St Mark's CofE School, Bath

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades St Mark's CofE School on 6 areas: 5 strong standard and 1 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils typically make excellent progress from their starting points."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "The curriculum is highly ambitious for all pupils."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Staff are highly ambitious for all pupils."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders and those responsible for governance at all levels are united in their understanding of the school's unique context, challenges and areas for development."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Pupils are given many opportunities to flourish here."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have clear strategies in place to improve attendance."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should maintain a sharp focus on improving attendance, particularly the attendance of some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that recent improvements in pupils' attendance are sustained over time"; "Leaders should continue to strengthen the careers programme so that younger pupils have even more opportunities to learn about the world of work".

In its own words: "To promote a sense of self-worth that inspires our students to live well, achieve their goals and be a force for good in their school and in the world."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St Mark's School, Bath. Set in picturesque grounds on the outskirts of Bath, St Mark's is a smaller than average sized mixed CofE secondary school. That said, rest assured that our smaller size does not limit what we offer to our students!"

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, cricket, athletics, basketball, badminton, cooking, gardening and art.

In 2026, pupils at St Mark's CofE School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.1 in Bath and North East Somerset and 47 across England.

39% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Bath and North East Somerset and 47% in England.

That is up from 44.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.74: pupils made well above 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 39.3, against 52.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 16 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Religious Studies and History.

For September 2026 entry, 31 families put St Mark's CofE School as their first choice and 138 named it as one of their preferences, for 68 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St Mark's CofE School are Hayesfield Girls School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 59.9); Beechen Cliff School (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 56.4); Oldfield School (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.9); and Ralph Allen School (2.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 53.8).

St Mark's CofE School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

St Mark's CofE School is one of 44 schools run by Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.4 in 2024/25.

50 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mark's CofE School (as of April 2026): 90% would recommend the school, 82% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).

Of the 37 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college and 3% into work.

In 2026, 41 pupils (15.8%) received SEN support and 62 (23.9%) 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.

St Mark's CofE School has a resourced provision for autism and moderate learning difficulties: 30 places, 26 pupils on roll.

St Mark's CofE School had 23 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Bath Spa Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Mark's School (se-bound), 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Mark's CofE School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 136 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bath and North East Somerset (86), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Mark's CofE School issued 96 suspensions, 37.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St Mark's CofE School are St Saviours Infant Church School (under 0.1 miles), St Saviours Junior Church School (0.2 miles), St Stephens Church School (0.5 miles) and Bathwick St Mary Church School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.