School profile

Ark Ayrton Primary Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led · Portsmouth, PO5 4LS

Good

Map showing Ark Ayrton Primary Academy

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

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#2,486 of 15,057

Better than 83% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Ark Ayrton Primary Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 6 Nov 2018

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages2 to 11
Pupils495
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Sophie Bennett-Acres
TrustARK SCHOOLS
Local authorityPortsmouth
Opened01 Sept 2013
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 139713.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolPortsmouthEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths78%, better than England, better than Portsmouth54%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.5%, worse than England, similar to Portsmouth3%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, better than Portsmouth104106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.107, better than England, better than Portsmouth103105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.103, worse than England, similar to Portsmouth103105
Expected standard in reading78%, similar to England, better than Portsmouth69%76%
Expected standard in writing83%, better than England, better than Portsmouth67%73%
Expected standard in maths81%, better than England, better than Portsmouth66%75%
Pupils taking tests59--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils495
Girls248
Boys247
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.55.2%
First language not English41%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.420
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.420
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.45
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.42
Average class size30

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
38.8%
African
16.2%
Other ethnic group
13.5%
Bangladeshi
10.5%
Other White
4%
Other Asian
3.2%
White and Black African
2.2%
White and Asian
2.2%
Indian
2.2%
Other Black
1.6%

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 teacher23.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.8
Teachers (FTE)19.8
Teaching assistants (FTE)20.29
Support staff (FTE)47.29
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2519
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2517.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/251.2

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 (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.58
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.133
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.53
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.53
Applications from another local authority (Reception)0

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 absence5.4%, similar to England, similar to Portsmouth5.1%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.14.7%, similar to England, similar to Portsmouth13.2%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.3%, better than England, better than Portsmouth1.1%1%

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 rate1.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions1

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 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 Ayrton Primary Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miSecondaryArk Charter AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.2 miSecondarySt Edmund's Catholic SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
0.3 miPrimarySt John's Cathedral Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.3 miSecondaryPriory SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miPrimaryArundel Court Primary Academy and NurseryAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.4 miPrimaryCottage Grove Primary School and NurseryAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.4 miPrimaryPenbridge Infant SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimaryBramble Infant School and NurseryCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryFernhurst Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryDevonshire Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Ark Ayrton Primary Academy

What is Ark Ayrton Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ark Ayrton Primary Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 6 Nov 2018.

How does Ark Ayrton Primary Academy rank in England?

Ark Ayrton Primary Academy ranks 2,486 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 83% of schools).

What are Ark Ayrton Primary Academy's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 78% of pupils at Ark Ayrton Primary Academy met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Ark Ayrton Primary Academy?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Ark Ayrton Primary Academy made 58 offers from 133 applications (2.3 per offer), and 53 of 53 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Ark Ayrton Primary Academy?

Ark Ayrton Primary Academy has 495 pupils aged 2 to 11.

What is the capacity of Ark Ayrton Primary Academy?

Ark Ayrton Primary Academy had 420 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Ark Ayrton Primary Academy?

At Ark Ayrton Primary Academy, the average class had 30 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 23.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Ark Ayrton Primary Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Ark Ayrton Primary Academy missed 5.4% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 14.7% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

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.