Marlborough Primary School

Marlborough Primary School, located in Birmingham, has shown overall good performance in its first inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. The school provides a calm and supportive environment where pupils thrive academically and socially. Staff are dedicated to fostering pupils' learning and development, particularly focusing on language skills beneficial for those who speak English as an additional language. The ambitious curriculum promotes engagement and understanding across various subjects. Nevertheless, some concerns were raised regarding pupils' attendance and inconsistencies in curriculum delivery across subjects, indicating areas for improvement that leaders are working on.

Strengths

• Supportive and warm relationships between staff and pupils.
• Strong focus on language development for EAL pupils.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum in early years and core subjects.
• Effective program for teaching phonics and early reading.
• Strong provision for pupils with SEND.
• Positive behaviour and respectful attitudes among pupils.
• Collaborative projects that foster a sense of community and responsibility.

Areas for Improvement

• Issues with pupil attendance affecting learning.
• Inconsistencies in curriculum delivery not yet addressed.

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 Marlborough Primary School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.0% of pupils at Marlborough Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Marlborough Primary School had 24.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 16.9% of pupils at Marlborough Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Marlborough Primary School received £7,276 and spent £7,079 for each of its 601 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £813,000 (£1,353 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Leigh Trust, income was £7,576 and spending £7,567 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 Birmingham · Birmingham local authority: places and applications

Marlborough Primary School is part of Leigh Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Wyndcliffe Primary School Birmingham
• Alston Primary School Birmingham
• Nansen Primary School Birmingham
• Leigh Primary School Birmingham
• Summerfield Primary School Birmingham
• Bentley West Primary School Walsall

What is Marlborough Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Marlborough Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Marlborough Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Marlborough Primary School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Marlborough Primary School have?

Marlborough Primary School has 598 pupils on roll.

What age range does Marlborough Primary School cover?

Marlborough Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Marlborough Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 35% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Marlborough Primary School?

Marlborough Primary School is at Marlborough Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, B10 9NY.