Ark Boulton Academy
similar schools
Ark Boulton Academy is a sponsored academy in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 877 pupils and room for 900. About 66 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 47 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 60% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in June 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Golden Hillock Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, B11 2QG0121 773 8156arkboulton.orgMr Laurence Cole principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 23 June 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (2)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 25 June 2024 | S5 Inspection | Good |
| 6 July 2022 | Ungraded | School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
163 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 163 | 173 | 177 | 180 | 175 | 169 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 44.2 | 38.2 | 40.2 | 41.5 | 43.5 | 42.0 | 47.3 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.49 | -0.38 | -0.12 | +0.15 | +0.09 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 42% | 27% | 40% | 46% | 33% | 30% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 68% | 51% | 62% | 62% | 58% | 51% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.92 | 3.53 | 3.61 | 3.65 | 4.03 | 3.68 | 4.22 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 53% | 58% | 36% | 31% | 51% | 35% | 48% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 43.2 | 35.8 | 39.6 | 40.1 | 42.3 | 39.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 46.7 | 41.9 | 42.5 | 43.5 | 45.2 | 46.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 24.2 | 26.5 | 28.5 | 27.2 | 27.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 56.5 | 58.8 | 66.8 | 58.2 | 60.6 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 19 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physical Education (10% here, 56% across England), Geography (21% here, 51% across England), French (30% here, 60% across England), Computer Science (41% here, 56% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 163 | 15% | 48% | 72% | 53% | 1,855 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 163 | 15% | 47% | 69% | 54% | 2,079 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 161 | 17% | 56% | 73% | 58% | 1,574 of 3,202 |
| Social Studies | 159 | 9% | 42% | 63% | 54% | 762 of 1,043 |
| Combined Science | 138 | 4% | 30% | 47% | 36% | 1,831 of 3,084 |
| History | 80 | 20% | 54% | 70% | 52% | 1,332 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 72 | 6% | 21% | 35% | 51% | 2,951 of 3,116 |
| French | 50 | 14% | 30% | 38% | 60% | 1,806 of 1,974 |
| Other Modern Languages | 40 | 25% | 53% | 63% | 49% | 299 of 454 |
| Computer Science | 37 | 14% | 41% | 62% | 56% | 1,336 of 1,861 |
| Art and Design | 33 | 9% | 70% | 88% | 58% | 880 of 2,818 |
| Religious Studies | 30 | 17% | 50% | 70% | 60% | 1,347 of 1,825 |
| Biology | 24 | 50% | 83% | 96% | 82% | 1,480 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 23 | 44% | 91% | 96% | 82% | 1,023 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 23 | 52% | 91% | 100% | 81% | 1,025 of 2,537 |
| Physical Education | 20 | 0% | 10% | 25% | 56% | 1,532 of 1,559 |
| Statistics | 16 | 6% | 50% | 69% | 51% | – |
| Business | 14 | 29% | 64% | 79% | 51% | – |
| Drama | 11 | 9% | 91% | 100% | 60% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have fallen by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
The last child to get a place lived 1.9 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.9 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year. 147 families put it down as their first choice and 144 of them got in (98%).
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Applied at all | Got a place | First choices who got in | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 180 | 147 | 703 | 180 | 98% | 1.9 miles | LA |
What a home within 1.9 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (45), language and communications needs (44), emotional and mental health (35), Autistic spectrum disorder (13), Physical disability (6), Specific learning difficulty (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 877 | 870 | 891 | 910 | 908 | 905 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 66% | 56% | 51% | 50% | 52% | 53% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 84% | 55% | 55% | 65% | 72% | 76% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 15% | 16% | 15% | 16% | 13% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 6.7% | 9.1% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 8.3% | 3.8% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 2.8% | 3.6% | 6.5% | 7.1% | 4.2% | 1.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.9% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 2.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 20.6% | 32.5% | 40.4% | 37.1% | 24.4% | 7.9% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 9.1 | 28.0 | 22.6 | 18.6 | 5.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 3 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 177 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 90%, compared with 91% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 90% | 86% | 86% | 87% |
| Education | 90% | 85% | 84% | 86% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% |
| Work | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 9% | 10% | 11% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark Victoria Academy | Free school | 0.7 miles | 1,519 | Not inspected | 63 | Compare |
| Holy Trinity Catholic School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 714 | Good 2023 | 35 | Compare |
| Yardleys School | Academy | 0.8 miles | 930 | Good 2023 | 67 | Compare |
| Small Heath Leadership Academy | Academy | 1.0 miles | 1,131 | Good 2022 | 70 | Compare |
| Moseley School and Sixth Form | Foundation | 1.1 miles | 1,413 | Report card 2025 | 5 | Compare |
| Ark St Alban's Academy | Academy | 1.4 miles | 797 | Good 2024 | 74 | Compare |
| Starbank School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 2,161 | Good 2023 | 74 | Compare |
| Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Birmingham | Free school | 1.7 miles | 618 | Outstanding 2024 | 97 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Ark Boulton Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Ark Boulton Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark Victoria Academy | Free school | 0.7 miles | 1,519 | Not inspected | 63 | Compare |
| Small Heath Leadership Academy | Academy | 1.0 miles | 1,131 | Good 2022 | 70 | Compare |
| Ark St Alban's Academy | Academy | 1.4 miles | 797 | Good 2024 | 74 | Compare |
| Washwood Heath Academy | Academy | 2.9 miles | 1,668 | Good 2020 | 55 | Compare |
| Holyhead School | Academy | 4.9 miles | 1,257 | Good 2020 | 54 | Compare |
| St John Wall Catholic School | Roman Catholic | 5.6 miles | 591 | Good 2023 | 70 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 47 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 47% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 36 to 57. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.14 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 163 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 0% | no data | – | Ofsted report card, 0.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.20 | DfE progress measure; 163 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.19 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.07 | 2024/25; 927 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.04 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 163 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | below | -0.03 | 177 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Ark Boulton Academy a good school?
It is about average. Ark Boulton Academy scores 47 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 60% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 36 to 57, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Ark Boulton Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 23 June 2026 it rated .
How good are Ark Boulton Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 42% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 44.2, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Ark Boulton Academy have?
877 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 900 places, so it is 97% full.
Is Ark Boulton Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.9 miles away. 147 families put it down as their first choice and 144 of them got in. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Ark Boulton Academy?
Pupils were in school 93.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Ark Boulton Academy?
The average class had 24.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 28% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Ark Boulton Academy have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 90% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Golden Hillock Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, B11 2QG
- Telephone
- 0121 773 8156
- Website
- arkboulton.org
- Principal
- Mr Laurence Cole
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- ARK Schools (48 schools)
- Local authority
- Birmingham
- Ward
- Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East
- Constituency
- Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2015 (new provision)
- URN
- 140014 · LAESTAB 3304013 · UKPRN 10042925
- Formerly
- Golden Hillock School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Birmingham council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.