Marling School vs Sir Thomas Rich's School
Both are grammar schools in Gloucestershire, 8.9 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.
Side by side
| Marling School | Sir Thomas Rich's School | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary |
| Gender | Boys | Boys |
| Pupils on roll | 1,117 | 1,249 |
| Free school meals | 4.1% | 4.8% |
| Ofsted rating | Not judged | Good |
| Attainment 8 — 2024/25 | 73.9 | 77.2 |
| A-level average points — 2024/25 | 38.34 | 44.05 |
| 11+ test board | GL Assessment (switched from CEM in 2024) | GL Assessment (switched from CEM in 2024) |
| Admission system | score-ranked (places allocated in score order, no fixed threshold) | score-ranked (places allocated in score order, no fixed threshold) |
| Places offered — 202627 | 149 | 150 |
| First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place | 1.1 | 1.29 |
Qualifying scores
Marling School
Not published. Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Consortium uses GL Assessment (4 papers; switched from CEM in 2024). Each school sets its own qualifying standard after the test — not pre-announced. Places are rank-ordered by score within priority bands. No competitive cutoff is published before or after the test.
Sir Thomas Rich's School
Not published (GL Assessment score). Rich's ranks all eligible applicants; last admitted rank in 2026 was 332. Top 155 listing Rich's as first preference are guaranteed a place.
Who gets priority
Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.
Marling School
- Looked After Children / Previously Looked After Children who have met the qualifying standard
- Pupil Premium candidates (registered for free school meals in the 6 years before test day) who met the qualifying standa
- Other candidates who met the qualifying standard, in test rank order
Source: school admissions policy.
Sir Thomas Rich's School
- Looked After Children / Previously Looked After Children
- Boys registered for Pupil Premium who met the qualifying standard
- Other qualifying boys, in test rank order
Source: school admissions policy.
Choosing between them
Both schools admit boys, so the decision usually comes down to the admission criteria above and how far each one reaches. The figures on this page are the published ones — they describe intakes and results, not what either school would be like for your child. The right choice depends on your family's own priorities and circumstances.
Other Gloucestershire comparisons
- Denmark Road High School vs Marling School
- Denmark Road High School vs Pate's Grammar School
- Denmark Road High School vs Ribston Hall High School
- Denmark Road High School vs Sir Thomas Rich's School
- Denmark Road High School vs Stroud High School
- Denmark Road High School vs The Crypt School
- Marling School vs Pate's Grammar School
- Marling School vs Ribston Hall High School
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