Stroud High School

Selective

National rank

68

121=

Rank last year

73.8%

A-level

A-level

A*-B

73.5%

GCSE

GCSE

A*/A/9/8/7

State Secondary School of the Year in the Southwest 2025

Need to know

Head teacher

Mark McShane

Gender of entry

Girls

Total pupils

1,095

Head teacher

Mark McShane

Gender of entry

Girls

Total pupils

1,095

Head teacher

Mark McShane

Gender of entry

Girls

Total pupils

1,095

Progress 8

WELL ABOVE AVERAGE

Pupils on free school meals

2.9%

Progress 8

WELL ABOVE AVERAGE

Pupils on free school meals

2.9%

Our methodology
Results

A-level 2024 rank: 105=

Grade

%

A*

12

A

29.8

B

32.1

A*/A

41.8

A*-B

73.8

GCSE 2024 rank: 52

Grade

%

A*/9/8

50.9

A/7

22.6

A*/A/9/8/7

73.5

What the school inspection says

Date of report
2023
Verdict *
Outstanding
“Pupils thrive at this exceptional school. They relish their learning and the extensive opportunities they have for their personal development. The school is determined that pupils experience ‘the exceptional every day’, and they do. Parents value the high quality of education and care that their children receive. There is a strong culture of respect and inclusion … Their conduct is exemplary. Pupils are highly active citizens … The school has a highly ambitious vision for its pupils. The curriculum is academically demanding. For example, all pupils study two modern foreign languages in Years 8 and 9 and many go on to study languages in Key Stage 4. In the sixth form, study programmes are tailored carefully to students’ needs. The school has planned the curriculum with precision. Pupils consistently build new learning on secure foundations. As a result, they achieve exceptionally well. Sixth-form students are prepared exceptionally well for their future destinations.”
Read the full report
Read report
*From September 2024, Ofsted no longer makes an overall effectiveness judgment in inspections of state-funded schools. A consultation on the new report cards will take place in 2025.

About the school

  • SHS is connected to a global network of schools through High Performance Learning and has built a pioneering exchange programme with a school in Paju, South Korea. Students have visited and hosted exchanges with their South Korean counterparts since 2016 and the school has been named as the South Korean government’s first global academy. Under the Turing Project, 60 sixth-formers will visit Korea and Thailand. 
  • Teams from SHS are national champions in the England Handball U15 Championships and the National KS3 Great Big Dance Off.
  • Stroud High’s Royal Navy section in the Combined Cadet Force parades on Mondays in its own dedicated unit, HMS Amazon. 
  • There are house music and drama competitions, concerts and a school drama production. Each year SHS students enter the FameLab Academy International, an initiative seeking to revolutionise science communication in schools. 
  • The vibrant history society has strong links with the local community and the school has a long tradition of taking part in debating competitions.
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