The Grove School

The Grove School is performing at a level that requires improvement overall. While the quality of education and personal development are recognized as good, there are notable concerns regarding behavior and attitudes, which have hindered some pupils' learning experiences. The school's leadership is actively working on curriculum improvements and has established a welcoming and inclusive environment, yet challenges persist in maintaining consistent behavior expectations among pupils. This inspection marks the first under the new section 5 criteria, highlighting the school's current context of transition and adaptation.

Strengths

• Welcoming and inclusive environment
• Good quality of education in the sixth form
• Broad curriculum with a wide choice of options
• Effective safeguarding measures
• Ambitious plans for curriculum development
• High-quality careers guidance
• Strong personal development program

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of behavior policy by some teachers
• Behavior disruptions affecting learning in some classrooms
• Gaps in knowledge assessment in some subjects
• Insufficient support for pupils with SEND from some staff

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Grove School attended 90.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 7.1% of pupils at The Grove School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Grove School had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 18.5% of pupils at The Grove School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Grove School received £7,771 and spent £8,052 for each of its 831 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £418,000 (£503 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Marches Academy Trust, income was £8,021 and spending £7,895 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Market Drayton · Shropshire local authority: places and applications

The Grove School is part of Marches Academy Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Longlands Primary School Market Drayton
• Lower Heath CofE Primary School Whitchurch
• Tilstock CofE Primary and Nursery Whitchurch
• Sir John Talbot's School Whitchurch
• Woodlands School Shrewsbury
• Cockshutt CofE Primary School and Nursery Ellesmere
• Shrewsbury Academy Shrewsbury
• Grange Primary School Shrewsbury
• Weston Lullingfields Church of England Primary School and Nursery Shrewsbury
• Idsall School Shifnal

What is The Grove School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Grove School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was The Grove School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Grove School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does The Grove School have?

The Grove School has 856 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Grove School cover?

The Grove School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Grove School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.2, and 28% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Grove School?

The Grove School is at Newcastle Road, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 1HF.