A Marlow councillor has claimed both of the town's secondary schools are “full”.

Conservative Cllr Alex Collingwood said both Great Marlow School in Bobmore Lane and Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in West Street are over capacity.

This is backed up by government data, which shows that Sir William Borlase's has a school capacity of 1,085 pupils.

However, the data shows it currently has 1,222 pupils, which is 137 more than its advertised capacity.

School capacity is the number of pupil places an establishment can accommodate.

It is a similar picture at Great Marlow School. Its capacity is listed as 1,180; however, it has 1,395 pupils, which is 215 more than its advertised capacity.

The statements come as two primary schools in Marlow and Little Marlow are set to shut, with both citing falling pupil numbers.

St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, which currently sits on Prospect Road, will shut its doors for the final time in July 2027 due to a lack of pupils.

In a lengthy letter that was issued to parents, the CEO of the St Thomas Catholic Academy Trust, Mark McLaughlin, explained that it has been estimated that the school will have ‘fewer than 60 children’ in the next two years, and that they should roughly have around 210 pupils daily.

He also revealed that the reception class of 2025/26 is ‘around a quarter of what it should be’, and with schools being funded on the number of pupils they have, he admitted that St Peter’s has been put in a ‘very difficult financial position’.

Little Marlow CE School will close on August 31, citing falling pupil numbers, financial pressures and concerns about maintaining standards with such a small intake.

Describing the step as one taken “with deep regret”, those behind the plans said there was no sustainable alternative.

They cited low current and projected pupil numbers, a surplus of school places locally and an increasing budget deficit which leaders say has made the school financially unviable.

Conservative MP for Beaconsfield Joy Morrissey had previously issued a similar warning.

She said secondary schools in her constituency are “inundated” as more parents move their children to the state sector following the introduction of VAT on private school fees.

Government data also shows Holy Trinity Church of England School in Wethered Road has a capacity of 360 pupils and currently has 351 on roll.

 

The figures present a contrast in Marlow's education system. While secondary schools appear to be operating above their published capacities, two primary schools are closing after struggling to attract enough pupils.