Oasis Academy Arena, London

Ofsted's report card from its 14 April 2026 inspection grades Oasis Academy Arena on 6 areas: 1 strong standard, 4 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Inclusion is central to the school's work, underpinning leaders' actions in school improvement."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders and the trust have ensured that there is a team in place to support families and help pupils attend well."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is appropriately sequenced."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including at trust level, have a deep understanding of the community the school serves and the barriers that many of its pupils face."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have constructed a well-planned, age-appropriate personal development programme."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils now learn more securely than previously because leaders have improved the quality of teaching and curriculum design."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that work to strengthen consistency in the quality of teaching is embedded, both to secure and deepen pupils' knowledge and ensure that pupils make as much progress through the curriculum as they can"; "Leaders should continue to support teachers to use formative assessment successfully to ensure that any gaps that pupils have in their understanding are addressed swiftly"; "Leaders should ensure that actions to strengthen achievement across all subjects are fully embedded and continue to translate into improved outcomes for all pupils"; "Leaders should continue to develop their strategies to ensure that recent improvements in pupils' levels of attendance are sustained".

In its own words: "As an Oasis Academy, our mission is to provide an exceptional education at the heart of the community."

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a mixed, fully inclusive, non-selective secondary school in the south London Borough of Croydon, open to students of any faith or none, and we are unswervingly dedicated to serving our children, our families, and our local community."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, basketball and badminton.

In 2026, pupils at Oasis Academy Arena averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.4 in Croydon and 47 across England.

39% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Croydon and 47% in England.

That is up from 37.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.5: pupils made well 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 38.7, against 39.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 0.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 15 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Oasis Academy Arena as their first choice and 95 named it as one of their preferences, for 22 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Oasis Academy Arena are Oasis Academy Shirley Park (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.6); Harris Academy South Norwood (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.4); Orion Eden Park (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 48.9); and Orchard Park High School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.5).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Oasis Academy Arena.

Oasis Academy Arena is one of 58 schools run by Oasis Community Learning, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.1 in 2024/25.

Of the 113 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 51% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

54.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 51.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (34%), White British (18%) and other ethnic groups (17%).

In 2026, 87 pupils (28.1%) received SEN support and 16 (5.2%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

Oasis Academy Arena has a resourced provision for autism: 15 places, 7 pupils on roll.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Arena Tram Stop, about 280 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is South Norwood Leisure Centre, 310 metres away.

In 2024/25, Oasis Academy Arena issued 113 suspensions, 30.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Oasis Academy Arena are Oasis Academy Ryelands (0.1 miles), Oasis Academy Shirley Park Primary (0.4 miles), St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles) and South Norwood Primary (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.