Magnus Church of England Academy Review 2026: A historic Newark school with a strong sixth form offer

Few secondary schools can trace their story back to the Tudor era, yet Magnus’s modern identity is just as shaped by its current community role as by its origins. The academy’s own history notes that Thomas Magnus left funds in 1531 to create a free grammar school for Newark, with access and public service baked into the founding idea.

Today, Magnus Church of England Academy is a mixed 11 to 18 school in Newark, part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi-Academy Trust (SNMAT). Leadership is well established. Mrs Anna Martin is the headteacher, and governance information on the academy website lists her principal role as beginning on 01 September 2016.

The school’s current external accountability picture is mixed. The latest Ofsted inspection (published 23 May 2025) graded Quality of education and Leadership and management as Requires improvement, while Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, and Sixth-form provision were graded Good.

Magnus presents itself as a Church of England school with a clear community brief, and that theme is reinforced in formal evidence. SIAMS (dated 19 November 2025) describes an inclusive culture rooted in Christian vision and daily worship opportunities, alongside a strong sense of the school acting outwardly in the local area.

A practical example is how the school links wellbeing support to everyday routines. The same SIAMS report highlights a funded breakfast club as part of a wider approach to removing barriers. This matters because it is not merely a “nice extra”. For students arriving hungry or anxious, a predictable start can stabilise the day, which then supports attendance and classroom focus.

Pastoral structures appear designed to be visible and year-specific. The academy’s staff information identifies pastoral leadership roles for Year 7, Year 8 and 9, Year 10 and 11, and post-16. For families, this can make it easier to know who to contact when concerns are about friendship groups, attendance, or settling in, rather than academic issues alone.

On day-to-day expectations, the transition information is clear and rules-based. For instance, pupils are expected to arrive to the next lesson within three minutes after the bell once settled, and mobile phones are not to be used during the school day (kept off and in bags). That combination tends to suit students who do best with clear boundaries and routines, especially early in Year 7.

Magnus’s published outcomes place it in the lower-performing band in England and families should read that as a prompt to ask sharper questions about improvement plans and subject consistency, rather than as a reason to dismiss the school outright.

GCSE outcomes

Ranked 3497th in England and 5th in Newark for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), Magnus sits below England average, in the bottom 40% of schools in England by this measure.

The attainment and progress indicators point in the same direction. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 36.2, and the Progress 8 score is -0.5, indicating students made less progress than similar students nationally on average. The EBacc profile is also challenging: 3.4% achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc pillar measure used here, and the school’s average EBacc APS is 3.02, compared with an England average of 4.08.

What this means in practice is that some students will do very well, but outcomes are not yet consistently strong across cohorts and subjects. That aligns with the wider external view that curriculum ambition exists but is not reliably translated into secure learning for all students.

A-level and post-16 outcomes

Ranked 2621st in England and 4th in Newark for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the sixth form sits in the lower-performing band in England.

It is important to balance that with what Magnus’s current inspection profile says about post-16. Sixth-form provision was graded Good in the 2025 inspection cycle, suggesting students in Years 12 and 13 can experience a more consistent academic and pastoral offer than the overall school performance alone might imply.

A sensible parent approach is to look at subject-level patterns, the stability of staffing in key departments, and how the sixth form supports independent study habits, rather than relying solely on headline indicators.

Magnus describes its curriculum as broad and personalised, with character education, careers, and PSHE woven into weekly structures through what it calls the Curriculum for Life. The detail matters because it shows how the school uses timetabled time to build transferable skills such as teamwork, leadership, and public speaking, rather than leaving enrichment to chance.

Reading is a visible pillar. The school promotes a structured reading approach with the Magnus Canon, positioned as a curated list of texts for students to read across their time at the academy. In practical terms, this can support vocabulary development across the curriculum, particularly for students who arrive into Year 7 with weaker reading stamina. It also gives teachers a shared framework for recommending books and designing reading routines.

The 2025 inspection evidence suggests strengths and weaknesses sit side-by-side. Teachers’ subject knowledge is described as strong, and information is presented clearly, but checking understanding and giving feedback that closes gaps is not yet consistent enough across classrooms. For families, the implication is straightforward: students who need frequent, precise course correction may require more structured support at home until classroom practice becomes more uniformly secure.

Magnus’s destination picture is notably multi-track, which is often the reality for a large, community-serving 11 to 18 school.

From the published 2023 to 2024 leavers cohort (41 students), 29% progressed to university, 7% began apprenticeships, 5% went to further education, and 41% entered employment. This spread indicates a sixth form that should be evaluated on the strength of its guidance and pathways, not only on a single “university pipeline” narrative.

Selective university outcomes are present, but at a small scale in the available data. Across the measurement period here, there were 2 Cambridge applications and 1 acceptance, which is meaningful for an individual student but should be read as an exceptional route rather than the defining pathway for the cohort.

For practical support, the sixth form highlights structured guidance and tools such as Unifrog, plus a planned university week for visits and talks. The value is in the process: students who are undecided can test multiple pathways early, while those targeting competitive courses can map work experience, admissions tests, and personal statement timelines with more structure.

Year 7 entry is handled through Nottinghamshire’s co-ordinated admissions process, with Magnus participating as an academy within the SNMAT arrangements. The academy’s determined admissions arrangements set a Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 180 for the normal Year 7 intake.

Magnus also states it has a defined catchment area, and the admissions arrangements set out a tiered approach that includes catchment, siblings, linked primary schools, and a faith-related element. In particular, the arrangements include up to 20 places for children of Christian families who live in catchment, with the remainder allocated through the wider oversubscription criteria if the school is oversubscribed. For families who want faith commitment considered, the documentation also references a Supplementary Information Form alongside the local authority application process.

For September 2026 entry, SNMAT’s published timetable states that applications to Nottinghamshire County Council open 4 August 2025 and close 31 October 2025, with offers released on 2 March 2026.

Open events show a clear seasonal pattern. In autumn 2025, the school promoted daytime “turn up and tour” visits across late September to mid-October, without booking required, which aligns neatly with the Year 7 application window for September 2026 entry. Parents comparing options should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their exact location against catchment rules and likely travel time, then verify the school’s current admissions criteria for the intake year.

Sixth form entry

The school is explicit that external applications are welcome for sixth form, subject to academic entry requirements. The admissions page states an external intake limit of 40, which matches the Year 12 PAN for external applicants in the determined admissions arrangements. Practically, this means there may be competition for places in popular courses, especially if internal progression into Year 12 is high in a given year.

Evidence points to a pastoral model that tries to combine high expectations with visible support. The transition guidance emphasises reporting issues promptly to form tutors and the pastoral team, plus practical systems for equipment and uniform shortfalls. This tends to suit families who value predictability and early intervention, especially during Year 7 settling-in.

SEND support appears structured and programmatic, with a mix of interventions and a defined hub model for higher needs. The SEN information report references targeted approaches such as Dyslexia Gold, Switch On Reading, Zones of Regulation, anxiety management, and a dedicated SEN Hub for students with significant needs, including those with an Education, Health and Care Plan. The implication is that students who need specific literacy or emotional regulation support may find named pathways rather than vague “we will help” statements.

The school’s Church of England identity is integrated into daily experience rather than treated as branding. SIAMS evidence highlights chaplaincy within a wider pastoral team, worship as a central rhythm, and an inclusive culture shaped by Christian teaching. Families comfortable with this will likely find it coherent; families seeking a fully secular school culture should understand that worship and Christian framing are part of the normal pattern of school life.

Magnus is at its most distinctive when it describes enrichment as a structured part of the week, not an optional add-on. The Curriculum for Life includes weekly enrichment choices that go beyond standard club lists, with examples such as Museums of the World, astrophysics, and Greek Mythology. The benefit is that students who are not naturally “club joiners” still get exposure to broader intellectual and cultural experiences inside the timetable.

Several flagship activities stand out because they are specific and supported. The school highlights the Magnus Swing Band, an Energy Efficient Club supported by the University of Birmingham, and a Mandarin Excellence Programme supported by University College London. These are strong signals for parents who want enrichment linked to real expertise and external standards, particularly in music, sustainability, and language learning.

Outdoor and service-oriented programmes are also clearly positioned. The school references Duke of Edinburgh Award participation and a Combined Cadet Force model, with the Magnus CCF (RAF) described as offering experiences such as adventure training and air experience flights. This will suit students who enjoy structured responsibility and thrive on practical challenge.

Facilities reinforce the sport and performing arts offer. The academy’s facilities page lists an all-weather pitch used for football and hosting Newark Hockey Club home fixtures, plus a sports hall that is home to the Jaguars Wheel Chair Basketball team. For performing arts, it identifies a dance studio with a sprung floor and mirrors, music rooms and practice rooms, and a drama studio, alongside a main hall used for performances and rehearsals.

The academy day runs from 8.30am to 3.15pm, providing 33.5 learning hours per week according to the school. The school also references earlier arrival for breakfast in its transition guidance, which is useful for working families and students who benefit from a calm start.

For term structure planning, the school publishes term dates including Autumn 2026 reopening for students on Wednesday 2 September 2026.

Transport-wise, the setting in Newark means families often combine walking routes through residential areas with local bus links and rail connections into the town, but the specifics are best checked against a child’s exact starting point and the day’s schedule.

• External accountability is mixed. Quality of education and Leadership and management were graded Requires improvement in 2025, with inconsistency in classroom implementation highlighted as a barrier to stronger outcomes. This matters most for students who need frequent, targeted feedback to stay on track.

• GCSE progress is currently below typical England levels. A Progress 8 score of -0.5 indicates students did not make as much progress as similar pupils across England on average. Families should ask how the school is tightening assessment checks and intervention so gaps are identified early.

• Faith can influence admissions. The determined admissions arrangements include up to 20 places for children of Christian families living in catchment, and families wanting this considered may need to complete an additional form alongside the local authority process.

• The school day and enrichment model require commitment. Magnus uses timetabled enrichment and structured character education, which suits students who like variety and routine; it can feel long for those who struggle with sustained days without strong organisation habits.

Magnus Church of England Academy is a historically significant Newark school that is very clear about its Christian identity, its community role, and its structured approach to enrichment. The sixth form offer is positioned as supportive and purposeful, with multiple routes recognised, including apprenticeships and employment alongside university.

The key question for families is consistency. Published performance indicators and the most recent inspection point to real strengths in ethos, relationships, and enrichment, alongside the need for tighter classroom implementation and stronger impact on outcomes. Best suited to families who want a Church of England school culture, value structured enrichment such as the Magnus Canon and Curriculum for Life, and are prepared to engage closely with academic monitoring, especially through key stage 4.