Magnus Church of England Academy

About Magnus Church of England Academy

Just over seven in ten parents who responded to Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend Magnus Church of England Academy, with 73% saying yes. That's a solid endorsement, though the school is clearly one that families have to actively want: for 2025/26 entry, it received 204 applications for 97 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.1, and 79 first-preference offers were made. The picture from individual survey responses is mixed but often positive. On the question of whether their child is happy, 76% of parents agreed or strongly agreed, and 82% felt their child was safe. A striking 69% strongly agreed that concerns are dealt with properly, and 80% agreed or strongly agreed that the school has high expectations for their child. However, 27% said they would not recommend the school, and on specific areas like communication about what their child will learn, 30% disagreed or strongly disagreed. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, rated it Requires Improvement overall, with leadership and management and quality of education both requiring improvement, while behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and sixth-form provision were all judged Good.

Academically, the data tells a challenging story. Magnus's Progress 8 score for 2023/24 was -0.5, which is 'Below average' and significantly worse than the Nottinghamshire local authority average of -0.11. In fact, the school ranks 35th out of 46 similar schools in the county. The Attainment 8 score was 36.2, and just 38.8% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. Only 5.2% entered the EBacc, and 3.4% achieved it. The EBacc average point score was 3.02. At A-level, the picture is similarly tough: the school's value-added score was -1.24, placing it in the 'Well below average' band, and the average points per entry was 12.71, equivalent to an E+ grade. Only 14 pupils were included in the sixth-form data, so the cohort is small. The school's ranking nationally by Progress 8 places it in the bottom 50% of schools, at the 83rd percentile from the bottom.

Magnus is a Church of England secondary for pupils aged 11 to 18, with 745 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,050, so there is room to grow. It has a notably high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 45.3%, well above the national average. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, and a sixth-form centre, plus clubs from Model UN to rowing. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. On the Parent View SEND question, 76% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, though 18% strongly disagreed. This is a school that will suit families who value a Church of England ethos and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are prepared for a context where academic outcomes are currently below local averages and where the school is working through a Requires Improvement rating.

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