Ark Victoria Academy, Birmingham
Ark Victoria Academy is an all-through school for pupils aged 3 to 18 in Birmingham, part of ARK Schools. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 26th-highest of the 91 schools in Birmingham with published results, and 1,214th of 3,298 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Birmingham (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Birmingham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ark Victoria Academy in detail
Ark Victoria Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted and proud to welcome you to Ark Victoria Academy, a vibrant and successful community school in the heart of Small Heath, Birmingham. Our vision is to be the number one school of choice in our community, improving the life chances of all those within our community."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, cricket, tennis, multi-sports, drama, guitar, Lego, STEM, art and film.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Ark Victoria Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.5 in Birmingham and 47 across England.
41% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Birmingham and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 48.4.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.11: pupils made below 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 48.8, against 47.5 for other pupils at the school.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were French, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at Ark Victoria Academy
For September 2026 entry, 50 families put Ark Victoria Academy as their first choice and 417 named it as one of their preferences, for 72 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Ark Victoria Academy are Ark Boulton Academy (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.4); Small Heath Leadership Academy (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.6); Starbank School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.4); and Holy Trinity Catholic School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.4).
Ark Victoria Academy's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Ark Boulton AcademySmall Heath Leadership AcademyStarbank SchoolHoly Trinity Catholic School
The trust
Ark Victoria 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.
What parents say
25 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ark Victoria Academy (as of September 2025): 68% would recommend the school, 72% say their child is happy there and 72% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (64%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 139 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 50% to a further education college and 1% to an apprenticeship.
Who goes there
67.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 78.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (74%), Black (14%) and other ethnic groups (7%).
In 2026, 271 pupils (17.8%) received SEN support and 18 (1.2%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Small Heath Rail Station, about 890 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Coventry Road (after), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ark Victoria Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Ark Victoria Academy issued 86 suspensions, 5.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Ark Victoria Academy are Holy Family Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles); St Benedict's Primary School (0.3 miles); The Olive School, Small Heath (0.5 miles); and Redhill Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolSt Benedict's Primary SchoolThe Olive School, Small HeathRedhill Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils thrive at all stages of Ark Victoria Academy. This is because this is a school which lives out its values in full for the benefit of the children in nursery to the pupils in Year 11. As one pupil, whose comment was typical of many, said to inspectors, 'Ark Victoria is a holistic and unique experience of ambition, resilience and kindness.' These values thread through the school, where all aspects of the provision are high quality, and everyone works together to enable pupils to excel.
Pupils behave with very high levels of respect for each other. As the school knows its pupils very well, they are very well supported to engage with the school's ambitious curriculum. This means that pupils invariably show perseverance, even when faced with more challenging tasks. They know that they have learned the key knowledge they need to be successful, and their teachers will support them.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has reflected deeply on the key knowledge and skills that the pupils need. To this end, it has extensively reviewed and embedded a highly ambitious curriculum. Starting in the early years, this curriculum has a significant emphasis on the development of pupils' literacy and vocabulary. Whenever pupils join the school, their language needs are accurately assessed, and carefully selected opportunities are created to develop their communication. This means that pupils are very well equipped to read and engage with high-quality and often complex texts throughout the school. They are also supported highly effectively to discuss their learning. This enables them to refine their understanding and deepen their learning. Thanks to highly rigorous and systematic checking for understanding by teachers, any gaps in pupils' knowledge or misconceptions are rapidly picked up and resolved. All this means that pupils learn the ambitious curriculum well and can talk eloquently about their learning.
Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs precisely identified, no matter when they join the school. The school makes certain that staff have the guidance and support that they need to support pupils' learning. This means that the curriculum is systematically and appropriately adapted for these pupils, and they achieve very well.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2019 inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
67.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
25 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.52 to -0.11 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 49.0 to 48.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 50% to 41% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 48.5 | 41.3% |
| Disadvantaged(110) | - | 48.8 | 42.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(40) | - | 47.5 | 37.5% |
| Boys(69) | - | 45.2 | 37.7% |
| Girls(81) | - | 51.3 | 44.4% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(122) | - | 48.8 | 40.2% |
| Non mobile(150) | - | 48.5 | 41.3% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 139 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
6
Permanent exclusions
0.39%
Exclusion rate
86
Suspensions
5.57%
Suspension rate
60 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,544 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby all-through schools
Latest from Ark Victoria Academy
EE careers workshop
1 Oct 2026
Y6 WW2 Workshhop
1 Oct 2026
Y1 trip to Small Heath park
1 Oct 2026
Year 5 & 6 Residential Parent Meeting
1 Oct 2026
Y6 Cheltenham Literacy Festival
1 Oct 2026
Inset day - School closed
1 Oct 2026
From Ark Victoria Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Ark Victoria Academy
Before and after school care
Ark Victoria Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Birmingham
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Ark Victoria Academy.
- Hunter Tutoring Ltd600m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Ark Victoria Academy is a free school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Birmingham's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ark Victoria Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ark Victoria Academy is in Birmingham; for families living there:
- How to apply: Travel passes for 5 to 16 year olds
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 44
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 44 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 7 serious and 35 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Ark Victoria Academy
Will you get a place at Ark Victoria Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ark Victoria Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ark Victoria Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ark Victoria Academy.
- Birmingham publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Ark Victoria Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ark Victoria Academy for 2016 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Birmingham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
81%
Available places
1,460 pupils
1,800 places
340 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Birmingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Birmingham
Across Birmingham council
Places available
14,956
Applications
14,483
Got 1st preference
75.7%
Got preferred school
97.4%
All secondary applications across Birmingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
271
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
19.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,519
Total Pupils
790
Boys
729
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
91
Teachers
16.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,386
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,017
Per pupil
£11771k
Total funding
£1071k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
16.8%
Persistent absence
1,464
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Ark Victoria Academy
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Ark Victoria Academy
What are GCSE results like at Ark Victoria Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Ark Victoria Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 48.5. 41% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Ark Victoria Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ark Victoria Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ark Victoria Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Ark Victoria Academy is oversubscribed, Birmingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Ark Victoria Academy?
Ark Victoria Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 1800 places.
How big are the classes at Ark Victoria Academy?
Classes at Ark Victoria Academy average 27.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Ark Victoria Academy?
Ark Victoria Academy has around 1519 pupils on roll. 67% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ark Victoria Academy?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Ark Victoria Academy in 2024/25. 16.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ark Victoria Academy?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming Ark Victoria Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Ark Victoria Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ark Victoria Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Ark Victoria Academy: Hunter Tutoring Ltd (600m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Ark Victoria Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 44 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 7 serious and 35 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ark Victoria Academy?
Ark Victoria Academy is at Talbot Way, Small Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, B10 0HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)