Classpot

Great Marlow School

Buckinghamshire, SL7 1JESecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Nov 2022
Progress 8
-0.02
Below average
−20+2
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
220 1st-choice / 224 places
Ranking
#1,562
of 3,141 nationally

About Great Marlow School

Great Marlow School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 609 applications for just 224 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.72. Of those 609 applicants, 220 put Great Marlow as their first preference, and 193 of those first-preference families were offered a place. That level of demand suggests a school that parents in Buckinghamshire trust and want their children to attend. The school is a large, mixed, non-denominational state secondary with a sixth form, and it currently has 1,428 pupils on roll, which is well above its official capacity of 1,180. The headteacher is Guy Pendlebury. In its most recent Ofsted inspection, which was an ungraded visit in November 2022, the school was judged to have remained Good, a rating it has held consistently across its previous graded inspections.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterNone
AddressBobmore Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1JE
HeadteacherGuy Pendlebury
Local AuthorityBuckinghamshire
Number of Pupils1,428
Free School Meals (FSM)16.4%
School Capacity1,428 / 1,180 (121% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

10 Nov 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Latest monitoring visit (10 Nov 2022): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 25 May 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

10
LibrarySports HallTennis CourtsMusic RoomsScience LabsPlaying FieldsDining HallICT SuiteTheatreSixth Form Centre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

21

Sports

AthleticsBadmintonRugbyRoundersCross CountryFootballCricketNetballGymnasticsRowing

Clubs & Activities

Art ClubNewspaperEco ClubChoirCodingBook ClubScience ClubOrchestraDuke of EdinburghModel United NationsDebate

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning Difficulty

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:30 – 15:00

Source: gms.bucks.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Great Marlow School

Great Marlow School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.