The Grove School, Market Drayton
The Grove School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Market Drayton, part of Marches Academy Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 16th-highest of the 20 schools in Shropshire with published results, and 2,868th of 3,298 across England. It was 68% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Shropshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Grove School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Grove School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.7 in Shropshire and 47 across England.
28% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 35% in Shropshire and 47% in England.
That is down from 39.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.48: 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 29.3, against 41.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Business Studies.
Getting a place at The Grove School
For September 2026 entry, 138 families put The Grove School as their first choice and 190 named it as one of their preferences, for 150 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 trust
The Grove School is one of 18 schools run by Marches Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.5 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 159 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 34% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.
Of the 29 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 17% went on to university or other higher education, 17% to apprenticeships and 38% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 158 pupils (18.5%) received SEN support and 19 (2.2%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Grove School.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Grove School (adjacent), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 58 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Shropshire (10), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Grove School issued 135 suspensions, 16.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Grove School are Longlands Primary School (0.2 miles), Market Drayton Infant & Nursery School (0.5 miles) and Market Drayton Junior School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Longlands Primary SchoolMarket Drayton Infant & Nursery SchoolMarket Drayton Junior School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its April 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement).
About
Grove School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Market Drayton, Shropshire, England, for pupils aged between 11 and 18.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
28.4%
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 -0.48 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 43.0 to 38.2 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 37% to 28% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 38.2 | 28% |
| Disadvantaged(39) | - | 29.3 | 12.8% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(122) | - | 41.1 | 32.8% |
| Boys(89) | - | 37.9 | 30.3% |
| Girls(72) | - | 38.7 | 25% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(6) | - | 41.9 | 33.3% |
| Non mobile(154) | - | 38.8 | 29.2% |
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) - 159 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
135
Suspensions
16.56%
Suspension rate
58 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 815 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Keep up with The Grove School
Term dates
The Grove School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Shropshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Grove School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Grove School is in Shropshire; for families living there:
Apply to Shropshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 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 The Grove School
Will you get a place at The Grove School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Grove School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Grove School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Grove School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Shropshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Grove School for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Shropshire 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
68%
Available places
815 pupils
1,206 places
391 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Market Drayton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Market Drayton
Across Shropshire council
Places available
3,213
Applications
2,845
Got 1st preference
91.0%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All secondary applications across Shropshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
158
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
20.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
856
Total Pupils
447
Boys
409
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
50
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,093
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,139
Per pupil
£5540k
Total funding
£216k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.1%
Overall absence
23.3%
Persistent absence
761
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 The Grove School
What are GCSE results like at The Grove School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Grove School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 38.2. 28% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Grove School's Ofsted rating?
The Grove School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2023.
What is the catchment area for The Grove School?
No fixed boundary. When The Grove School is oversubscribed, Shropshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Grove School?
The Grove School was not full in 2025: it ran at 68% of its 1206 places.
How big are the classes at The Grove School?
Classes at The Grove School average 21.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Grove School?
The Grove School has around 856 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Grove School?
9.1% of sessions were missed at The Grove School in 2024/25. 23.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Grove School?
Apply through Shropshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Grove 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 The Grove School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Grove School?
The Grove School is at Newcastle Road, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 1HF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)