South Charnwood High School, Markfield
South Charnwood High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Markfield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 13th-highest of the 43 schools in Leicestershire with published results, and 1,054th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 102% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Leicestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
South Charnwood High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at South Charnwood High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.8 in Leicestershire and 47 across England.
50% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Leicestershire and 47% in England.
That is up from 46.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.02: pupils made about 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 35.1, against 52.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 17 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and History.
Getting a place at South Charnwood High School
For September 2026 entry, 153 families put South Charnwood High School as their first choice and 559 named it as one of their preferences, for 173 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at South Charnwood High School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to South Charnwood High School are Brookvale Groby Learning Campus (3.3 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 48.9); The Castle Rock School (3.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 39.9); The Newbridge School (3.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.8); and Bosworth Academy (3.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.7).
South Charnwood High School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Brookvale Groby Learning CampusThe Castle Rock SchoolThe Newbridge SchoolBosworth Academy
What parents say
138 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about South Charnwood High School (as of September 2025): 80% would recommend the school, 80% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (85%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (64%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 171 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 58% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (6%).
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of South Charnwood High School.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is South Charnwood High School (outside), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often public order offences and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Leicestershire (58).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, South Charnwood High School issued 78 suspensions, 9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to South Charnwood High School are Stanton Under Bardon Community Primary School (0.7 miles), Thornton Primary School (1 mile) and Mercenfeld Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Stanton Under Bardon Community Primary SchoolThornton Primary SchoolMercenfeld Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
South Charnwood High School creates a welcoming, safe environment where pupils respect each other and behaviour is excellent. The school offers a broad curriculum with strong results for all pupils, including those who need extra support. Beyond academics, the school helps young people develop character and explore their talents through various clubs, leadership roles, and charity involvement.
Key Strengths
- Strong school culture based on relationships and community - pupils feel safe and cared for
- High behaviour standards with few disruptions to learning
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with most pupils achieving well in external examinations, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
- Effective support for weak readers to develop reading fluency and confidence
- Well-designed personal development programme including character-building activities and opportunities for leadership
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding, meaning some misconceptions and gaps in knowledge go unidentified and pupils struggle to connect learning
- Sometimes staff accept poor-quality work without providing effective guidance for improvement
- Low number of pupils studying modern foreign languages despite school offering full English Baccalaureate subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, games clubs, performing arts clubs, sports leaders programme, pupil voice team, charity fundraising events, annual sponsored walk, futures awards programme
South Charnwood High School has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. The school is built on strong relationships and community, with pupils feeling safe and supported.
About
South Charnwood High School is a mixed secondary school located between the villages of Markfield and Thornton in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire. The school was established in 1935 thus various additions to the school have been made since.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
16.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
138 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.30 to 0.02 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 50.8 to 49.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 58% to 50% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 49.5 | 49.7% |
| Disadvantaged(26) | - | 35.1 | 26.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(145) | - | 52.1 | 53.8% |
| Boys(82) | - | 49.7 | 51.2% |
| Girls(89) | - | 49.3 | 48.3% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(7) | - | 51.6 | 42.9% |
| Non mobile(167) | - | 49.8 | 50.3% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 171 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.23%
Exclusion rate
78
Suspensions
9.00%
Suspension rate
56 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 867 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with South Charnwood High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to South Charnwood High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. South Charnwood High School is in Leicestershire; for families living there:
- Leicestershire's school travel policy: Mainstream School Transport for 5 to 16 year olds
- How to apply: Request for school transport on medical grounds form PDF, 359.48 KB Opens new window
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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 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 South Charnwood High School
Will you get a place at South Charnwood High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against South Charnwood High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for South Charnwood High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to South Charnwood High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leicestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at South Charnwood High School for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leicestershire 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
102%
Over capacity
865 pupils
850 places
15 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Markfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Markfield
Across Leicestershire council
Places available
8,516
Applications
7,490
Got 1st preference
90.2%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All secondary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
125
SEN Support
47
EHC Plans
19.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
866
Total Pupils
437
Boys
429
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
59
Teachers
14.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,999
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,483
Per pupil
£5907k
Total funding
£143k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
17.9%
Persistent absence
881
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
South Charnwood High School
Questions parents ask about South Charnwood High School
What are GCSE results like at South Charnwood High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at South Charnwood High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 49.5. 50% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is South Charnwood High School's Ofsted rating?
South Charnwood High School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for South Charnwood High School?
No fixed boundary. When South Charnwood High School is oversubscribed, Leicestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at South Charnwood High School?
South Charnwood High School was full in 2025, at 102% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at South Charnwood High School?
Classes at South Charnwood High School average 23.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to South Charnwood High School?
South Charnwood High School has around 866 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at South Charnwood High School?
6.5% of sessions were missed at South Charnwood High School in 2024/25. 17.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to South Charnwood High School?
Apply through Leicestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming South Charnwood High 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 South Charnwood High 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is South Charnwood High School?
South Charnwood High School is at Broad Lane, Markfield, Leicestershire, LE67 9TB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)