The Marches School Catchment Area
The Marches School is an academy converter secondary school in Oswestry, Shropshire , serving pupils aged 11-18, with 1396 pupils, and a capacity of 1500 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
11-18
Age range
1,396
Pupils
1,500
Capacity
93%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2023
The Marches School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for The Marches School?
The catchment area for The Marches School is the geographic zone Shropshire uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Shropshire publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
As an academy, The Marches School sets its own admissions criteria, agreed with Shropshire. The catchment area boundary is defined in the school's annual admissions policy, which may differ from the LA's general school admissions arrangements.
Get an alert if The Marches School goes oversubscribed for 2027 →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Shropshire before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Shropshire catchment area documents →The Marches School: 1500 places, 93% filled: nearing capacity
The Marches School has a published admission number of 1500 places. 1396 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 93%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 1500, Shropshire's admissions team applies distance-based tiebreakers. Families within the school's historical catchment boundary are well placed, but a boundary check with the council is recommended before applying.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 20.5% of pupils at The Marches School are eligible for free school meals, broadly in line with the national average. This reflects a mixed catchment population across Shropshire.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Shropshire publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Shropshire Council school admissions (official) →
The Marches School: School Information
- Full address
- Morda Road, Oswestry, SY11 2AR
- Local authority
- Shropshire
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Secondary
- Age range
- 11-18 years
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 20.5% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 136979
Nearest secondary schools by distance
These are the secondary schools closest to The Marches School by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
Need help understanding catchment areas?
Frequently Asked Questions: The Marches School
What is the catchment area for The Marches School? ▾
The catchment area for The Marches School is the geographic zone Shropshire uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Shropshire publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is The Marches School oversubscribed? ▾
The Marches School is operating close to its capacity of 1500 places (93% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for The Marches School? ▾
Admission to The Marches School is managed by Shropshire. When oversubscribed, places go to looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment area distance. Always verify the current policy with the council before applying.
What age range does The Marches School cover? ▾
The Marches School is a secondary school in Oswestry, Shropshire, serving pupils aged 11-18. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for The Marches School? ▾
The Marches School was rated Good by Ofsted in 2023. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.