School profile

Ark Charter Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Southsea, PO5 4HL

Good

Map showing Ark Charter Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,656 of 3,312

Worse than 80% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Ark Charter Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 10 Dec 2024

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils883
GenderMixed
Religious characterChurch of England
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Christian Down
TrustARK SCHOOLS
Local authorityPortsmouth
Opened01 Sept 2009
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 135965.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolPortsmouthEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.39.9, worse than England, similar to Portsmouth39.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.54.8%, worse than England, similar to Portsmouth55.1%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.32.1%, worse than England, similar to Portsmouth34.1%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.4.2%, worse than England, worse than Portsmouth8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths52.4%, worse than England, similar to Portsmouth50%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4168--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils883
Girls431
Boys452
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.65.6%
First language not English41.8%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.900
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.1.9%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.173
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.30
Average class size27.3

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
39.3%
African
13.8%
Other ethnic group
12%
Other White
8.6%
Bangladeshi
8.3%
Other mixed
3.9%
Other Asian
3.2%
White and Black African
1.5%
White and Asian
1.4%
Indian
1.1%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.9
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.7
Teachers (FTE)52.3
Teaching assistants (FTE)17.17
Support staff (FTE)51.9
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2565.7
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2543.5
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/2510
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/2512.2

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.180
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.377
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.133
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.131
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)1

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolPortsmouthEngland
Overall absence10.7%, worse than England, worse than Portsmouth9.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.30.5%, worse than England, worse than Portsmouth23.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.5.4%, worse than England, worse than Portsmouth4.6%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate55.9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions15.3%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.91.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.89%
Further education82.1%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.4%
Sixth form college4.6%
Employment2.3%
School sixth form1.2%
Apprenticeship0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Ark Charter Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miSecondarySt Edmund's Catholic SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
0.2 miPrimaryArk Ayrton Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.3 miPrimarySt John's Cathedral Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.4 miPrimaryCottage Grove Primary School and NurseryAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.4 miPrimaryArundel Court Primary Academy and NurseryAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.5 miSecondaryPriory SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.6 miNot applicableThe Portsmouth Grammar SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.6 miNot applicablePortsmouth High School GDSTOther independent school
Unrated
0.6 miPrimaryPenbridge Infant SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimarySt Jude's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Ark Charter Academy

What is Ark Charter Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ark Charter Academy is rated Good, last inspected on 10 Dec 2024. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Ark Charter Academy rank in England?

Ark Charter Academy ranks 2,656 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 80% of schools).

What are Ark Charter Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 32.1% of pupils at Ark Charter Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 39.9 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Ark Charter Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Ark Charter Academy made 180 offers from 377 applications (2.1 per offer), and 131 of 133 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Ark Charter Academy?

Ark Charter Academy has 883 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Ark Charter Academy?

Ark Charter Academy had 900 school places in 2024/25.

Does Ark Charter Academy have a sixth form?

No, Ark Charter Academy teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Ark Charter Academy?

At Ark Charter Academy, the average class had 27.3 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.9 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Ark Charter Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Ark Charter Academy missed 10.7% of sessions (England 8%), and 30.5% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.