The Milton Keynes Academy

The Milton Keynes Academy has improved markedly since its previous inspection and is now performing well across the key areas Ofsted evaluates. Pupils and staff are proud of the progress made, behaviour has improved significantly, classrooms are calm and orderly, and relationships between pupils and staff are strong. The school is highly inclusive, with effective pastoral support and a culture in which pupils feel happy and safe. The school's personal development provision is a particular strength, including well-taught PSHE, strong safeguarding arrangements and growing opportunities for pupils to contribute to their community. Reading and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are also well developed, and attendance is a high priority with proactive work with families. Leaders, including trust leaders, understand the school's priorities and provide effective support. Published outcomes in 2024 were below national averages, although inspectors consider these do not reflect the quality of education current pupils receive. The main areas for further work are inconsistency in curriculum implementation in some subjects, where misconceptions and gaps are not always addressed, and the school's reintegration support after suspensions, which is not yet effective enough for a small number of pupils who receive repeated suspensions and consequently miss learning.

Strengths

• Pupils and staff are proud of the significant improvements made since the previous inspection.
• Behaviour has improved significantly, with clear expectations and prompt action when pupils do not meet them.
• Pupils demonstrate high levels of respect for each other, staff and visitors.
• Strong relationships and high-quality pastoral support help pupils feel happy and safe.
• Classrooms are calm and orderly, with well-established routines that help pupils concentrate.
• The school is highly inclusive and makes everyone feel welcome.
• Personal development is a shining strength, with a strong PSHE curriculum and specialist training for sensitive topics.
• The school uses local and national risk information to help pupils stay safe, including online.
• Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND swiftly and accurately and provide effective support.
• Reading has a renewed focus, including reading for pleasure and tailored support for pupils who have fallen behind.
• Attendance is a high priority, with a proactive team building strong relationships with families.
• Bespoke strategies help pupils re-engage successfully after extended absences.
• Specialist staff provide targeted behaviour support for pupils who need it most.
• The school is expanding opportunities for pupils to develop positive character traits through community and charity work.
• Leaders, including trust leaders, have an accurate understanding of strengths and priorities.
• The trust provides expert support, collaboration and coaching, and staff feel highly positive about working at the school.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In some lessons, teaching activities do not help pupils learn the curriculum as well as they could.
• Teachers sometimes do not address pupils' misconceptions or gaps in knowledge and skills effectively.
• Curriculum implementation is inconsistent in some subjects, meaning some pupils struggle to consolidate prior learning and develop new skills.
• The school's approach to helping pupils reintegrate after a suspension is not as effective as it could be.
• A small number of pupils who struggle to meet the school's high expectations receive repeated suspensions and miss crucial learning.
• Published outcomes in 2024 were below national averages, although the report says these do not reflect current provision.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Milton Keynes Academy attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 15.7% of pupils at The Milton Keynes Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Milton Keynes Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 8.8% of pupils at The Milton Keynes Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Milton Keynes Academy received £9,266 and spent £9,281 for each of its 1,014 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £729,000 (£719 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Creative Education Trust, income was £8,557 and spending £8,500 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

The Milton Keynes Academy is part of Creative Education Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Abbeyfield School Northampton
• Queen Eleanor Primary Academy Northampton
• Wrenn School Wellingborough
• Weavers Academy Wellingborough
• Ash Green School Coventry
• Three Peaks Primary Academy Tamworth
• Ellis Guilford School Nottingham
• The Bulwell Academy Nottingham
• The Hart School Rugeley
• Thistley Hough Academy Stoke-On-Trent

What is The Milton Keynes Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Milton Keynes Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was The Milton Keynes Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Milton Keynes Academy was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does The Milton Keynes Academy have?

The Milton Keynes Academy has 923 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Milton Keynes Academy cover?

The Milton Keynes Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Milton Keynes Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.1, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Milton Keynes Academy?

The Milton Keynes Academy is at Fulwoods Drive, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 5LA.