St John's Marlborough: Transformation from Community Roots to Contemporary Excellence

St John's has deep historical roots tracing back centuries. Formed in 1975, the school took over buildings (and many staff) from the closed, marlborough, royal, free, grammar and school and Marlborough Secondary Modern School; the latter had roots dating back to 1550. Today the academy serves about 1,700 pupils aged 11–18, drawing from a catchment of 250+ square miles across north‑east Wiltshire and beyond — as far as Avebury and into Oxfordshire. On Granham Hill above Marlborough’s historic market town sits St John’s, a highly aspirational and high performing 11-18 co-educational Academy, with state-of-the-art and unique buildings integrated into a landscape that is classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The school operates on the ethos of "Kind, Supported, Happy." Most recently, the most recent inspection (11-12 February 2025) graded the quality of education and sixth-form provision as Good, with behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management also rated Good. The school ranks 1114th in England for GCSE performance (FindMySchool ranking), placing it comfortably above average, and 864th nationally for A-level results (FindMySchool ranking).

The school is built on the ethos of 'Kind, Supported, Happy', with the school ambitious for all pupils to achieve highly.

The school has clear expectations for pupil behaviour, with the new behaviour policy appreciated by staff and pupils because it increasingly enables lessons to take place without disruption. Walking through the campus reveals a purposeful, organized environment. The atrium fills with approximately 1,700 pupils during breaks.

The school does not tolerate bullying and is proactive in providing avenues for pupils to raise concerns with adults, meaning that pupils and staff have positive and mutually respectful relationships.

Alan Henderson became Principal in Sept 2023; his 25‑year career began in history teaching and this is his third headship, after four‑year stints leading John O’Gaunt (Hungerford) and Melksham Oak.

His predecessor, Ian Tucker, led the school for almost five years, including leading the school through the Covid-19 crisis and overseeing the planning and construction of the new sports hall which was completed in 2022.

The physical environment reflects careful design. The architects designed St John's to allow the beautiful countryside around Marlborough to be visible as much as possible, and also created inspiring views within the school.

Classrooms are designated by subject and students move from room to room between lessons. Beyond the formal structures, the school demonstrates genuine commitment to inclusion and diversity. Pupils understand the fundamental British values and their role in respecting others, and particularly enjoy the opportunity for philosophical debate about religions and moral issues, which reinforces the inclusive culture of the school.

GCSE Performance

GCSE results demonstrate solid achievement above national averages. The school attains an Attainment 8 score of 53.4, meaningfully above the England average of 45.9. In 2024, 30% of GCSE grades were in the top two bands (9-8), and 54% achieved grade 5 or above in English and mathematics combined. With a Progress 8 score of +0.35, students make above-average progress from their starting points — evidence that the school is adding genuine value to pupil achievement.

The school places particular emphasis on breadth. The proportion of pupils who study the suite of qualifications known as the English Baccalaureate in key stage 4 is very high. This means the majority of students engage with traditional academic subjects (sciences, languages, history, geography) rather than limiting themselves to narrow pathways. In context, St John's ranks 1114th in England for GCSE performance (FindMySchool ranking), positioning it firmly in the top 25% of schools nationally and second among local secondary schools.

A-Level Performance

The sixth form demonstrates consistent strength. At A-level, 52% of grades fall within the A*-B band, well above the England average of 47%. The upper boundaries are strong: 10% achieve A* and 18% secure A grades. With 391 students in the sixth form, meaningful cohorts exist across the range of subjects offered, enabling small-group teaching where it matters most. A-level rankings place the school 864th in England (FindMySchool ranking), reflecting solid performance in line with the middle 35% of schools nationally.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and are passionate about sharing their subject with pupils, particularly at post-16.

Pupils relish being challenged in their learning.

The curriculum is explicitly broad and deliberately inclusive. The school actively promotes the value of studying a wide range of subjects at each stage of education, and subject curriculums set out what pupils will learn in each year to build their understanding.

The school is advancing environmental education through UN accreditation; one staff member has become a UN accredited Climate Change Teacher and is sharing best practice with teaching staff as part of an innovative programme being trialled in UK schools.

The school also prioritizes reading across the school. Sixth-form students read with younger pupils to help develop their confidence and fluency, and book clubs and events draw pupils to the library and encourage them to explore texts for pleasure. One area the recent inspection identified for refinement concerns formative assessment. Teachers frequently check what pupils know and can do, but sometimes this information is not then used to adapt the curriculum to help fill gaps or resolve misconceptions, which can hinder pupils when learning subsequent topics. The school is working to strengthen this practice.

University progression is a meaningful pathway. In the 2023/24 cohort, 47% of leavers progressed to university, with an additional 30% entering employment and 2% pursuing apprenticeships. Pupils in all year groups learn about the world of work, including apprenticeships, with careers fairs, work shadowing and mock interviews helping to raise pupils' aspirations.

Sixth-form students value the individual support they receive when applying for higher education.

On Oxbridge: in the measurement period represented by the data, 15 pupils applied, with 1 securing an offer from Cambridge and 1 ultimately accepting. This modest pipeline reflects the school's comprehensive intake rather than a selective sixth-form entry. For context, the school sits at rank 1872 nationally for Oxbridge applications (FindMySchool ranking).

Admissions are managed through the local authority for Year 7 entry. The school is oversubscribed at primary entry (265 offers from 342 applications, a ratio of 1.29), indicating strong local demand. Families in the broad catchment should verify whether their address falls within the continuing preference zone; the school serves villages in multiple directions from Marlborough, including communities as far as Avebury and parts of Oxfordshire.

Attendance is a priority for the school and trust, with the school making its expectations for attendance clear to pupils and families; new systems for tracking absence mean that timely support is put in place, resulting in improvements in attendance and a reduction in persistent absence. For sixth-form entry, external candidates apply directly to the school with entrance requirements dependent on GCSE results and subject prerequisites. Families should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check their precise distance from the school gates, as last distance offered data is not currently published.

Extracurricular engagement is substantial. The school expects everyone to do at least two hours of clubs a week, with activities spanning sport, arts and music, hobbies, mentoring and volunteering, plus homework clubs and booster sessions; the school cites research suggesting extracurricular participation can build confidence, self‑esteem and social skills.

Music: A Defining Strength

Students are encouraged to take part in one of the many music ensembles on offer, including the School Orchestra, Jazz Band, Training Band, String Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Woodwind Group and Choirs as well as student-led groups, with a number of performance opportunities during the year including multiple evening concerts, the Christmas Carol Concert at St Mary's, the annual school production and the Savernake and Stedman Cup competitions. This breadth ensures that music participation spans from recreational interest to serious advancement. The school clearly values performance — concerts and competitions happen regularly throughout the year, giving students repeated opportunities to develop confidence on stage.

Drama: Creative Expression

The school is proud of its well-equipped 350-seat Theatre, which is used throughout the year for assemblies, staff meetings, concerts and drama productions, exhibitions, exams, and PE, with comfortable retractable seating making the space extremely flexible and a variety of professional lighting and sound equipment available for productions and concerts.

Private LAMDA teachers provide individual Drama tuition at St John's, with the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts being a prestigious drama school and an awarding body for performing arts qualifications and examinations, renowned worldwide for its high standards in drama, acting, and communication education. The annual school production is a fixture — students know that there will be opportunity to perform at scale, whether on stage or behind the scenes.

Sports: Comprehensive Facilities and Participation

St John's has an exciting range of sports facilities including two large sports halls (including a climbing wall), a dance studio, a fitness suite, two large sports fields, tennis courts and new outdoor basketball / netball courts.

The school hopes to have an all-weather pitch installed soon. This infrastructure allows multiple sports to operate simultaneously, from traditional team sports (rugby, netball, football, basketball) to individual pursuits (tennis, badminton, fitness). The climbing wall within the sports hall adds an adventurous dimension, broadening appeal beyond traditional competitive sport.

STEM and Academic Enrichment

A group of Year 9 students participate in STEM workshops, including visits to Williams F1 Racing headquarters where they tour the museum, compete in an esports race, and take part in workshops about using materials to design, create and test crumple zones. This hands-on approach to technology and engineering engages students in real-world problem-solving. Computing, Design and Technology, and the sciences all have dedicated facilities and active student communities.

Library and Information Spaces

The central library is available for all students to use before, during and after school, with extensive book collections, a range of comfortable seating, work tables, and computer stations providing a quiet place for students to read or work, and the library carries newspapers, magazines, journals and DVDs, while revision guides and stationery are also available to buy. The library functions as a genuine hub rather than a storage facility.

Trips and Enrichment

The school offers substantial international and residential trips. Year 8 and upwards participate in skiing courses. Year 9 students engage in French exchange trips with Limoges, while German exchange placements run with Vahingen an der Enz. Geography field trips include Lulworth Cove (Year 10) and Exmoor (environmental science). Art trips extend to Paris, Barcelona, Rome, and New York for selected year groups. History and languages trips to France, Germany, Spain, and Italy round out the offer. These opportunities broaden horizons and build confidence in travel, language learning, and cultural awareness.

Leadership and Involvement

The school has recently launched a new house system and a student forum, giving pupils the opportunity to take on further leadership roles. This structural embedding of student voice — through both vertical houses and formal forums — signals that student opinion genuinely shapes school life. Pupils are excited about the chance to help to shape the future of the school.

The school operates on a traditional 11-18 secondary model with a substantial sixth form. School day timings run from morning through afternoon, with break and lunch periods built in. The catchment is very wide — around 250+ square miles across north‑east Wiltshire — and many pupils use school buses for the journey. Sixth-form students may drive themselves if they secure parking permission. For families enquiring about wrap-around care, the school's primary focus is secondary and sixth-form students; before and after-school support would need to be confirmed by direct contact with the school.

This is a state-funded school with no tuition fees. Support through Pupil premium plus an opportunities fund helps with cost of trips or clubs, with a 16-19 bursary fund available. The opportunities fund demonstrates explicit commitment to ensuring that financial barriers do not exclude students from enrichment.

Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular activities to develop their talents and interests. Beyond academics, the school structures pastoral support carefully. Pupils are prepared for adult life through 'well-being' lessons and wider enrichment activities, with driver safety workshops in the sixth form, and pupils learning about healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way, knowing how to look after their physical and mental health, as well as how to keep themselves safe, including online. The school maintains multiple formal channels for wellbeing support and early intervention, with counsellors on site and proactive safeguarding systems.

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and teachers are provided with the information that they need about pupils to adapt the curriculum effectively; when these adaptations are provided pupils with SEND learn as well as their peers. This inclusive approach means students with a range of needs can thrive within the mainstream setting rather than feeling sidelined.

Large school, varied pupil profile. St John's is substantial, with 1,700+ students spanning three age groups across the site. For some students, this scale is energising — wide social networks, diverse clubs, and genuine competition in sports and academics motivate engagement. For others, particularly those valuing closer relationships with staff or smaller peer groups, the size may initially feel overwhelming. The school's transition processes are designed to ease this, but family temperament matters.

Catchment is wide and variable. While the school is popular and somewhat oversubscribed, distance is the primary admission criterion, not selection by ability or choice. Families should verify their postcode's distance from Granham Hill before relying on a place.

Recent inspection noted assessment practice as an area for refinement. The February 2025 inspection identified that classroom assessment sometimes does not lead to curriculum adaptation — teachers check understanding but do not always modify teaching in response. The school is addressing this, but families should be aware that the school is in an active improvement phase on this specific dimension.

Transport coordination required. With a scattered catchment and many students relying on school buses, the daily logistics matter. If your family requires specific drop-off or pick-up arrangements outside the main bus routes, verify availability before committing.

St John's is a capable, well-resourced comprehensive serving a genuine community over a broad area. Strong facilities (theatre, sports halls, library), consistent above-average GCSE and A-level results, and a broad extracurricular offer create a credible educational experience. The school's explicit commitment to inclusion, behaviour management, and pastoral care means students feel safe and supported. The transition from its distinguished predecessors (including a 450-year-old grammar school) gives the campus confidence and continuity. Most recently, a new Principal has brought fresh energy, and the school is actively addressing areas identified in the February 2025 inspection.

St John's suits families within the catchment who prioritize breadth (wide GCSE and A-level subject choice, diverse clubs, strong arts and sports), appreciate a mainstream comprehensive setting with inclusive values, and want their child in a school where clear behaviour expectations and staff-pupil relationships are taken seriously. It is not suited to families seeking intensive academic selection or those uncomfortable with the pragmatics of a large, busy secondary environment. For those who fit, it represents genuinely solid value.