Magdalen Academy
Park Crescent, Magdalen, King's Lynn, PE34 3BU
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- UNITY EDUCATION TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Louise Arrowsmith
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Unity Education Trust
- Constituency
- South West Norfolk
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 70
- Pupils on roll
- 43
- URN
- 145532
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01553810326
About this school
Magdalen Academy is a primary academy in King's Lynn. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 43 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | - | 17% | 17% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | - | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | - | 33% | 33% |
| Expected standard in maths | - | 17% | 67% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | - | 33% | 50% |
| Average scaled score in reading | - | 96.0 | 100.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | - | 93.0 | 104.0 |
Trends over time
How Magdalen Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Norfolk average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | — | 49.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 17% | 49.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 17% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 46 |
| 2023/24 | 45 |
| 2024/25 | 47 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Magdalen Academy compares
Magdalen Academy ranked 264th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 5% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 36% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 17% | 6.1% | 14.6% | 43 | — |
| Watlington Community Primary School | 62% | 4.9% | 23.4% | 169 | 1.4 miles |
| St Germans Academy | 45% | 5.1% | 16% | 104 | 2.0 miles |
| Holy Cross Church of England Primary School | 40% | 2.7% | 33.3% | 55 | 2.3 miles |
| Tilney St Lawrence Community Primary School | 29% | 7.9% | 28.7% | 76 | 3.4 miles |
| West Winch Primary School | 50% | 4.6% | 17.8% | 206 | 3.8 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 8 May 2024
-
Ungraded inspection report29 June 2022
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 14.63%
- English as an additional language
- 6.4%
- Overall absence
- 6.14%
- Persistent absence
- 8.57%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Watlington Community Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · King's Lynn
-
St Germans Academy2.0 miles
Primary · King's Lynn
-
Holy Cross Church of England Primary School2.3 miles
Primary · King's Lynn
-
Tilney St Lawrence Community Primary School3.4 miles
Primary · King's Lynn
-
West Winch Primary School3.8 miles
Primary · King's Lynn
Other schools in King's Lynn
Magdalen Academy ranks 40th of the 40 ranked primary schools in King's Lynn.
- All Saints Academy Primary
- Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Primary
- Beeston Primary School Primary
- Burnham Market Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Castle Acre Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Cherry Tree Academy Trust Marham Infant Primary
- Cherry Tree Academy Trust Marham Junior Primary
- Clenchwarton Primary School Primary
- Dersingham Primary School Primary
- Docking Church of England Primary Academy and Nursery Primary
- Eastgate Academy Primary
- Fairstead Community Primary and Nursery School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Magdalen Academy teach?
- Magdalen Academy teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in King's Lynn.
- Who is the headteacher of Magdalen Academy?
- The headteacher of Magdalen Academy is Mrs Louise Arrowsmith, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Magdalen Academy last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Magdalen Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Magdalen Academy?
- Magdalen Academy has 43 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Magdalen Academy full?
- Magdalen Academy has capacity for 70 pupils and 43 on roll (61%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Magdalen Academy a faith school?
- No. Magdalen Academy has no designated religious character.
- Does Magdalen Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Magdalen Academy as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Magdalen Academy?
- Magdalen Academy is part of UNITY EDUCATION TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Magdalen Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 17% in 2023/24 and 17% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Magdalen Academy rank locally?
- Magdalen Academy ranked 264th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 5% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 36% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Magdalen Academy's absence rate?
- Magdalen Academy's overall absence rate is 6.1% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Magdalen Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Magdalen Academy's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.