Academies
Publicly funded independent schools

"Academies are publicly funded independent local schools that provide a first class free education".
Quote from the Department of Education

Magdalen Court School is actively pursuing the new government initiative
to move Magdalen Court School to; 'a Publicly funded independent school'.
This would allow your child to attend our school for free,
with the government paying the schools fees, a bit like the nursery voucher scheme & Grammar Schools.

The application process is going very well & we would hope to have this finalised for September 2011.
However, although the school is a long way down the registration process, & this is looking most positive at the moment, not all details of the these new schools have been released yet. So this is not a definite move, but one which is highly likely.

Academies are publicly funded independent schools, free from local authority and national government control. Other freedoms include setting their own pay and conditions for staff, freedoms concerning the delivery of the curriculum, and the ability to change the length of their terms and school days.

The staff, Senior Management Team & Family Trust of Magdalen Court School see this as a wonderful opportunity to extend the range of pupils who have access to our excellent school, & reduce the burden on parents of those children who currently attend

How will this effect Magdalen Court School?

• We will still be able to decide our own curriculum.
• We set the standards we expect from our pupils.
• The school uniform remains the same.
• We can still continue our hugely successful early GCSE & early A Level programme.
• We will retain our current teaching staff & extend this.
• We will still select & recruit the staff who wefeel are most suitable for MCS.
• Your Child's teachers at MCS still decide what & how to teach your child.
• We are told the school will be oversubscribed.
  • The rules as they stand at the moment
    give current pupils who are registered with the school; an automatic place at the new Publicly funded Magdalen Court School,
    also pupils who have registered to start at the school by Easter are expected to get a place.
    After September 2011, the selection of pupils for entry to our school will be administered by the county.
• We will still set our term dates & lengths of the school day, as we have in the past with the other independent schools in Exeter.
• We still retain the special features that make Magdalen Court School so special.
  • A 'through school' from 3 months to 18+ years especially avoiding the major influx of pupils at secondary level.
  • Small family atmosphere.
  • Individual support for pupils.
  • Close contact with parents.
  • Wide range of Outward Bound activities & Trips.
  • Extension & rapid path through GCSE's & A levels for gifted children.
  • Careful support & encouragement for children with learning difficulties, with qualified staff & a specilised SEN department.
  • Popular Drama Programme.
  • Wide range of school activities & visits.

Further info: