School profile

Ark Blake Academy

Secondary · Free schools · Croydon, CR0 6NA

Good

Map showing Ark Blake Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,087 of 3,312

Worse than 62% of schools in England

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

Ark Blake Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 22 Feb 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 18
Pupils759
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Sam Rispoli
TrustARK SCHOOLS
Local authorityCroydon
Opened01 Sept 2020
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 147832.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolCroydonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.43.5, worse than England, worse than Croydon4646.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.62.2%, similar to England, similar to Croydon64.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.45.5%, similar to England, similar to Croydon46.1%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.10.9%, worse than England, worse than Croydon13.1%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths55.1%, worse than England, worse than Croydon59.6%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4156--

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 pupils759
Girls384
Boys375
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.50.2%
First language not English34.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,080
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.29.7%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.102
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.26
Average class size25

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
15.9%
African
12.6%
Caribbean
11.5%
Other White
11.1%
Other mixed
7.5%
White and Black Caribbean
7.1%
Other ethnic group
5.7%
Other Black
4.5%
Pakistani
3.2%
Indian
3%

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 teacher16.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.9
Teachers (FTE)46.4
Teaching assistants (FTE)4.53
Support staff (FTE)21.85
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2545
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2536
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/256
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253

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.158
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.421
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.115
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.115
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)10

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 schoolCroydonEngland
Overall absence7.5%, better than England, similar to Croydon7.5%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.22.2%, similar to England, similar to Croydon22.2%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.4%, better than England, similar to Croydon2.6%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 rate9.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions6.6%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

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 Blake Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miNurseryTunstall Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
0.3 miPrimaryJohn Wood School & NurseryAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.3 miNot applicableAl-Khair SchoolOther independent school
Good
0.3 miNot applicableAl-Khair Secondary GirlsOther independent school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryArk Oval Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miPrimaryRobert Fitzroy AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.5 miPrimaryWoodside Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimarySt. Mary's Catholic Junior SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.5 miPrimarySt Mary's Catholic Infant SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimaryBroadmead Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good

Frequently asked questions about Ark Blake Academy

What is Ark Blake Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ark Blake Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 22 Feb 2023.

How does Ark Blake Academy rank in England?

Ark Blake Academy ranks 2,087 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 62% of schools).

What are Ark Blake Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 45.5% of pupils at Ark Blake Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 43.5 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Ark Blake Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Ark Blake Academy made 158 offers from 421 applications (2.7 per offer), and 115 of 115 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Ark Blake Academy?

Ark Blake Academy has 759 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Ark Blake Academy?

Ark Blake Academy had 1,080 school places in 2024/25.

Does Ark Blake Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Ark Blake Academy teaches students up to age 18.

How big are classes at Ark Blake Academy?

At Ark Blake Academy, the average class had 25 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Ark Blake Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Ark Blake Academy missed 7.5% of sessions (England 8%), and 22.2% 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.