School Chooser

Marlborough School

Special · ages 11-19MixedCouncil92 pupilsSixth formSidcupBexley
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Attendance86.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families34%A bit more than most schools
PlacesFull92 pupils, 85 places
Pupils per teacher5.7School workforce census
Average A level gradeNE2017/18
Pupils on roll92Census January 2026

Marlborough School is a council special school in Sidcup for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 92 pupils, 7 more than it has places for. About 34 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools.

Marlborough Park Avenue, Sidcup, DA15 9DP020 8300 6896marlborough.bexley.sch.ukDr Elizabeth Smith head teacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

6 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

The government hasn't published this school's headline results. Fewer than eleven pupils sat the exams, so the figures could identify individual children.

A level and sixth-form results, 2018

30 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeNE
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure2018
Students30
Average A level gradeNE

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Bexley council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll92Census January 2026
Places85108% full
Pupils from low-income families34%34% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English39%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%92 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)40%£23,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls64 / 28
White British pupils29%

Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Bexley with autism provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (34), Severe learning difficulty (29), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (11), Specific learning difficulty (10), language and communications needs (5), Moderate learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll928888818576
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals34%34%34%40%40%41%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language39%36%32%28%28%29%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans100%100%100%100%100%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 86.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance86.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school34.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence13.5%12.1%8.9%10.7%9.0%5.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence10.2%8.3%8.0%9.9%9.0%5.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.3%3.7%1.0%0.9%0.0%0.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence34.0%34.4%28.1%28.3%14.0%17.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 10 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training100%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2019/20 leavers2018/19 leavers
Still in education, work or training100%100%100%100%
Education100%100%100%100%
Apprenticeship0%0%0%0%
Work0%0%0%0%
Not in education, work or training0%0%0%0%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers16.2full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher5.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers89%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants34.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£57,319
Teachers who left in the year20%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher11.42024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£37,951England £32,258. Total £3.3m
Income per pupil£34,766England £32,367. Total £3.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£11,688England £11,930
Money in reserve3%Not much put by: £104k, £1,183 per pupil. England 7%
Money in against money out-£280kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£37,951spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m20912 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate46 per 1,000 people50% lower than the England average
Typical house price£425,000Bexley
Nearest bus stop310 mMarlborough Park Avenue, 8 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Chatsworth Infant SchoolAcademy210 m210Good 201989Compare
Rose Bruford CollegeHigher education institutions370 mNot inspectedCompare
Burnt Oak Junior SchoolAcademy460 m245Outstanding 202493Compare
Holy Trinity Lamorbey Church of England SchoolAcademy480 m241Good 202352Compare
Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar SchoolAcademy (grammar)710 m1,561Good 202296Compare
Days Lane Primary SchoolAcademy750 m653Good 202381Compare
Sherwood Park Primary SchoolAcademy840 m282Good 202332Compare
Hurstmere SchoolAcademy850 m893Requires improvement 20225Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Marlborough School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Marlborough School yet.

How many pupils does Marlborough School have?

92 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 85 places, so it is 108% full.

What is attendance like at Marlborough School?

Pupils were in school 86.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 34% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

Does Marlborough School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It is a special school for autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Does Marlborough School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2018 was NE.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Marlborough Park Avenue, Sidcup, DA15 9DP
Telephone
020 8300 6896
Website
www.marlborough.bexley.sch.uk
Head Teacher
Dr Elizabeth Smith
Type of school
Council special school (Community special school, special schools)
Phase
Special school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Bexley
Ward
Blackfen & Lamorbey
Constituency
Old Bexley and Sidcup
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 1900
URN
101487 · LAESTAB 3037002 · UKPRN 10017876

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from