Arden

Arden Academy, inspected for the first time since becoming an academy, demonstrates a strong overall performance categorized as good. The school is characterized by its high expectations from both staff and students, fostering a supportive and engaged community where pupils thrive academically and personally. Notably, the extensive enrichment programs and positive relationships between staff and pupils contribute greatly to the enjoyable school experience. Parents express high satisfaction with the school’s academic and pastoral support.

Strengths

• High aspirations from leadership are evident throughout the school.
• Pupils enjoy a well-planned enrichment program with over 70 activities.
• Pupils display positive behavior and relationships among themselves and with staff.
• Teachers generally use strong subject knowledge to support learning effectively.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective and well-implemented.
• Leaders promote a love of reading and ensure interventions are in place for those who struggle.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not match learning activities to pupils’ needs effectively, particularly for those with SEND.
• Assessment strategies sometimes fail to identify gaps in knowledge promptly.

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 Arden attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 11.5% 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, 2.6% of pupils at Arden were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Arden had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.1% 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, 16.4% of pupils at Arden were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.3% 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 Arden received £6,834 and spent £6,818 for each of its 1,817 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,271,000 (£1,250 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Arden Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,403 and spending £7,340 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 Solihull · Solihull local authority: places and applications

Arden is part of Arden Multi Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Dorridge Primary School Solihull
• Coppice Academy Solihull
• Lode Heath School Solihull
• Henley In Arden School Henley-In-Arden
• Park Hall Academy Birmingham

What is Arden's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Arden is Good, from an inspection in September 2022.

When was Arden last inspected by Ofsted?

Arden was last inspected in September 2022.

How many pupils does Arden have?

Arden has 1,812 pupils on roll.

What age range does Arden cover?

Arden for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Arden's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 59.3, and 71% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Arden?

Arden is at Station Road, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands, B93 0PT.