Ark Academy: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 173 families put Ark Academy as their first choice and 790 named it as one of their preferences, for 131 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 80 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
First-choice demand has risen from 148 in 2021 to 173 in 2026, while places went from 140 to 131.
Across Brent, 70% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 93% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Brent lodged 137 appeals against secondary school offers; 123 reached a hearing and 5 succeeded (4.1% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 131 | 173 | 790 | 1.3 | 80 |
| 2025 | 125 | 134 | 794 | 1.1 | 53 |
| 2024 | 128 | 165 | 903 | 1.3 | 76 |
| 2023 | 128 | 206 | 985 | 1.6 | 108 |
| 2022 | 133 | 174 | 839 | 1.3 | 81 |
| 2021 | 140 | 148 | 849 | 1.1 | 52 |
| 2020 | 128 | 137 | 932 | 1.1 | 61 |
| 2019 | 118 | 193 | 1084 | 1.6 | 112 |
| 2018 | 141 | 220 | 1156 | 1.6 | 134 |
| 2017 | 173 | 240 | 1170 | 1.4 | 111 |
| 2016 | 175 | 271 | 1220 | 1.5 | 128 |
| 2015 | 116 | 290 | 1257 | 2.5 | 199 |
| 2014 | 174 | 384 | 1381 | 2.2 | 237 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.