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Are you considering Marling School for your son? We've collated all the information you need to know about 2024 entry to Year 7. Keep reading to learn about key dates, the admissions process, and how to prepare for the Gloucestershire 11 plus exam.
About Marling School
Marling School is a grammar school in Stroud, Gloucestershire for boys aged 11-18 with a mixed sixth form. It was founded in 1887, making it the oldest secondary school in Stroud, and is a member of the Cotswold Beacon Academy Trust.
The school provides a vibrant academic environment that paces and challenges its students, who are encouraged to become active learners for further education and a global society. Some facilities are shared with the neighbouring girls' grammar school, Stroud High School.
Address: Marling School, Cainscross Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 4HE
Local authority: Gloucestershire County Council
School type: boys' grammar with mixed sixth form
Headteacher: Glen Balmer
Number of pupils: 1,200+
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 146
A level results: 73.8% A*–B
GCSE results: 65% A*/A/9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected], 01453 762251
Number of places in Year 7: 150
Open day date: 17th May, 18th May and 20th June 2023
11 plus registration opens: 22nd May 2023
11 plus registration closes: 30th June 2023
Exam date: 16th September 2023
Exam type: Gloucestershire Consortium – GL Assessment
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Marling School term dates
The term dates at Marling School in 2023–2024 are:
Autumn term: 6th September – 22nd December 2023
Half term: 26th October – 3rd November 2023
Spring term: 8th January – 22nd March 2024
Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
Summer term: 8th April – 19th July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
How to apply to Marling School
If you would like your son to be considered for a place at Marling School, you will need to register for them to take the 11 plus exam and apply for a school place separately.
1. Register for the 11 plus
Marling School works with the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Consortium to carry out the entrance process. This means that if your child is applying to any of the seven grammar schools in the consortium, they will only need to take the 11 plus once.
You will need to register your child to take the test via the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools central registration form. This will be available on the school website between 12pm on 22nd May 2023 and 12pm on 30th June 2023.
2. Apply for a school place
If your child meets the qualifying standard to apply for a place at the school, you can then name Marling School as your preferred school of choice on your local authority common application form (CAF). If you do not live in Gloucestershire, you will need to complete the CAF for your home local authority.
You will receive your child's results from the Gloucestershire 11 plus in mid-October. You will then have until 31st October 2023 to complete and submit the common application form.
The 11 plus at Marling School
Marling School is one of seven schools within the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Consortium. Children applying to any of these seven schools will take the same 11 plus exam in September in Year 6.
For entry in 2024, children will take two papers on Saturday 16th September 2023:
Verbal skills: a one hour exam assessing comprehension, vocabulary and verbal reasoning
Non-verbal skills: a one hour exam assessing non-verbal reasoning and mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding
Both papers consist of solely multiple-choice questions. There will be 15 minutes available at the start of each test to read through the instructions (and see some worked examples in the non-verbal test). The total allocated time for completing the test questions is 45 minutes for each paper.
What is the pass mark for Marling School?
There is no pre-defined pass mark for the Gloucestershire 11 plus exam. The qualifying standard will only be set after the test is taken and the results are known. This varies from year to year but has historically been around 210-220 marks.
Marling School oversubscription criteria
There are 150 places available in Year 7 at Marling School. If more than 150 children who have listed Marling School as their preferred school on the common application form fall into the qualifying group, then the school will apply oversubscription criteria.
Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school and who have met the qualifying standard will be admitted first. The number of places available will then be reduced accordingly, and priority given in the following order:
'Looked After' and 'Previously Looked After' children
Children who are eligible for Pupil Premium (those who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the six years leading up to the test day)
All other children who have met the qualifying standard in test rank order
There is no catchment area for Marling School. Children from Gloucestershire and beyond can take the 11 plus exam; all children will be considered equally.
However, if there are a number of equally-ranked candidates, then Marling School will use the following criteria in order to allocate places:
Children who attended a primary school within the Cotswold Beacon Academy Trust at the time of registering for the entrance test, until at least the December break in Year 6. These schools are Berkeley Primary School and Cam Woodfield Junior School.
Children who live closest to the school (measured in a straight line distance from their home address)
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Gloucestershire 11 plus.
Cover all the content
The Gloucestershire 11 plus assesses a variety of skills across the Key Stage 2 curriculum and beyond. Your child will be tested on English comprehension and Key Stage 2 maths, in addition to verbal and non-verbal reasoning – which are not taught at school.
We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.
Atom Nucleus is an adaptive 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey. They'll be able to cover all elements of 11 plus topics at the pace that's right for them.
No surprises
Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of questions in the 11 plus exam – particularly in verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.
Celebrate their progress
Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Nucleus offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.
Personalised 11 plus prep for your child
Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!
Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.
Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths and reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.
Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.
Gloucestershire 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to online 11 plus practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real Gloucestershire 11 plus, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.
Try Atom Nucleus free for 5 days
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Personalised 11 plus support for you
We know how keen you are for your child to do well in the 11 plus, to give them every chance of securing a place at their school of choice. Our dedicated team of Education Experts are on hand to support you and your family every step of the way:
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We're happy to help with any questions you may have about admissions processes and helping your child prepare for entry to Gloucestershire grammar schools.
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