Magna Academy

Magna Academy is performing well overall, graded as good with outstanding elements in personal development and sixth-form provision. There is a strong sense of community among pupils, who actively engage in school life and demonstrate respectful relationships with staff and peers. Leaders have high expectations, and the curriculum is ambitious, which has resulted in improved academic outcomes, particularly at key stage 4 and in the sixth form. However, some pupils, especially those in key stage 3, struggle to retain knowledge, and attendance remains a concern among disadvantaged students.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a strong sense of community and actively participate in school life.
• Leaders have high expectations, and most pupils strive to meet them.
• The curriculum is designed to promote wider personal development and cultural knowledge.
• Sixth-form provision exceeds expectations, preparing students well for life beyond school.
• Pupils with SEND receive strong support, particularly in sixth form.
• The careers programme effectively links education to future opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Key stage 3 teaching does not sufficiently aid pupils in retaining learned knowledge.
• Some disadvantaged pupils do not attend school often enough, affecting their progress.

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 Magna Academy attended 92.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.9% 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, 8.5% of pupils at Magna Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Magna Academy had 14.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.3% 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, 16.6% of pupils at Magna Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.0% 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 Magna Academy received £7,988 and spent £8,511 for each of its 970 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £49,000 (-£50 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Aspirations Academies Trust, income was £8,111 and spending £8,266 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 Poole · Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authority: places and applications

Magna Academy is part of Aspirations Academies Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• Ocean Academy Poole Poole
• Livingstone Academy Bournemouth Bournemouth
• Jewell Academy Bournemouth Bournemouth
• Bovington Academy Wareham
• Budmouth Academy Weymouth Weymouth
• Atlantic Academy Portland Portland
• Oak Hill Academy West London Feltham
• Rivers Academy West London Feltham
• Space Studio West London Hounslow
• Oriel Academy West London Feltham

What is Magna Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Magna Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Magna Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Magna Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Magna Academy have?

Magna Academy has 938 pupils on roll.

What age range does Magna Academy cover?

Magna Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Magna Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.2, and 44% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Magna Academy?

Magna Academy is at Ashdown Close, Adastral Road, Canford Heath, Poole, Dorset, BH17 8RE.