Ark Victoria Academy
similar schools
Ark Victoria Academy is a free school in Birmingham for boys and girls aged 3 to 18. It has 1,519 pupils and room for 1,920. About 69 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 63 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 68% of the 50 schools most like it.
Talbot Way, Small Heath, Birmingham, B10 0HJ0121 393 4459arkvictoria.orgPrincipal Ela McSorley headteacherAll details
Ofsted
Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
159 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 | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 159 | 139 | 135 | 137 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 48.4 | 40.0 | 49.0 | 48.1 | 47.3 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.11 | +0.52 | +0.45 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 45% | 29% | 50% | 53% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 67% | 54% | 68% | 72% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.42 | 3.30 | 4.40 | 4.36 | 4.22 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 72% | 27% | 59% | 53% | 48% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 47.3 | 40.5 | 47.3 | 47.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 50.0 | 39.4 | 50.6 | 49.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 24.8 | 32.8 | 35.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 60.3 | 63.8 | 67.9 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 16 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: French (34% here, 60% across England), Computer Science (41% here, 56% across England), History (42% here, 52% 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 | 161 | 21% | 50% | 71% | 53% | 1,654 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 159 | 28% | 66% | 84% | 58% | 853 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 159 | 21% | 52% | 76% | 54% | 1,593 of 3,210 |
| French | 118 | 12% | 34% | 55% | 60% | 1,748 of 1,974 |
| Combined Science | 110 | 7% | 33% | 46% | 36% | 1,647 of 3,084 |
| Religious Studies | 84 | 25% | 63% | 74% | 60% | 874 of 1,825 |
| Geography | 79 | 19% | 43% | 52% | 51% | 1,893 of 3,116 |
| History | 77 | 17% | 42% | 55% | 52% | 2,142 of 3,126 |
| Biology | 50 | 36% | 90% | 100% | 82% | 1,122 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 49 | 45% | 92% | 100% | 81% | 1,001 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 49 | 41% | 94% | 98% | 82% | 851 of 2,546 |
| Business | 46 | 22% | 46% | 63% | 51% | 977 of 1,806 |
| Computer Science | 42 | 17% | 41% | 57% | 56% | 1,335 of 1,861 |
| Art and Design | 28 | 4% | 82% | 96% | 58% | 405 of 2,818 |
| Physical Education | 14 | 0% | 29% | 43% | 56% | – |
| Music | 6 | 33% | 50% | 83% | 61% | – |
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.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
113 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018† | 2017† | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 113 | 114 | 115 | 145 | 145 | 145 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 85% | 81% | 84% | 62% | 63% | 55% | 65% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 11% | 9% | 13% | 8% | 8% | 4% | 8% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 108.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 | 101.0 | 103.0 | 101.0 | 105.6 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 108.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 104.9 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 108.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 | 106.5 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 88% | 83% | 88% | 63% | 72% | 56% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 88% | 87% | 87% | 81% | 78% | 78% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 86% | 84% | 83% | 79% | 82% | 76% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +2.7 | -3.1 | -0.7 | -3.2 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +3.3 | -0.4 | +0.6 | +0.1 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 81% | 71% | 76% | 61% | 63% | 51% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 93% | 92% | 89% | 63% | 64% | 60% | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
† These results are for Ark Chamberlain Primary Academy, the school this one replaced in September 2015. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
1 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Students | 1 |
| Average A level grade | z |
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. 5 of the 7 gaps are 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
At the end of primary school, 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.
340 places were empty (19% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
The last child to get a place lived 1.2 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 1.2 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year. 50 families put it down as their first choice and 42 of them got in (84%).
| 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 | 48 | 50 | 417 | 72 | 84% | 1.2 miles | LA |
What a home within 1.2 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.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.0 pupils (England 26.2); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.6 (England 28.2).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (86), language and communications needs (82), emotional and mental health (65), Autistic spectrum disorder (24), Specific learning difficulty (13), Hearing impairment (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,519 | 1,544 | 1,559 | 1,584 | 1,570 | 1,559 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 67% | 62% | 46% | 40% | 37% | 32% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 78% | 81% | 83% | 85% | 84% | 85% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 18% | 15% | 13% | 12% | 10% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 1% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.4% 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 | 5.6% | 7.3% | 7.7% | 7.3% | 5.2% | 4.4% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.7% | 5.0% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 4.0% | 2.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.9% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 1.7% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 16.8% | 24.7% | 23.9% | 24.3% | 12.8% | 8.4% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 5.6 | 10.8 | 10.3 | 7.5 | 3.9 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 135 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 94%, 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 | 93% | 93% | 94% | 96% |
| Education | 92% | 91% | 92% | 95% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| Work | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 5% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Family Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 320 m | 211 | No overall grade 2025 | 69 | Compare |
| St Benedict's Primary School | Council | 480 m | 306 | Good 2023 | 5 | Compare |
| The Olive School, Small Heath | Academy | 750 m | 420 | Outstanding 2024 | 100 | Compare |
| Redhill Primary School | Council | 880 m | 204 | Good 2023 | 29 | Compare |
| Darul Uloom Islamic High School | Independent (grammar) | 940 m | 153 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Somerville Primary (NC) School | Council | 0.7 miles | 722 | Report card 2026 | 64 | Compare |
| Jamia Islamia Birmingham | Independent | 0.7 miles | 103 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Al-Ameen Primary School | Independent | 0.7 miles | 153 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Ark Victoria 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 Victoria 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Heath Leadership Academy | Academy | 0.7 miles | 1,131 | Good 2022 | 70 | Compare |
| Ark St Alban's Academy | Academy | 1.9 miles | 797 | Good 2024 | 74 | Compare |
| E-ACT Heartlands Academy | Academy | 2.2 miles | 868 | No overall grade 2025 | 87 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 63 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 63% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 51 to 71. 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% | in line | -0.06 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 159 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 0% | no data | – | |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.04 | DfE progress measure; 159 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.01 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.12 | 2024/25; 1,464 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well above | +0.14 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 159 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | +0.00 | 135 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 Victoria Academy a good school?
It is about average. Ark Victoria Academy scores 63 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 68% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 51 to 71, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
How good are Ark Victoria Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 45% 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 48.4, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are Ark Victoria Academy's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 85% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 11% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Ark Victoria Academy have?
1,519 pupils aged 3 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,920 places, so it is 79% full.
Is Ark Victoria Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.2 miles away. 50 families put it down as their first choice and 42 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 Victoria Academy?
Pupils were in school 94.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Ark Victoria Academy?
The average class had 27.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 28% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Ark Victoria Academy have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
Does Ark Victoria Academy have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 93% 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
- Talbot Way, Small Heath, Birmingham, B10 0HJ
- Telephone
- 0121 393 4459
- Website
- www.arkvictoria.org
- Headteacher
- Principal Ela McSorley
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- All-through school, ages 3-18, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- ARK Schools (48 schools)
- Local authority
- Birmingham
- Ward
- Small Heath
- Constituency
- Birmingham Yardley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2015 (new provision)
- URN
- 141752 · LAESTAB 3304019 · UKPRN 10053410
- Formerly
- Ark Chamberlain Primary Academy
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.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- 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.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- 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.