Ark Alexandra Academy

Ark Alexandra Academy is a large, highly inclusive Church of England secondary school across two campuses in Hastings, part of the Ark multi-academy trust. Following a full inspection in June 2026, the school is judged to be performing at a strong standard in every area, with safeguarding standards met. Leaders, many of whom took up post shortly before the previous inspection in 2024, have driven substantial and rapid improvements across the school. Pupils achieve very well, and attainment at the end of Year 11 has risen rapidly from previously being well below national averages to now meeting or exceeding them. Attendance has improved continually and is currently above average, with persistent absence halving. Behaviour is calm and respectful, the curriculum is broad and ambitious, and teaching is consistently effective, with strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils. Inclusion is a notable strength, with vulnerable pupils prioritised, and leadership, governance and personal development are all highly effective. The school’s Christian ethos and values of faith, kindness and excellence underpin a positive culture. The only next step identified by inspectors is for leaders to continue their highly effective work so that recent successes in achievement and other areas are sustained over time. No significant weaknesses or areas requiring urgent action were identified.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve very well across all subjects, with gaps in key skills and knowledge addressed quickly and effectively.
• Attainment at the end of Year 11 is rising rapidly and now meets or exceeds national averages.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils make particularly positive progress.
• Attendance has improved continually and is now above average, with persistent absence halved.
• Pupils behave very well in a calm, orderly and respectful environment, and suspension rates are falling markedly.
• The curriculum is broad and highly ambitious in both key stages 3 and 4.
• Teachers are subject experts who use effective approaches consistently and adapt learning to meet pupils’ needs.
• Vulnerable pupils are at the front and centre of the school’s work, with strong inclusion and pastoral support.
• Leaders have made substantial improvements at pace, supported effectively by governance and trust officers.
• Staff training is highly effective, ensuring staff know pupils and their needs well.
• Relationships with parents are very positive, with recommendation rates nearly doubling in two years.
• The personal development curriculum and pastoral care are significant strengths.
• A wide range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities is accessible to all pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Careers guidance and transitions are highly effective, helping pupils move on to ambitious destinations.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

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 Alexandra Academy attended 91.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.9% 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, 19.8% of pupils at Ark Alexandra Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Alexandra Academy had 14.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.0% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Ark Alexandra Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.5% 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 Alexandra Academy received £9,069 and spent £9,111 for each of its 1,432 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £5,911,000 (-£4,128 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 Hastings · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

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

• Ark Blacklands Primary Academy Hastings
• Ark Little Ridge Primary Academy St Leonards-On-Sea
• Ark Castledown Primary Academy Hastings
• Ark Oval Primary Academy Croydon
• Ark Blake Academy Croydon
• Ark Greenwich Free School London
• Ark Evelyn Grace Academy London
• Ark Walworth Academy London
• Ark All Saints Academy London
• Ark Bolingbroke Academy London

What is Ark Alexandra Academy's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Ark Alexandra Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ark Alexandra Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Ark Alexandra Academy have?

Ark Alexandra Academy has 1,315 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ark Alexandra Academy cover?

Ark Alexandra Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Ark Alexandra Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.4, and 53% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ark Alexandra Academy?

Ark Alexandra Academy is at Park Avenue, William Parker Campus, Park Avenue, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2PG.