The Marches SchoolLakelands Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
The Marches School and Lakelands Academy are secondary schools.
The Marches School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Lakelands Academy scores 50 out of 100 (grade D, below average). The Marches School is ahead on our composite score.
The Marches School was judged Good and Lakelands Academy was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 38.1 for The Marches School and 42.7 for Lakelands Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Marches School (44.4 in 2021-22, 38.1 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Lakelands Academy (41.1 in 2021-22, 42.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | OswestryThe Marches School | EllesmereLakelands Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D54/100Stronger figure | D50/100 | |
| Local ranking | 9th of 20 in Shropshire Stronger figure | 12th of 20 in Shropshire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,346 | 590 | |
| Capacity | 1,500 | 580 | |
| Location | Oswestry, SY11 2AR | Ellesmere, SY12 0EA | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 38.1 | 42.7 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 27.1% | 40.3% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 44.1% | 54.6% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 236 | 119 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 85 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 33.4 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 33.9 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 8.6% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,396 | 581 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 21.1% | 21.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 9.4% | 5.2% | |
| SEN support | 12.8% | 14.5% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.1% | 7.2% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.9% | 6.4% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 24.4% | 20.4% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
The Marches School
Lakelands Academy
Full profiles: The Marches School · Lakelands Academy