Magnus Church of England Academy achieves good Ofsted rating

A secondary school in Newark has achieved an Ofsted good rating ­— the first to do so for more than a decade.

Magnus Church of England Academy was found to be good in all areas, which has been described as a great day.

Principal Anna Martin, who was praised in the report for being uncompromising in her ambition for pupils, said she was delighted.

“Since joining the school in September 2016 I have had one goal in mind; to build a great school for a great community,” she said.

“I have made it my mission to grow Magnus Academy into a school the community is proud of and one in which Newark can have confidence.

“This report acknowledges the dedication of the team at Magnus to provide the best educational experience for our students both academically and for their personal wellbeing and development.

“It has been such a pleasure to be able to communicate to parents that their child attends the first good secondary school in the Newark area for a very long time.”

Chairman of governors Martin O’Connell said: “I have seen at close hand how much time, energy passion and sheer hard work it has taken to achieve this outcome.

“This is a great day for Anna and everybody at Magnus ­— including the students ­— who have made this day happen. In addition, this is excellent news not only for Magnus, but for secondary education in Newark.

“When I became a governor at Magnus, there was an acceptance in Newark that, in order to get a decent secondary education, it was necessary to get on a bus every morning and go somewhere else.

“This report means that it is no longer necessary to do that.

“This is confirmation that top class education is available right here in Newark.”

The inspection recognised that Magnus benefited from strong support from the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi Academy Trust and from a governing body that sought to challenge and support school in its development.

Chief executive of the Southwell and Nottingham Multi Academy Trust Chris Moodie said: “This is a key moment for secondary education in Newark.

‘This is excellent news not only for Magnus, but for secondary education in Newark.’

“The inspection team were clear in their feedback that Magnus is not just a good school, but a school that is well on its way to being outstanding. At SNMAT we are exceptionally proud of the work that Anna and her team have done and continue to do.

“The impact of this has already been seen in the much better GCSE and A-level results ­— and these are set to improve again this year.

“Education isn’t, however, just about results and the inspectors were effusive in their comments about how well students are prepared for their lives after school.

“I would recommend anyone who has an interest in secondary education to come a see for themselves what a special place Magnus has become.”

Newark MP Robert Jenrick said: “The Magnus’s good rating is major news for the town.

“This is the first time the school has achieved anything like this for at least 15 years when it when it first went into special measures.

“All credit to Anna Martin, who has done a magnificent job. This is a huge step forward for this school.

“Two years ago more than half of the young people were going out of town for their secondary education. It was one of the biggest issues facing this town. It (Magnus) is now clearly on an upward trajectory.

“Newark Academy is moving forward and our third secondary school (Suthers School) is being built. I confidently predict that in a few years we will have three good or outstanding schools in our town, along with the college, which is fantastic.”

Philip Owen, chairman of Nottingham- shire County Council’s children and young people’s committee, said: “This good rating is excellent news and I would like to congratulate the academy for the incredible progress it has made in the past few years.

“This good rating has been achieved because of the drive and determination of the leaders and teachers who are focused on improving education opportunities and prospects for their pupils.

“For a school to achieve a good Ofsted rating it takes good leadership, dedicated staff, committed governors, pupils who want to learn and supportive parents ­— and the improvements that have been clearly demonstrated are testament to all of those.”