News4th November 2025

85 percent of Ark’s 2025 graduates progress to university

At Ark, we want each of our sixth form students to take their best next step – whether that’s university, an apprenticeship, or a meaningful career path that reflects their ambitions. This year, 85 percent of Ark students progressed directly on to university, more than twice the national average (37 percent) of Year 13s in 2024.

In this image

A reception for Ark bursary recipients, held at Marshall Wace’s offices in London

Those from less advantaged backgrounds were six times more likely to progress to a top third university than their peers nationally.
 Of those Ark graduates going to university, a record three-quarters (74 percent) are now studying at top third universities – including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL and the LSE – compared to 40 percent nationally.

And 20 percent have gone on to a top 15 university, compared to 16 percent across the country.

For BTEC Level 3 qualifications, nearly 9 out of 10 (87 percent) students on Ark’s Professional Pathways programme achieved DDM+ this summer – up 14 percentage points from last year. This consolidates Ark’s position as the leading Multi Academy Trust for Applied General Qualifications nationally.
Some 87 percent of them have now gone to university, with two-thirds (65 percent) attending a prestigious top third institution – six times the national average.

Others have secured places on competitive apprenticeships with organisations including Salesforce, Amazon, Laing O’Rourke, Grant Thornton, HMRC, KPMG and Lloyds Banking Group.

Ark’s Head of Sixth Form and Destinations Sarah Taunton said, “We encourage all our students to aim high and believe they can achieve their ambitions.
“These amazing destinations reflect the continued hard work of our students – and our Ark staff across the network, providing our young people with the knowledge, support and encouragement they need to aim high and thrive beyond school.

“And for many of our students, university wouldn’t be possible without our donors who provide bursaries to help with tuition and accommodation costs. A huge thanks to them for their ongoing generosity.”

This year, Ark awarded £870,000 in bursaries to 57 Year 13 students from less privileged backgrounds, thanks to generous contributions from The Eureka Charitable Trust, The Reuben Foundation, Urbanest and a private donor.

Samuel from Ark Globe is the only student across the UK to have secured a place at Oxford University through a BTEC pathway. He is now reading Theology and Religion with a Foundation Year. He said, “I have considered becoming a teacher. My teachers have really inspired me – and I’d love to have a similar impact on children.

Ark St Albans student Amal got A*A*A*A and is studying Medicine at the University of Birmingham. She said, “Becoming a doctor is a great privilege and responsibility to me, and it is a career where I will be able to directly see the positive impact I have on society.”

Mohamedamin from Ark Elvin secured a fully funded scholarship to study computing at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He told Ark, “It has always been my dream to study in the US, and it has become a reality thanks to my teachers, Ark, the support of my family and The Sutton Trust.”