Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,152 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.7
Academy sponsor led
Ark Kings Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 739of 1,080 places
- Free school meals
- 70.1%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 120
- Ofsted
- Good, 13 March 2024Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registrations: Ark Rose Primary Academy (URN 138371, until 1 September 2017); Kings Norton High School (URN 103507, until 1 September 2012).
What the data says
Of the 111 pupils who finished Year 11 at Ark Kings Academy in 2023, 4% stayed on in Ark Kings Academy’s own sixth form (Birmingham average 33%), 61% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
14% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 36.5 against 46.1 across England and 46.6 in Birmingham, with 24% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Music is unusually popular at GCSE: 34% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Birmingham and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Ark Kings Academy | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 111 | 14,526 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 77% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 72% | 88% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 4% | 33% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 7% | 13% | 13% |
| — further education college | 61% | 39% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 1% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 1% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 14% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 9% | 4% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Ark Kings Academy | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 36.5 | 46.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 24% | 45% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 47% | 64% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 25% | 48% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.04 | 4.15 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 74% | 48% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 33.7 | 40.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 44.3 | 52.5 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 23% | 39% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 120 | 100% | 88% | 3% | 22% | 54% |
| English Language | 119 | 99% | 89% | 6% | 20% | 43% |
| English Literature | 117 | 98% | 86% | 9% | 21% | 56% |
| Combined Science | 116 | 97% | 65% | 9% | 9% | 50% |
| Religious Studies | 114 | 95% | 31% | 6% | 32% | 27% |
| History | 53 | 44% | 41% | 4% | 26% | 28% |
| Music | 41 | 34% | 5% | 2% | 33% | 90% |
| Geography | 39 | 33% | 41% | 3% | 25% | 62% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 38 | 32% | 8% | 5% | 21% | 58% |
| Fine Art | 34 | 28% | 9% | 12% | 28% | 35% |
| French | 28 | 23% | 18% | 7% | 29% | 68% |
| Textiles | 20 | 17% | 2% | 0% | 27% | 15% |
| Media Studies | 16 | 13% | 4% | 0% | 20% | 13% |
| Biology | 2 | 2% | 23% | — | 45% | — |
| Polish | 2 | 2% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Physics | 1 | 1% | 23% | — | 46% | — |
| Art and Design | 1 | 1% | 7% | — | 24% | — |
| Citizenship Studies | 1 | 1% | 3% | — | 19% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Studies | 38 | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 34 | — | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 1 | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Birmingham
Arena Academy
Academy sponsor led · 969 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.5
Ark Boulton Academy
Academy sponsor led · 877 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.2
Ark St Alban's Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 797 pupils
91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.9
Ark Victoria Academy
Free schools · 1,519 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.4
Aston Manor Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 990 pupils
87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.6
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.