Ark Blake Academy

School overview

Ark Blake Academy is a secondary school serving Croydon, classified by the DfE as a free school. It has 782 pupils aged 11 to 18 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated Ark Blake Academy 'Good'. In the most recent GCSE results, pupils achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 45.6, broadly in line with the national average of 46. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it around the middle of secondary schools nationally.

51% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, above the national average of about 45%. 64% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. Ark Blake Academy was not oversubscribed for September 2026: all 115 families who put it first were offered a place. The council's own allocation figures show the last child offered a place for 2026 lived 5.69 miles away in a straight line — that distance is not a fixed catchment and moves each year. Overall pupil absence was 8.7%. There are about 17.4 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 53% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.