Beacon Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,642 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.2
Academy sponsor led
Ark Alexandra Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,315of 1,800 places
- Free school meals
- 30.9%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 221
- Ofsted
- Report card, 16 June 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Strong standardAchievement Strong standardAttendance and behaviour Strong standardPersonal development and wellbeing Strong standardInclusion Strong standardLeadership and governance Strong standardPost-16 provision Not applicableSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registrations: Ark Helenswood Academy (URN 139996, until 31 August 2019); William Parker Sports College (URN 114610, until 24 June 2013).
What the data says
Ark Alexandra Academy has no sixth form. Of the 263 pupils who finished Year 11 there in 2023, 21% moved to a sixth form college, 55% to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Religious Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 84% of the year group took it, against 31% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 42.6 against 46.1 across England and 43.1 in East Sussex, with 41% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
As an 11–16 school, Ark Alexandra Academy is judged on where pupils go at 16 rather than on A level results.
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 East Sussex and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Ark Alexandra Academy | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 263 | 5,083 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 89% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 86% | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 9% | 14% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 21% | 24% | 13% |
| — further education college | 55% | 44% | 37% |
| — other education | — | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 8% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 3% | 3% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Ark Alexandra Academy | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 42.6 | 43.1 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 41% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 65% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 20% | 37% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.68 | 3.80 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 32% | 26% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 34.4 | 30.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 46.5 | 47.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 8% | 7% | 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 | 217 | 98% | 88% | 18% | 22% | 71% |
| English Language | 217 | 98% | 89% | 12% | 20% | 70% |
| Religious Studies | 185 | 84% | 31% | 22% | 32% | 74% |
| Combined Science | 183 | 83% | 65% | 7% | 9% | 60% |
| English Literature | 180 | 81% | 86% | 14% | 21% | 83% |
| History | 69 | 31% | 41% | 35% | 26% | 84% |
| Geography | 67 | 30% | 41% | 19% | 25% | 91% |
| Chemistry | 33 | 15% | 23% | 36% | 47% | 100% |
| Biology | 33 | 15% | 23% | 42% | 45% | 100% |
| Physics | 33 | 15% | 23% | 24% | 46% | 100% |
| Spanish | 32 | 14% | 19% | 41% | 27% | 97% |
| Design and Technology | 29 | 13% | 11% | 21% | 23% | 86% |
| Business Studies | 28 | 13% | 18% | 11% | 20% | 61% |
| Physical Education | 22 | 10% | 11% | 14% | 24% | 95% |
| Drama | 18 | 8% | 7% | 0% | 27% | 50% |
| French | 14 | 6% | 18% | 36% | 29% | 93% |
| Computer Science | 13 | 6% | 13% | 31% | 30% | 92% |
| Fine Art | 11 | 5% | 9% | 27% | 28% | 100% |
| Photography | 11 | 5% | 6% | 36% | 19% | 91% |
| Dance | 7 | 3% | 1% | 14% | 27% | 100% |
| Russian | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Polish | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Turkish | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Persian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 77% | — |
| Portuguese | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 44 | — | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | 38 | — | — |
| Health Studies | 9 | — | — |
| Beauty Care / Services | 1 | — | — |
| Health Studies | 1 | — | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 11 | — | 23% |
| Chemistry | 10 | — | 17% |
| Sociology | 10 | — | 13% |
| Politics | 9 | — | 6% |
| History | 8 | — | 13% |
| Mathematics | 8 | — | 31% |
| Biology | 8 | — | 20% |
| Physics | 6 | — | 12% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| English Literature | — | — | 11% |
| Arabic | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in East Sussex
Bexhill High Academy
Academy converter · 1,441 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.7
Chailey School
Community school · 862 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.3
Claverham Community College
Community school · 1,147 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.3
Gildredge House
Free schools · 1,169 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.7
Hailsham Academy
Academy converter · 1,577 pupils
86% stayed in education
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.