Marlwood School Review 2026: A CSET secondary that has stabilised, with clear routines and broad opportunities

Marlwood School sits in the South Gloucestershire market-town orbit, serving families around Alveston and Thornbury and operating as part of Castle School Education Trust (CSET). The recent story here is about consolidation. The school was judged Good at its latest graded inspection in November 2023, with all key areas evaluated as Good and safeguarding confirmed as effective.

Leadership has also moved on since that inspection. Mrs Helen Simmons is the current headteacher, and she began in September 2024.

Academically, Marlwood’s GCSE outcomes place it broadly in line with the mid-range of schools in England, rather than in the top tier, and the most helpful way to read the data is as a school that aims for steady progress, solid routines, and a curriculum that keeps options open into Key Stage 4. Its strongest selling point for many families will be the combination of breadth (including arts, technology, and sport) with a settled pastoral structure built around houses and clear daily rhythms.

The school’s tone, as described in external evidence, is calm and relationship-led. Pupils are described as enjoying school, with staff who know them well and build positive relationships, and a culture where pupils have trusted adults to turn to when worried.

Marlwood’s internal organisation leans heavily into belonging. The house system is explicit and symbolic, with four houses, Berkeley, Holt, Kingsley, and Witton, linked to old English woodland words and to the “wood” in Marlwood’s name. The stated aim is to keep a family-focused structure, including placing siblings in the same house so that pastoral teams develop long-term knowledge of families rather than dealing with pupils as isolated cases.

Leadership is current and visible online. The headteacher is listed across official channels and the school’s own leadership pages, and the shift in leadership timing matters because the latest inspection record refers to a different headteacher at the point of inspection. That does not invalidate the inspection evidence, but it does mean parents should treat the 2023 report as a baseline for culture and systems, with a reasonable expectation of evolution since September 2024.

A practical sign of investment is the ongoing refurbishment programme. The school has publicly referenced a multi-million pound set of refurbishments and upgrades, including new or upgraded teaching spaces for art, design technology, and science, plus updated student toilet areas.

Marlwood is a secondary school with post-16 provision, but the most complete published performance picture is at GCSE. For 2024 outcomes, the school has:

• Attainment 8 score: 47.6

• Progress 8 score: -0.22

• Average EBacc APS: 4.38

• Percentage achieving grades 5+ in EBacc: 19.8%

The most important interpretation point for parents is Progress 8. A score of -0.22 indicates pupils, on average, made below-average progress from their starting points compared with similar pupils nationally. That does not mean pupils do not achieve well individually, but it does point to a school where consistency of learning across classrooms matters, and where families may want to ask about how teaching quality is monitored and supported across departments.

The school’s overall GCSE outcomes ranking is also informative for context. Ranked 1,580th in England and 19th in Bristol for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this places performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool are useful for viewing nearby schools side-by-side on the same measures.

For post-16 results, the A-level metrics and A-level ranking fields are not available so it is better to evaluate sixth form by its structure and fit rather than by headline A-level percentages.

Marlwood’s curriculum is designed to preserve breadth in Key Stage 3, then widen or narrow pathways at Key Stage 4 depending on student choices. Key Stage 3 includes English, mathematics, science, French, humanities, the arts, design and technology, drama, music, physical education, PSHE, and Religion and World Views, with a clear emphasis on literacy and numeracy routines embedded into the timetable.

What this looks like in practice is unusually concrete for a school website. In Years 7 to 9, the school builds in:

• a library lesson each fortnight,

• reading twice per week during tutor time (also for Year 10),

• Sparx Maths, Bedrock Literacy, and Fresh Start interventions.

That combination matters because it signals a deliberate attempt to reduce the “hidden curriculum” problem, where students who read widely at home surge ahead. If implemented consistently, these routines can strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence across the cohort, which then supports every subject.

The latest inspection evidence supports a curriculum that has become broader and more ambitious, with teachers generally having the subject expertise to explain new knowledge clearly, and with structured revisiting of prior learning to help pupils remember more. It also flags a key risk: some teaching activities are not always matched well to what pupils know and can do, which can blunt progress for pupils who either need more scaffolding or more challenge.

Where Students Go Next

Marlwood’s post-16 route is distinctive locally. Marlwood and The Castle School operate a joint sixth form, based at The Castle School site on Gloucester Road in Thornbury, and many Marlwood Year 11 students continue there for A-level study.

For families, the implication is straightforward. The sixth form experience is likely to feel like a step change, including a different site, a broader peer group drawn from more than one school, and a more college-like transition into post-16 learning. That can be a positive for students who want a fresh start, or who benefit from mixing with a wider cohort. It can also be a practical consideration for transport and daily routine, so it is worth clarifying travel expectations early.

On careers, the school foregrounds CEIAG and employability explicitly, and the Ofsted report describes pupils receiving helpful careers and further education guidance, supported by careers events and work experience, with additional support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

For Year 7 entry, Marlwood follows South Gloucestershire’s coordinated admissions process. The school’s own admissions page advises that the closing date is typically mid-October in the year before starting, and points parents to the local authority admissions booklets and process.

For September 2026 entry specifically, South Gloucestershire indicates:

• the online admissions portal opens 08 September 2025,

• the closing date for secondary applications is 31 October 2025, and late applications are processed after allocation.

If you are relying on a place based on proximity, use the FindMySchool Map Search to check your precise home-to-school distance and to sanity-check your short list. Even in areas where distance is a strong criterion, small changes in applicant distribution can shift cut-offs from year to year.

For sixth form entry into the joint post-16 centre, the application route is separate from Year 7 admissions. The Castle School’s post-16 admissions information indicates that applications for September 2026 entry are handled via an online application platform (Applicaa), with applications going live in mid-November.

Pastoral design starts with the house structure, which is explicitly intended to give students layered belonging, tutor group, house, and whole school.

The strongest wellbeing assurance is safeguarding. The latest Ofsted inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective, which matters for families seeking confidence in core systems such as reporting, staff training, and the handling of concerns.

The inspection evidence also suggests a school that aims for calm corridors and orderly learning, and that behaviour rarely interrupts learning, while recognising that a small number of pupils can struggle repeatedly if underlying causes are not addressed quickly enough.

Extracurricular life is one of Marlwood’s more clearly documented strengths, because the school publishes a termly schedule rather than relying on generic descriptions. The term programme includes, among other options: Samba Drumming Club, Choir, Drama Club, Dance Club, LEGO Club, Animation Club, Journalism Club (linked to a termly Marlwood magazine), Games Club (board games), Interfaith Club, Orchestra, Music Theory support for GCSE music, and a Dungeons and Dragons club.

That range is not just window dressing. It creates multiple “entry points” for students who do not define themselves primarily through sport. For example, LEGO and animation clubs provide a low-pressure way to build peer relationships, while journalism and performance routes build confidence through public-facing work. The published schedule also makes it easier for parents to support participation, because it clarifies timing and location.

Sport is present both in clubs and fixtures, with separate boys and girls football training and regular fixture travel arrangements described by the school.

Facilities also matter here. The school states that community-hire facilities include a large all-weather pitch, a gym, a sports hall, and drama and music spaces. That combination tends to support both competitive fixtures and creative performance seasons.

The school day is clearly set out. Students can enter from 08:20, should be on site by 08:30 for line-up at 08:35, and the school day ends at 15:05.

Transport is a pragmatic factor for this area, and Marlwood publishes information on dedicated school bus routes arranged through South Gloucestershire Council’s transport service, including routes serving areas such as Severn Beach, Pilning, Olveston, Tockington, and Tytherington.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should, however, expect the usual costs associated with uniform, transport (where not covered by entitlement), and optional extras such as some trips and instrumental tuition.

• Progress consistency. A Progress 8 score of -0.22 suggests some inconsistency in how effectively pupils are moved forward from their starting points. Families should ask how the school identifies and supports students who are falling behind, and how teaching quality is strengthened across departments.

• Behaviour for a small minority. The latest inspection evidence indicates that while learning is rarely disrupted, a small number of pupils can repeatedly struggle if the underlying causes are not tackled quickly enough. This may matter for families whose children are sensitive to classroom disruption, or for those seeking clarity on pastoral escalation routes.

• Sixth form is off-site. Post-16 is delivered through a joint sixth form based at The Castle School site. This can be an advantage for independence and breadth, but it adds practical travel and a change of setting at 16.

• Admissions deadlines are early. For September 2026 entry, the local authority process opens in early September 2025 and closes on 31 October 2025. Late applications are processed after allocation, reducing the chance of securing preferred choices.

Marlwood School is best read as a mainstream, community-facing secondary that has stabilised and clarified its routines, backed by a Good inspection outcome and effective safeguarding. Its academic profile is broadly in line with the middle range of schools in England, so the decision often comes down to fit: pastoral structure, breadth of curriculum, and the availability of structured enrichment.

Who it suits: families seeking a mixed, non-selective state secondary with clear daily routines, a tangible house structure, and plenty of low-barrier extracurricular options beyond sport, with a post-16 pathway into a larger joint sixth form at 16.