
Rated by Ofsted in each area at its last full inspection (19 November 2024):
How do I apply for a place at Marling School?
You apply to your home council, not to the school. If you live in Gloucestershire, that is Gloucestershire County Council. For September 2027 entry, on-time applications closed at midnight, 31 October 2026, and offers are sent on 1 March 2027. Late applications are dealt with after on-time ones.
Contact and nearby.
Cainscross Road, Stroud, GL5 4HE
Headteacher: Mr Peter Knight
Run by an academy trust: Cotswold Beacon Academy Trust
Nearby secondary schools
Spotted something wrong on this page? Tell us
This is a guide, not an admissions decision. Figures come from the Department for Education, Ofsted and Gloucestershire County Council and were last updated 7 November 2026. Always check the school's admissions policy and the council's admissions pages before applying. How admissions work