Arena Academy
Academy sponsor led · 969 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.5
Academy converter
Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,152of 1,190 places
- Free school meals
- 48.7%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 206
- Ofsted
- Report card, 12 May 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Needs attentionAchievement Needs attentionAttendance and behaviour Urgent improvementPersonal development and wellbeing Needs attentionInclusion Urgent improvementLeadership and governance Urgent improvementPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School (URN 103541, until 1 September 2018).
What the data says
Of the 207 pupils who finished Year 11 at Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School in 2023, 37% stayed on in Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School’s own sixth form (Birmingham average 33%), 35% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 57 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 63% went to university (Birmingham 46%, England 37%), and 34% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Design and Technology is unusually popular at GCSE: 43% of the year group took it, against 11% of pupils across England.
11% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
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 | This school | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 207 | 14,526 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 85% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 81% | 88% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 37% | 33% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 9% | 13% | 13% |
| — further education college | 35% | 39% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 1% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 1% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 4% | 4% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 57 | 10,326 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 89% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 63% | 46% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 34% | 28% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 7% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 4% | 7% |
| Employment | 18% | 17% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 18% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 41.7 | 46.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 34% | 45% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 56% | 64% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 27% | 48% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.55 | 4.15 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 47% | 48% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 35.1 | 40.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 47.6 | 52.5 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 32% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 205 | 100% | 89% | 13% | 20% | 55% |
| Mathematics | 205 | 100% | 88% | 10% | 22% | 60% |
| English Literature | 190 | 92% | 86% | 16% | 21% | 69% |
| Religious Studies | 172 | 83% | 31% | 26% | 32% | 70% |
| History | 119 | 58% | 41% | 28% | 26% | 73% |
| Combined Science | 109 | 53% | 65% | 3% | 9% | 33% |
| Design and Technology | 89 | 43% | 11% | 28% | 23% | 88% |
| Biology | 84 | 41% | 23% | 19% | 45% | 85% |
| Physics | 83 | 40% | 23% | 16% | 46% | 76% |
| Chemistry | 83 | 40% | 23% | 22% | 47% | 75% |
| Geography | 71 | 34% | 41% | 14% | 25% | 58% |
| Spanish | 34 | 17% | 19% | 32% | 27% | 59% |
| Computer Science | 29 | 14% | 13% | 3% | 30% | 48% |
| French | 29 | 14% | 18% | 31% | 29% | 69% |
| Fine Art | 21 | 10% | 9% | 29% | 28% | 86% |
| Music | 15 | 7% | 5% | 0% | 33% | 27% |
| Media Studies | 12 | 6% | 4% | 25% | 20% | 67% |
| Polish | 5 | 2% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Urdu | 3 | 1% | 1% | — | 42% | — |
| Chinese | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Punjabi | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 48% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Statistics | 1 | 0% | 5% | — | 20% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 38 | 54% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 34 | 49% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | 33 | 47% | — |
| Health Studies | 28 | 40% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 15 | 21% | — |
| Interactive Video | 2 | 3% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Birmingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 133 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 70 | 4,724 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | D+ | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 23.33 | 34.88 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | D+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 3% | 22% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 19 | 27% | 23% |
| Sociology | 18 | 26% | 13% |
| Product Design | 17 | 24% | 2% |
| History | 15 | 21% | 13% |
| Physics | 14 | 20% | 12% |
| Biology | 12 | 17% | 20% |
| Mathematics | 11 | 16% | 31% |
| Religious Studies | 10 | 14% | 4% |
| Media Studies | 9 | 13% | 4% |
| Politics | 8 | 11% | 6% |
| English Literature | 8 | 11% | 11% |
| Chemistry | 7 | 10% | 17% |
| Geography | 6 | 9% | 10% |
| Business Studies | — | — | 13% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 54 | 77% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 15 | 21% | — |
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 15 | 21% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 3 | 11 | 16% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 11% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 6 | 9% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Birmingham
Ark Boulton Academy
Academy sponsor led · 877 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.2
Ark Kings Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 739 pupils
72% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.5
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.