The Dukeries Academy, Newark

Ofsted's report card from its 10 March 2026 inspection grades The Dukeries Academy on 6 areas: 5 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Although attendance remains below national averages, particularly for vulnerable pupils, leaders have taken decisive action to secure improvement, which is now evident in the school's attendance information."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have made significant improvements to the ambitious curriculum, which clearly identifies the key knowledge and concepts pupils are expected to learn."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders responsible for inclusion work collaboratively and draw on trust support to strengthen systems across the school effectively."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of the needs of the community they serve and remain committed to ensuring that all pupils receive a purposeful education that prepares them well for future pathways."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that personal development is thoughtfully embedded across the curriculum and wider school life."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Examination results remain well below national averages, and attainment fell further in 2025."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that shared expectations for teaching are fully embedded so that pupils experience consistently effective instruction across all subjects and classes"; "Leaders should strengthen routines for checking understanding so that teachers identify gaps accurately for the whole class before moving learning on"; "Leaders should sharpen their strategies to support pupils to develop secure foundation knowledge and skills so that gaps in attainment begin to narrow rapidly"; "Leaders should continue to refine attendance strategies so that improvement is more consistent, particularly for vulnerable pupils whose attendance remains below national figures"; "Leaders should continue strengthening relationships with families so that parental engagement more consistently supports pupils' learning and attendance".

In 2026, pupils at The Dukeries Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 32.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.6 in Nottinghamshire and 47 across England.

15% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Nottinghamshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 34.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.28: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 25, against 37.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 17 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Construction and the Built Environment.

For September 2026 entry, 104 families put The Dukeries Academy as their first choice and 193 named it as one of their preferences, for 118 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The Dukeries Academy is one of 21 schools run by Academy Transformation Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40 in 2024/25.

74 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Dukeries Academy (as of April 2026): 30% would recommend the school, 37% say their child is happy there and 27% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (42%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (23%).

Of the 117 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 68% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

Of the 32 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 31% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 44% into work. 4% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

42.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 116 pupils (16.4%) received SEN support and 14 (2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Dukeries Academy.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fir View (opposite), 120 metres away.

In 2024/25, The Dukeries Academy issued 738 suspensions, 96.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Dukeries Academy are The Parkgate Academy (under 0.1 miles), St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School (0.3 miles), The Forest View Academy (0.6 miles) and Maun Infant and Nursery School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.