St John's Marlborough
106%
Capacity
1,712
Pupils
1.3x
Demand
About St John's Marlborough
St John’s Marlborough is a large secondary school that is clearly in demand. With 1,712 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,620, it is significantly over-subscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, 342 families applied for 265 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.29. Of those, 275 put it as their first preference, and 262 of those received offers. The school’s intake reflects a broadly mixed demographic: 12.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly below the national average for secondary schools but not unusually low for a state comprehensive in the South West. The school is non-denominational and co-educational, serving ages 11 to 18, and is led by headteacher Alan Henderson. Its popularity is backed by a strong local reputation — it ranks 4th out of 26 secondary schools in Wiltshire by Progress 8, placing it in the top 25% nationally.
Academically, St John’s delivers well above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of +0.36 means pupils achieve nearly half a grade more per subject than pupils with similar starting points nationally, and it comfortably exceeds the Wiltshire LA average of -0.01. At KS4, 81.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 59.1% reached the stronger grade 5 threshold. The school also pushes the EBacc: 70.4% of pupils entered the full EBacc suite, and 51.8% achieved a grade 4 or above across those subjects. At A-level, the school’s value-added score of +0.14 is rated ‘Above average’, with pupils averaging a B- grade per entry and 20.5% achieving at least AAB in two or more facilitating subjects. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025, the school was judged Good across all categories — a step down from its previous Outstanding rating in 2014, but still a strong endorsement.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, sports hall, art studios and a dedicated Sixth Form Centre. Sports provision covers rowing, martial arts, gymnastics, rugby, netball, football, basketball and tennis, while clubs include Debate, Model UN, DofE, Young Enterprise and Eco Club. SEND support is available for eight categories including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Speech, Language & Communication needs and Social, Emotional & Mental Health difficulties — though the Parent View responses suggest some families feel this support could be stronger, with 55% disagreeing that SEND children get the help they need. Overall, 77% of parents would recommend the school. This is a good fit for families who want a large, academically ambitious comprehensive with a strong sixth form, a broad extracurricular offer, and a proven track record of adding value beyond the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Granham Hill, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 4AX |
| Headteacher | Alan Henderson |
| Local Authority | Wiltshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,712 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 12.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,712 / 1,620 (106% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 Feb 2025Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 13 Mar 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.36)
719th of 3,141
Nationally
49th of 306
In South West
4th of 26
In Wiltshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
38.4
'22/23
33.9
'23/24
36.4
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2369%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 264 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)69%
- FE college18%
- Not sustained5%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Employment2%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2341%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 200 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
32%
Russell Group
32%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)41%
- Employment39%
- Not sustained11%
- Further education3%
- Apprenticeship3%
- Other education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Biology50
- Mathematics49
- History41
- Psychology39
- Geography36
- Art and Design32
- Physics31
- Chemistry24
- English Literature23
- Business Studies:Single22
- Sociology22
- Religious Studies21
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
327 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed265
342
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
275 families put this school as their 1st choice (80% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:35 – 15:10
Source: stjohns.excalibur.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British85.3%
- White (other)5.6%
- Mixed4.5%
- Asian2.3%
- Black0.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
2
Total schools
2
Oversubscribed
1
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About St John's Marlborough
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Granham Hill, Marlborough
Wiltshire, SN8 4AX
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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