Become an Ark school

We are a network of 39 schools in the West Midlands, London, and across the south coast. Each school has its own ethos, values, and character, but they all work together to support our shared mission of transforming lives through education. Find out more about becoming part of the Ark network.

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Staff members at Ark Kings Academy in Birmingham

Education improvement journey

Ark has a history of improving schools and achieving excellent results in challenging circumstances: 90 percent of schools which were rated inadequate or were in special measures before joining Ark are now good or outstanding.

We also take good schools and make them even better. For instance, Ark Greenwich Free School was Ofsted-rated Good when it joined the network – it is now Outstanding and in the top one percent of all schools nationally for Progress 8.

All our schools have their own ethos and character, but share six pillars : high expectations, excellent teaching, depth for breadth, exemplary behaviour, knowing every child, and always learning. Our values and pillars underpin our approach to education.

Primary case study

80 percent of students in the primary phase at Ark Kings Academy in Birmingham achieve the expected standard in reading and maths, compared to 58 percent regionally and 60 percent nationally.

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Secondary case study

Ark Greenwich Free School and Ark King Solomon Academy are both in the top one percent for Progress 8 scores nationally – scoring more than a grade above the national average.

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Our growing extra-curricular and enrichment offer

Ark Music

Designed to build confidence, ability and harness a life-long love of music, the Ark Music Programme offers a wealth of experience for all pupils at all levels.

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Ark Sport

All Ark students are entitled to a healthy lifestyle. The Ark Sport programme allows them to try new activities and have different experiences throughout the year.

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Outstanding staff development and network-wide career opportunities

Ark Learning Institute is our centre of excellence for Professional Development. The Learning Institute equips staff with the training and professional development they need to achieve their full potential, and therefore the potential of the pupils in our schools. You can read more about Ark’s professional development here.

Transitioning to Ark

Our operational and educational support model is specifically structured to make the transition as simple as possible for schools joining the network. We have a dedicated team who oversee and manage the process of supporting schools or multi-academy trusts to join the Ark network. This highly experienced team will work alongside you, supporting all aspects of the transition.