Ark Academy

Ark Academy demonstrates a strong overall performance, with exceptional standards in personal development and a broad curriculum that helps pupils achieve significantly above national averages. The school's active citizenship program, 'Civitas', fosters a sense of civic duty and positively engages students in their local community. Moreover, the school excels in supporting disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, ensuring they can thrive academically and socially. Leaders and staff have built a supportive environment where high expectations for behavior and attendance translate into a positive school culture filled with opportunities for enrichment.

Strengths

• High-quality personal development and wellbeing programs.
• Exceptional careers education raising pupils' aspirations.
• Strong academic achievement above national averages.
• High attendance rates and positive pupil behavior.
• Effective support for disadvantaged and SEND pupils.
• Well-structured curriculum promoting progressive knowledge.

Areas for Improvement

• Staff occasionally miss opportunities to enhance children's language and communication skills in early years.

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 Academy attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 11.2% 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, 3.3% of pupils at Ark 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 Academy had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 9.5% of pupils at Ark Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.5% 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 Academy received £8,713 and spent £8,821 for each of its 1,623 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,106,000 (£682 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 Brent · Brent local authority: places and applications

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

• Ark Elvin Academy London
• Ark Franklin Primary Academy London
• Ark Burlington Danes Academy London
• Ark Conway Primary Academy London
• Ark Soane Academy London
• Ark Brunel Primary Academy London
• Ark Bentworth Primary Academy London
• Ark Byron Primary Academy London
• Ark Acton Academy London
• Ark Priory Primary Academy London

What is Ark Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ark Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Ark Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ark Academy was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Ark Academy have?

Ark Academy has 1,639 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ark Academy cover?

Ark Academy for pupils aged 3 to 18.

What are Ark Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 56.7, and 63% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

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

In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ark Academy?

Ark Academy is at Forty Avenue, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 9JR.