Ark Dickens Primary Academy

Ark Dickens Primary Academy has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, moving from requires improvement to a good overall rating. Pupils enjoy their learning and appreciate the diverse range of activities provided by the school. The current principal has instilled a culture of high expectations, encouraging pupils to develop resilience and a positive attitude towards challenges. Strong emphasis on reading, tailored support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, and the enhancement of personal development opportunities contribute to the school's positive environment.

Strengths

• Strong leadership has driven rapid improvements in educational quality.
• There is a robust focus on developing pupils' reading skills.
• Wide range of extracurricular activities keeps pupils engaged.
• Physical education is a notable strength with a well-developed curriculum.
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment methods in foundation subjects need consistency.
• Some pupils' attendance is still a concern.
• Not enough challenge for the most able pupils, particularly in writing.

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 Dickens Primary Academy attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.4% of pupils at Ark Dickens Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Dickens Primary Academy had 19.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 15.5% of pupils at Ark Dickens Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Ark Dickens Primary Academy received £7,747 and spent £7,693 for each of its 442 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £396,000 (£897 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 Portsmouth · Portsmouth local authority: places and applications

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

• Ark Ayrton Primary Academy Portsmouth
• Ark Charter Academy Southsea
• Ark Putney Academy London
• Ark Oval Primary Academy Croydon
• Ark Blake Academy Croydon
• Ark Acton Academy London
• Ark Soane Academy London
• Ark Priory Primary Academy London
• Ark Bolingbroke Academy London
• ARK John Archer Primary Academy London

What is Ark Dickens Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ark Dickens Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Ark Dickens Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ark Dickens Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Ark Dickens Primary Academy have?

Ark Dickens Primary Academy has 446 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ark Dickens Primary Academy cover?

Ark Dickens Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ark Dickens Primary Academy?

Ark Dickens Primary Academy is at Turner Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 4PN.