Marlwood School, Bristol
Marlwood School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Bristol, part of Pathway Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 32nd-highest of the 44 schools in Bristol with published results, and 2,128th of 3,298 across England. It was 66% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to South Gloucestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Marlwood School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Marlwood School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.3 in South Gloucestershire and 47 across England.
40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in South Gloucestershire and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 43.2.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.22: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 36.2, against 44.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.6 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Media / Film / TV Studies.
Getting a place at Marlwood School
For September 2026 entry, 77 families put Marlwood School as their first choice and 177 named it as one of their preferences, for 80 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Marlwood School are The Castle School (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52); Patchway Community School (3.9 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 39.9); Bradley Stoke Community School (3.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.3); and Winterbourne Academy (4.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.6).
Marlwood School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
The Castle SchoolPatchway Community SchoolBradley Stoke Community SchoolWinterbourne Academy
The trust
Marlwood School is one of 20 schools run by Pathway Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 86 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 43% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.
Who goes there
8.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 52 pupils (10.2%) received SEN support and 21 (4.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Marlwood School.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Marlwood School (se-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 7 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other crime, criminal damage and arson and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in South Gloucestershire (116).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Marlwood School issued 335 suspensions, 59.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Marlwood School are St Helen's Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles); Gillingstool Primary School (1.2 miles); St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Thornbury (1.4 miles); and Crossways Infant School (1.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Helen's Church of England Primary SchoolGillingstool Primary SchoolSt Mary's Church of England Primary School, ThornburyCrossways Infant School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Marlwood School is a state-funded co-educational secondary school currently part of the CSET multi-academy trust. Located at Alveston, South Gloucestershire, it is situated on the B3561 on the outskirts of the south-west of the village.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
18.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.22 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 45.1 to 43.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 40% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 43.3 | 40.4% |
| Disadvantaged(19) | - | 36.2 | 21.1% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(90) | - | 44.8 | 44.4% |
| Boys(60) | - | 42.8 | 41.7% |
| Girls(49) | - | 44.0 | 38.8% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(12) | - | 38.6 | 25% |
| Non mobile(106) | - | 43.7 | 39.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 86 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
4
Permanent exclusions
0.71%
Exclusion rate
335
Suspensions
59.19%
Suspension rate
77 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 566 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Marlwood School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Marlwood School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Marlwood School is in South Gloucestershire; for families living there:
Apply to South Gloucestershire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in South Gloucestershire is 8 (the median across 127 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Marlwood School
Will you get a place at Marlwood School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Marlwood School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Marlwood School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Marlwood School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from South Gloucestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Marlwood School for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in South Gloucestershire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
66%
Available places
561 pupils
850 places
289 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bristol
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bristol
Across South Gloucestershire council
Places available
3,139
Applications
3,164
Got 1st preference
89.4%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across South Gloucestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
52
SEN Support
21
EHC Plans
14.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
510
Total Pupils
284
Boys
226
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
33
Teachers
15.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,616
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,814
Per pupil
£4062k
Total funding
£103k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.2%
Overall absence
33.3%
Persistent absence
597
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Marlwood School
What are GCSE results like at Marlwood School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Marlwood School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 43.3. 40% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Marlwood School's Ofsted rating?
Marlwood School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Marlwood School?
No fixed boundary. When Marlwood School is oversubscribed, South Gloucestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Marlwood School?
Marlwood School was not full in 2025: it ran at 66% of its 850 places.
How big are the classes at Marlwood School?
Classes at Marlwood School average 24.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Marlwood School?
Marlwood School has around 510 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Marlwood School?
11.2% of sessions were missed at Marlwood School in 2024/25. 33.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Marlwood School?
Apply through South Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Marlwood School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Marlwood School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in South Gloucestershire is 8 (the median across 127 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Marlwood School?
Marlwood School is at Vattingstone Lane, Alveston, Bristol, BS35 3LA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)