Ark Evelyn Grace Academy

Ark Evelyn Grace Academy is a welcoming and happy secondary school that has improved considerably over the last two years. It is part of Ark Schools and was previously judged to require improvement; this inspection found good provision across all four key judgements, with effective safeguarding. Leaders have acted decisively to address historical underachievement, and the trust has supported stronger consistency in teaching, learning and behaviour. Pupils benefit from an inclusive and aspirational culture, improved behaviour and attendance, and strong support for their emotional and physical welfare. The curriculum is now broad, ambitious and better delivered, with targeted professional development helping teachers explain new learning clearly. Support for pupils with SEND is strong, including precise identification of reading needs, and the school’s work for disadvantaged pupils is a significant strength. Pupils’ personal development is well served through a designed PHSE programme, careers guidance and wider opportunities. Behaviour has improved significantly and lessons are rarely disrupted. There are still important areas to address. Some older pupils have gaps in subject knowledge because of previous weaknesses in curriculum delivery, and the impact of recent improvements is not yet reflected in published outcomes. The school recognises that further work is needed to sustain curriculum improvements and ensure all pupils achieve as well as they can. Suspensions have also been too high, meaning some pupils miss important learning, and leaders need to continue embedding behaviour systems so suspensions reduce further.

Strengths

• A welcoming, happy and inclusive school culture with aspirational values.
• A broad and ambitious curriculum that has been strengthened over time.
• Targeted professional development has improved teaching consistency and clarity of explanation.
• Strong identification and support for pupils with SEND, including precise reading support.
• Clear behaviour systems have led to significantly improved conduct and a calmer environment.
• Pupils value the support for their emotional and physical welfare, including counselling and mentoring.
• A well-designed personal, health and social education programme with careers guidance.
• Staff are positive about working at the school and report manageable workload.
• The trust has provided effective support to improve consistency in teaching, learning and behaviour.
• Support for disadvantaged pupils is a significant strength.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some older pupils have gaps in subject knowledge and skills due to previous curriculum weaknesses.
• The impact of curriculum improvements is not yet seen in published outcomes.
• Teachers need to assess accurately where pupils have gaps and implement the revised curriculum as effectively as possible.
• The number of pupils suspended from school has been too high, meaning pupils miss important learning.
• Leaders need to continue embedding behaviour systems so suspensions continue to reduce.
• Further work is needed to sustain curriculum improvements so all pupils achieve as well as they can.

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 Ark Evelyn Grace Academy attended 90.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.7% 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, 23.0% of pupils at Ark Evelyn Grace 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 Ark Evelyn Grace Academy had 13.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2023–24, 40.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 16.7%).

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, 17.5% of pupils at Ark Evelyn Grace 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 Ark Evelyn Grace Academy received £16,653 and spent £16,160 for each of its 352 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £361,000 (-£1,025 per pupil).

Across all 48 schools of Ark Schools, income was £9,191 and spending £9,015 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 Lambeth · Lambeth local authority: places and applications

Ark Evelyn Grace Academy is part of Ark Schools, which runs 48 schools. The nearest others:

• Ark All Saints Academy London
• Ark Walworth Academy London
• Ark Globe Academy London
• Ark Bolingbroke Academy London
• ARK John Archer Primary Academy London
• Ark King Solomon Academy London
• Ark Putney Academy London
• Ark Blake Academy Croydon
• Ark Atwood Primary Academy London
• Ark Oval Primary Academy Croydon

What is Ark Evelyn Grace Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ark Evelyn Grace Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Ark Evelyn Grace Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ark Evelyn Grace Academy was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Ark Evelyn Grace Academy have?

Ark Evelyn Grace Academy has 320 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ark Evelyn Grace Academy cover?

Ark Evelyn Grace Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Ark Evelyn Grace Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.2, and 30% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ark Evelyn Grace Academy?

Ark Evelyn Grace Academy is at 255 Shakespeare Road, Lambeth, London, SE24 0QN.