Ark Globe Academy

Ark Globe Academy is a highly effective and inclusive school that performs exceptionally well in several areas. Inspectors rated inclusion, leadership and governance, personal development and wellbeing, and post-16 provision as exceptional. The school is part of the Ark Schools trust, has 1,275 pupils, and serves a community with well above average levels of disadvantage (65.59% eligible for free school meals). Safeguarding standards are met. Leaders accurately identify and support pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, breaking down barriers and transforming pupils' life chances. The sixth form is described as transformational, with students making strong progress and progressing to competitive universities. The school's achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, and early years provision are all rated strong standard. Pupils achieve well above national averages in national tests, and disadvantaged pupils significantly outperform their peers nationally. Attendance is rising and persistent absence is falling. Behaviour is positive, and pupils are polite, courteous and dedicated to learning. The curriculum is broad and deep, with effective teaching of reading and phonics, and children in the early years learn very well. The only next step identified is for leaders to continue building on their strong work to develop all teachers' ability to adapt the curriculum excellently for every pupil, regardless of barriers to learning. There are no areas of concern or underperformance; the school is meeting and exceeding expected standards across the board.

Strengths

• Exceptionally inclusive provision with swift identification and effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Exceptional leadership and governance, with strong trust engagement and staff development.
• Outstanding personal development and wellbeing that transforms pupils' lives and builds confidence.
• Exceptional post-16 provision described as transformational, with strong outcomes and university progression.
• Strong achievement, with pupils and disadvantaged pupils performing above national averages.
• Strong attendance and behaviour, with rising attendance, falling persistent absence, and polite pupils.
• Broad, deep curriculum with effective teaching and strong reading and phonics provision.
• Strong early years provision where children learn well and reach good levels of development.
• Comprehensive careers education and enrichment that removes barriers and raises aspirations.
• Safe, positive school culture where pupils feel valued, belong, and bullying is not tolerated.

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 Globe Academy attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.7% 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, 9.7% of pupils at Ark Globe 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 Globe Academy had 20.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2023–24, 20.9% 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, 17.1% of pupils at Ark Globe Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% 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 Globe Academy received £11,148 and spent £10,874 for each of its 1,280 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £970,000 (£758 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 Southwark · Southwark local authority: places and applications

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

• Ark Walworth Academy London
• Ark All Saints Academy London
• Ark Evelyn Grace Academy London
• Ark King Solomon Academy London
• ARK John Archer Primary Academy London
• Ark Bolingbroke Academy London
• Ark Atwood Primary Academy London
• Ark Brunel Primary Academy London
• Ark Franklin Primary Academy London
• Ark White City Primary Academy London

What is Ark Globe Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ark Globe Academy is Strong standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Ark Globe Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ark Globe Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Ark Globe Academy have?

Ark Globe Academy has 1,272 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ark Globe Academy cover?

Ark Globe Academy for pupils aged 3 to 18.

What are Ark Globe Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.4, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Ark Globe Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ark Globe Academy?

Ark Globe Academy is at Harper Road, London, SE1 6AG.