A selective boys grammar school in Stroud, Gloucestershire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,117 pupils on roll.
Marling School
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At a glance
Marling School is Stroud's boys' grammar for Years 7 to 11, with a co-educational sixth form that has become central to the school's identity. The school sets out its values as inclusion, academic excellence, respect, perseverance and a passion for learning, and presents itself as a warm but academically ambitious community serving Stroud and the wider Gloucestershire area.
The curriculum balances core academic strength with creative, performance, technical, language and humanities subjects. Marling's teaching-and-learning material is unusually clear about its evidence-informed approach: carefully sequenced knowledge, a strong climate for learning, regular feedback and a coherent curriculum from Year 7 through Year 13.
Personal development is a substantial strand. Pupils can take part in clubs, educational visits, Duke of Edinburgh at Bronze, Silver and Gold, student leadership, mentoring, inclusion and eco roles, and sixth-form activities through the Marling Diamond programme. The sixth form is co-educational, admits external students and offers around 30 A level choices.
Year 7 entry has 150 places. Boys sit the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Entrance Test and must share their result with Marling when registering. Qualifying candidates then apply through the Common Application Form, with the school's published criteria applying if there are more qualified applicants than places.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Gloucestershire and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Gloucestershire and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Gloucestershire and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,117 pupils; 1,080 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 66.9% | White | 747 |
| Indian | 8.1% | Asian | 91 |
| Any other White background | 4.6% | White | 51 |
| White and Asian | 3.8% | Mixed | 42 |
| Unclassified | 3.3% | Unclassified | 37 |
| Any other Asian background | 3.2% | Asian | 36 |
| African | 2.3% | Black | 26 |
| Any other mixed background | 2.3% | Mixed | 26 |
| Chinese | 1.5% | Asian | 17 |
| Pakistani | 0.7% | Asian | 8 |
| White and Black African | 0.7% | Mixed | 8 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.5% | Other | 6 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.5% | Mixed | 6 |
| Irish | 0.4% | White | 5 |
| Any other Black background | 0.4% | Black | 4 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.4% | Asian | 4 |
| Caribbean | 0.3% | Black | 3 |
Marling uses the shared Gloucestershire grammar-school entrance test. There is no fixed numeric pass mark; candidates are considered once the qualifying standard has been set from the ranked standardised scores.
There is no catchment area. If candidates are tied on score, Marling first checks whether they attended a Cotswold Beacon Academy Trust primary school from registration until at least the December break of Year 6, then uses straight-line distance, and finally random allocation.
Looked-after and previously looked-after children who meet the qualifying standard
This includes children previously in state care outside England who were adopted after leaving care.
Pupil Premium candidates who meet the qualifying standard
Priority applies to children who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the six years before the test day.
Other candidates who meet the qualifying standard in rank order
If scores are tied, Marling first gives priority to pupils who attended a Cotswold Beacon Academy Trust primary school from registration until at least the December break of Year 6, then uses straight-line distance from the main home address, and finally random allocation.
Marling uses the shared Gloucestershire grammar-school test provided by GL Assessment. Candidates sit two multiple-choice papers on the same day: one covering verbal skills including comprehension and verbal reasoning, and a second covering non-verbal reasoning and mathematics.
Shared exam route
Marling School uses the shared Gloucestershire route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Gloucestershire practice papersPaper 1
English, Verbal reasoning
Paper 1
Verbal skills paper covering comprehension, vocabulary and verbal reasoning.
Paper 2
Non-verbal reasoning, Maths
Paper 2
Non-verbal reasoning and mathematics paper.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Verbal skills paper covering comprehension, vocabulary and verbal reasoning.
Non-verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning and mathematics paper.
Science
Registration opens
18 May 2026
PastOpens at 12 noon.
Registration closes
26 June 2026
Closes at 12 noon.
Test centre information
8 September 2026
Entrance test
12 September 2026
Results issued
Mid October 2026
CAF deadline
31 October 2026
National offer day
1 March 2027
Read the policy and Gloucestershire booklet
Use Marling's admissions policy and the county booklet together so you have both the school rules and the shared test timetable.
Open admissions bookletRegister for the entrance test
Registration opens at 12 noon on 18 May 2026 and closes at 12 noon on 26 June 2026.
Open registration detailsSit the Gloucestershire grammar test
Candidates sit the shared Gloucestershire grammar school test on 12 September 2026.
Open test bookletSubmit the CAF
List Marling School on your home local authority secondary application by 31 October 2026.
Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 71.9 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 68.3 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 71.3 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 73.9 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B average (38.6 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (38.1 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (40.1 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B average (38.3 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 99% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 98% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 97% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 2% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 13 November 2013
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Gloucestershire area and similar boys' selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Marling School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the policy and Gloucestershire booklet: Use Marling's admissions policy and the county booklet together so you have both the school rules and the shared test timetable. 2. Register for the entrance test: Registration opens at 12 noon on 18 May 2026 and closes at 12 noon on 26 June 2026. 3. Sit the Gloucestershire grammar test: Candidates sit the shared Gloucestershire grammar school test on 12 September 2026. 4. Submit the CAF: List Marling School on your home local authority secondary application by 31 October 2026.
Registration opens: 18 May 2026. Registration closes: 26 June 2026. Test centre information: 8 September 2026. Entrance test: 12 September 2026. Results issued: Mid October 2026. CAF deadline: 31 October 2026. National offer day: 1 March 2027
Marling School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 13 November 2013.