Magdalen College School

About Magdalen College School

Magdalen College School in West Northamptonshire is a large mixed secondary with 1,358 pupils on roll, operating below its capacity of 1,500. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 10.8%, which is notably below the national average for secondary schools. Despite this relatively advantaged intake, the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 284 applications for 204 places, with 176 of those applications coming as first preferences. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.39, meaning nearly 40% more families applied than there were spots available. The school made 175 first-preference offers, so while many local families clearly want a place, a significant number of applicants were turned away. The headteacher is Sukhbir Farar, and the school has no religious character. It also has a dedicated sixth form, which is an important factor for families looking for an all-through secondary experience.

Academically, the picture is more mixed. In its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in 2025, the school was rated Inadequate overall, with both behaviour and attitudes and leadership and management also judged Inadequate, and quality of education rated Inadequate too. The sixth form provision was rated Requires improvement, and personal development was also Requires improvement. This marks a sharp decline from its previous inspection in 2011, when it was rated Good across all judged areas. On the government's Progress 8 measure for 2023/24, the school scored -0.25, which is below average and places it 17th out of 22 schools in the West Northamptonshire local authority. That's well behind the local authority average Progress 8 score of 0.05. Attainment 8 was 46.3, and just 39.4% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the school's value-added score was -0.02, which is classed as Average, and the average points per entry was 31, equivalent to a C grade.

The school offers a decent range of facilities, including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, music rooms, art studios, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include football, rugby, cricket, rowing, and swimming, while clubs range from Model UN and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to coding and a film club. The school has a broad set of SEND provisions, covering areas such as autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. However, the parent view data, based on 280 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025, reveals significant dissatisfaction: only 46% of parents would recommend the school, and just 20% agreed that their child is happy there. Only 32% agreed that the school makes sure pupils are well behaved, and just 32% felt concerns are dealt with properly. This is a school that, despite being oversubscribed, faces serious challenges around behaviour, leadership, and parental confidence. It may suit families who value the breadth of extracurricular activities and the sixth form, but the Ofsted rating and parent feedback suggest it is currently struggling to meet expectations.

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