Ark Greenwich Free School, London

From the headteacher's welcome: "A warm welcome to Ark Greenwich Free School, a truly unique school committed to providing a world class education to the young people of Greenwich. Our mission is simple: to equip our scholars with the character and qualifications needed to go ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with the very best in the country."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, dance and cooking.

In 2026, pupils at Ark Greenwich Free School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 65.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 49.1 in Greenwich and 47 across England.

86% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 51% in Greenwich and 47% in England.

That is down from 68.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 1.43: pupils made well 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 62.1, against 68.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 16 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Religious Studies and History.

For September 2026 entry, 357 families put Ark Greenwich Free School as their first choice and 1188 named it as one of their preferences, for 115 places offered. That is 3.1 first choices for every place. 262 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Ark Greenwich Free School are Leigh Academy Halley (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.3); Leigh Academy Blackheath (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 53.7); Thomas Tallis School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.4); and Saint Mary Magdalene Church of England All Through School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.2).

Ark Greenwich Free School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Ark Greenwich Free School 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.

12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ark Greenwich Free School (as of April 2026): 75% would recommend the school and 42% say their child is happy there.

The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (83%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (42%).

Of the 107 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 98% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 3% to a further education college and 1% to an apprenticeship.

41.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 65 pupils (10.6%) received SEN support and 20 (3.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.

The nearest railway station is Eltham Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shooters Hill Rd /Well Hall Rd, 80 metres away.

In 2024/25, Ark Greenwich Free School issued 160 suspensions, 26.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Ark Greenwich Free School are Christ Church Church of England Primary School, Shooters Hill (0.4 miles); Eglinton Primary School (0.7 miles); Deansfield Primary School (0.8 miles); and Charlton Manor Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.