Great Marlow School

Buckinghamshire · SL7 1JE

General information Secondary School · 11-18 years Who goes here 1395 pupils, 17% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 11.1% on SEN support Behaviour 8.7% absence rate Staff 10% turnover Financials £6,074 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Great Marlow School

General Information

Address: Bobmore Lane, Marlow, SL7 1JE – View on map
Phone: 01628483752
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mr Guy Pendlebury
Age range: 11-18 years
Demand for places (Year 7, September 2026): 242 families put it first for 225 places – 11 for every 10 places. 77% of them were offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 11 · 2025 10 · 2026 11
Sixth form: Yes
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: None
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

1395 pupils out of 1180 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 198
% eligible for free school meals: 17.0%
Pupil mix: 4 in 10 (less mixed than the Buckinghamshire average)
English as an additional language: 10% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 10% a year (Buckinghamshire 17%, typical in England 15.5%) Low turnover
Where they went: about 26% moved to another school, 74% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. "Low turnover" means it's among the quarter of similar schools in England where teachers are most likely to stay.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Buckinghamshire: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 79 (1.8 per 1,000 pupils; England 1.7)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 76 (1.8 per 1,000 pupils; England 1.9)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 32 (0.7 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.8)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state secondary schools in Buckinghamshire, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 8.7%
Persistently absent pupils: 20.3%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 11.1%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 4.9%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Social, emotional and mental health: 71 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 35 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 29 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 10 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 6 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Autistic spectrum disorder: 19 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 17 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 12 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 9 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 5 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

–

Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2022 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Attainment 8 score: 47.9
Compared with the area: 6.9 points below the Buckinghamshire average (54.8)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (−1.7 points against an expected 49.6)
Grade 4+ in English and maths: 70% (Buckinghamshire 76%, England 65%) Broadly steady
Data year: 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

GCSE results over time

This schoolBuckinghamshire averageEngland↗ Improving Up 2.6 points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 6.9 points below the Buckinghamshire average (54.8).

About the Attainment 8 score

Attainment 8 measures a pupil's average result across 8 GCSE-equivalent qualifications (English and maths count double). It shows how pupils performed, not how much progress they made getting there - a school with a higher score doesn't necessarily add more value, since pupils often arrive with different starting points. Progress 8 is the measure designed to account for that, but it currently can't be calculated for any school for the two most recent academic years, due to a nationwide gap in the data caused by COVID-19 disruption to Key Stage 2 testing.

20th of 36 secondary schools in Buckinghamshire for Attainment 8

#18Amersham School49.7
#19St Michael's Catholic School49.1
#20Great Marlow School47.9
#21John Colet School47.6
#22Holmer Green Senior School47.1

Click to see the full ranking

Attainment 8 ranking

Illustrative MVP scores - not based on verified data yet.

Rank School Score

#1Dr Challoner's High School79.1
#2Beaconsfield High School75.9
#3Aylesbury Grammar School74.5
#4Aylesbury High School74.3
#5Chesham Grammar School74.0
#6Dr Challoner's Grammar School73.9
#7The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe73.9
#8Wycombe High School73.9
#9Royal Latin School73.5
#10Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School73.2
#11Sir William Borlase's Grammar School72.4
#12John Hampden Grammar School72.3
#13Burnham Grammar School70.1
#14Waddesdon Church of England School51.0
#15The Misbourne School50.8
#16Cressex Community School50.7
#17Pioneer Secondary Academy49.8
#18Amersham School49.7
#19St Michael's Catholic School49.1
#20Great Marlow School47.9
#21John Colet School47.6
#22Holmer Green Senior School47.1
#23The Cottesloe School45.4
#24The Beaconsfield School43.8
#25Sir Thomas Fremantle School40.4
#26The Grange School40.4
#27Chiltern Hills Academy40.3
#28Princes Risborough School40.3
#29The Aylesbury Vale Academy39.8
#30The Chalfonts Community College38.9
#31The Mandeville School38.9
#32Buckingham School38.6
#33The Highcrest Academy38.5
#34E-Act Bourne End Academy38.0
#35Sir William Ramsay School35.4
#36Aylesbury UTC23.8

Leaver Destinations

In education, employment, or training a year later: 94.0%
Went into further education: 87.0%
Data year: 2024/25

About leaver destinations

This shows where a school's Year 11 leavers were recorded the following year - in a "sustained" destination means in education, an apprenticeship, or employment for at least 6 months, not just enrolled briefly. It's a different picture from exam results alone, and can highlight schools that support pupils well beyond just their GCSE grades.

GCSE Subjects Offered

Maths (General)
English Language
English Literature
Science Double Award
Geography
Media Studies
Business Studies
History
Sports Studies
Physics (General)
D & T
Chemistry (General)
Biology
Art & Design
Food Technology
Speech & Drama
French Language
Religious Studies
Spanish
Statistics
Music Studies (General)
Community Development
Polish
Russian
German

About this subject list

This isn't the school's own description of its curriculum - it's real DfE exam entry data, showing which GCSE subjects this school's pupils were actually entered for in 2024/25. A subject not appearing here may still be taught but had no pupils entered that year, so treat this as a helpful guide rather than a complete guarantee - it's worth confirming directly with the school for the year your child would actually study.

View full Ofsted inspection report

15th of 27 secondary schools in Buckinghamshire for Ofsted rating

#13Cressex Community SchoolGood
#14E-Act Bourne End AcademyGood
#15Great Marlow SchoolGood
#16John Colet SchoolGood
#17Princes Risborough SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Aylesbury Grammar SchoolOutstanding
#2Aylesbury High SchoolOutstanding
#3Beaconsfield High SchoolOutstanding
#4Dr Challoner's Grammar SchoolOutstanding
#5Dr Challoner's High SchoolOutstanding
#6John Hampden Grammar SchoolOutstanding
#7Sir Henry Floyd Grammar SchoolOutstanding
#8Sir William Borlase's Grammar SchoolOutstanding
#9Wycombe High SchoolOutstanding
#10Buckingham SchoolGood
#11Burnham Grammar SchoolGood
#12Chiltern Hills AcademyGood
#13Cressex Community SchoolGood
#14E-Act Bourne End AcademyGood
#15Great Marlow SchoolGood
#16John Colet SchoolGood
#17Princes Risborough SchoolGood
#18Royal Latin SchoolGood
#19Sir Thomas Fremantle SchoolGood
#20The Aylesbury Vale AcademyGood
#21The Beaconsfield SchoolGood
#22The Chalfonts Community CollegeGood
#23The Grange SchoolGood
#24The Highcrest AcademyGood
#25The Royal Grammar School, High WycombeGood
#26Aylesbury UTCRequires improvement
#27Sir William Ramsay SchoolInadequate

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,074 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

35th of 36 secondary schools in Buckinghamshire for spending per pupil

#33St Michael's Catholic School£6,646
#34Aylesbury High School£6,511
#35Great Marlow School£6,074
#36Pioneer Secondary Academy£5,882

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1The Chalfonts Community College£9,498
#2Wycombe High School£8,835
#3The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe£8,495
#4Dr Challoner's Grammar School£8,422
#5Chiltern Hills Academy£8,314
#6Cressex Community School£8,291
#7The Kingsbrook School£8,272
#8Buckingham School£8,252
#9Amersham School£8,194
#10The Cottesloe School£8,187
#11John Colet School£8,168
#12The Beaconsfield School£8,142
#13The Highcrest Academy£8,102
#14Waddesdon Church of England School£8,045
#15E-Act Bourne End Academy£7,917
#16Sir Thomas Fremantle School£7,894
#17Beaconsfield High School£7,766
#18Aylesbury Grammar School£7,677
#19The Aylesbury Vale Academy£7,491
#20Dr Challoner's High School£7,479
#21The Misbourne School£7,454
#22Sir William Ramsay School£7,364
#23Royal Latin School£7,272
#24The Grange School£7,233
#25The Mandeville School£7,231
#26Holmer Green Senior School£7,191
#27Burnham Grammar School£7,064
#28Princes Risborough School£7,016
#29Chesham Grammar School£6,983
#30Sir William Borlase's Grammar School£6,905
#31John Hampden Grammar School£6,769
#32Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School£6,691
#33St Michael's Catholic School£6,646
#34Aylesbury High School£6,511
#35Great Marlow School£6,074
#36Pioneer Secondary Academy£5,882

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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General Information

Who goes here

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Behaviour

Across Buckinghamshire: suspensions by reason

Attendance

SEN

Most common needs - SEN Support

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Educational Attainment

Attainment 8 ranking

Leaver Destinations ?

GCSE Subjects Offered ?

Ofsted Rating ranking

Financials

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Leaver Destinations

GCSE Subjects Offered