Your school guide
Marling School
Marling School admits boys through the Gloucestershire shared grammar test. This entry focuses on September 2028, when the provider becomes FSCE.
Grammar school · Stroud, Gloucestershire
Prepare with confidence.
Use Plusling to prepare for 11+ entry to Marling School. Build skills with original questions, understand the answers and turn tricky topics into your next step forward.
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Meet the school
At a glance
Facts checked
- Shared route for 2027 entry
- Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Entrance Test (GL Assessment)
- Marling School
Cainscross Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 4HE
Plan your approach
Entry information
For September 2028 entry
For September 2028 Year 7 entry, Marling’s Gloucestershire shared test changes to FSCE and moves to the end of Year 5. Registration is scheduled from noon on 8 February to noon on 19 March 2027; testing is set for 3 July 2027. Families will also need a home-authority school preference. The previous September 2027 intake used a GL test in September 2026 and has its own October 2026 application deadline.
Entry stage: Year 7
What the assessment covers
- English
- Mathematics
Assessment provider: Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE)
The admissions process
- September 2028 entry: register for the shared FSCE test from noon on 8 February to noon on 19 March 2027. The test is scheduled for 3 July 2027, at the end of Year 5.
- September 2028 entry: Adventure has multiple-choice English and mathematics questions; Beacon has short written English and mathematics answers; Compass has multiple-choice questions drawing on one or more of the school subjects listed in the official guide.
- September 2028 entry: choose Marling to receive the result when registering, then also name it on your home authority’s school application. The school lists 31 October 2027; confirm the deadline with your home authority.
- September 2027 entry: the main GL Assessment test took place on 12 September 2026. Gloucestershire applicants must name Marling on their school application by midnight on 31 October 2026; families living elsewhere should follow their home authority’s deadline.
- September 2027 entry: a qualifying rank is not an offer of a place. Local authorities allocate places on 1 March 2027.
Read the official details: Admissions information from Marling School
Go to the source
Official links for your shortlist
Use the school’s current admissions information to check which sample papers or familiarisation materials apply to your child’s entry year.
From subjects to skills
Turn the assessment subjects into a practice plan.
Start with these core skills from the published subject list. Pair the official assessment material with regular Plusling practice.
English
A useful place to start
Read a short passage together. Ask your child to find evidence for an answer and explain unfamiliar words in context.
Build on it with Plusling
Build on that reading with Plusling’s English questions and explanations, then choose a topic to practise again.
Start the 5-question English quizMaths
A useful place to start
Ask your child to explain their method, estimate the answer and check the final calculation. Notice which step needs more practice.
Build on it with Plusling
Use Plusling’s original maths questions and worked explanations to make those next practice sessions count.
Start the 5-question maths quizPrint, practise, build confidence
Printable practice for these subjects
Original Plusling papers with space to work and separate answers and explanations.
English papers
Explore the papers
Maths papers
Explore the papersThese are Plusling skills practice, not official school or test papers.
Keep the practical steps clear
Your application starting points
Use the official links on this page to answer these questions for your child’s entry year.
Check the entry point and eligibility
Confirm the year group, age requirements and any conditions that apply to your child.
Put the right dates in your diary
Note any published registration, assessment, application and offer-response dates that apply to your child’s route. They may be separate steps.
Check the assessment guidance
If an assessment applies, look for official examples, question formats, timings and answer instructions to help plan your child’s preparation.
Read the school’s admissions criteria
Check catchment, oversubscription rules and any supplementary form alongside the test registration.
Picture your child’s everyday life here.
An open day is a chance to look beyond the exam. Useful questions to take with you:
- How do you help new pupils settle in and make friends?
- Who can a child turn to when they feel worried or stuck?
- How do you help pupils recover from a setback and discover their strengths?
Know where to focus
Give their preparation a clear direction.
See the topics your child has practised, revisit questions that need another look and choose a focus for the next session. Plusling helps you put your time where it can be useful.
- Topic summaries and practice history
- Choose topics in Focus Practice
- Progress to discuss with the adults helping them
Their next step starts here
Give their 11+ preparation a confident start.
Try Plusling together. Five free questions, useful feedback and a first look at a friendlier way to practise.
Entry-year distinction
- This page’s primary entry cycle is September 2028. The linked GL familiarisation and October 2026 application deadline relate to the earlier September 2027 intake.
Plusling’s guide to Marling School is independently written. The school and its admissions authority publish the official arrangements.
Contains government school-register data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Primary sources
- Marling School: school details Department for Education
- Joining Us — Marling School Marling School
- FSCE Gloucestershire familiarisation guide for children Future Stories Community Enterprise
- FSCE Gloucestershire familiarisation guide for parents Future Stories Community Enterprise
- Marling results and next steps for September 2027 entry Marling School