Ark Acton Academy, London

From the headteacher's welcome: "As a mother as well as a Principal I want three things for your child at school I want them to have the trips, activities and experiences that allow them to develop personally and grow into young adults of whom we can be proud."

In 2026, pupils at Ark Acton Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 53.2 in Ealing and 47 across England.

39% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 58% in Ealing and 47% in England.

That is down from 42.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.2: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 36.6, against 44 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Ark Acton Academy as their first choice and 211 named it as one of their preferences, for 155 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Ark Acton Academy are Ark Soane Academy (0.2 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 63.7); Twyford Church of England High School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 64.6); The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls (0.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 58.6); and Ada Lovelace Church of England High School (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 62.4).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Ark Acton Academy.

Ark Acton Academy is one of 48 schools run by ARK Schools, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.7 in 2024/25.

Of the 179 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 25% to a further education college.

Of the 60 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 60% went on to university or other higher education and 3% into work. 16% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

52.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 60.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are other ethnic groups (31%), Black (23%) and Asian (13%).

The nearest tram or metro stop is Acton Town, about 250 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Acton Town, 170 metres away.

In 2024/25, Ark Acton Academy issued 176 suspensions, 21.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Ark Acton Academy are Acton Gardens Primary School (0.4 miles), St Vincent's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles), Derwentwater Primary School (0.6 miles) and Ark Priory Primary Academy (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.