The Newark Academy

About The Newark Academy

Ofsted’s Parent View survey, based on 180 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025, shows that 87% of parents would recommend The Newark Academy to other families. That’s a strong vote of confidence, and it aligns with the school’s popularity on the ground: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 458 applications for 202 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.27. Of those, 230 were first-preference applications, and 200 first-preference offers were made. Parents report high levels of satisfaction across a range of areas — 96% agree or strongly agree that their child feels safe, and 91% agree or strongly agree that the school has high expectations for their child. The school also scores well on communication: 83% of parents feel the school lets them know how their child is doing, and 73% agree concerns are dealt with properly. For a state secondary in Newark and Sherwood, these figures suggest a school that parents trust and actively choose.

Academically, The Newark Academy is performing well above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.4 is rated ‘Above average’ and compares very favourably with the Nottinghamshire LA average of -0.11. In the East Midlands, it ranks 40th out of 273 schools, placing it in the top 15% regionally, and nationally it sits in the top 20% of schools. At KS4, 71% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 score stands at 47.7. The school’s EBacc average point score is 4.16, with 29.5% of pupils entering the EBacc combination. In the sixth form, results are more mixed: the value-added score is -0.3, classed as ‘Below average’, and the average points per entry is 26.74, equivalent to a C- grade. However, the best three A-levels average a C+, and the sixth form provision was rated Good in the most recent Ofsted inspection.

The school operates from a site with a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, tennis courts, and a dedicated sixth form centre. It offers a wide range of sports including tennis, swimming, netball, hockey, and martial arts, plus clubs such as Coding, Chess, DofE, Debate, Model UN, and Young Enterprise. SEND provision is well-documented, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Ofsted’s most recent inspection in February 2025 judged the school as Good overall, with leadership and management rated Outstanding — a significant improvement from its previous Inadequate rating in 2016. With a capacity of 1,110 and currently 1,145 pupils on roll, the school is slightly over capacity, which reflects its popularity. This is a school that suits families looking for strong academic progress at GCSE, a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, and a sixth form that, while not top-tier, offers a solid foundation for further study.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About The Newark Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents