Ark Alexandra Academy

About Ark Alexandra Academy

Ark Alexandra Academy’s headline Progress 8 score of -0.79 sits well below the East Sussex local authority average of -0.16 for secondary schools, placing it 18th out of 29 schools of the same type in the area. That gap is significant: pupils here leave with nearly eight-tenths of a grade less per subject than the national average, and the school’s Progress 8 banding is officially “Well below average.” In Hastings specifically, it ranks 2nd out of 3 schools, though that’s a small pool. The Attainment 8 score of 38.4 and the basics measure at grade 9-4 (51.6%) both reflect a cohort that starts well behind, but the school’s own data shows particular weakness in open subjects (Progress 8 open: -1.03) and languages (Progress 8 EBacc: -0.76). Maths and English are also negative, at -0.59 and -0.76 respectively. For context, the top-performing school in the LA, St Richard’s Catholic College, posts a Progress 8 of +0.65 — a gap of 1.44 grades per subject.

Academically, the picture is mixed. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024 rated overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, the same as its previous inspection in 2021. However, several individual areas improved: quality of education, personal development, and leadership and management all moved from Requires Improvement to Good. Behaviour and attitudes, though, slipped from Good to Requires Improvement, which aligns with parent feedback — only 33% strongly agreed that the school makes sure pupils are well behaved, and 31% strongly disagreed. At KS5, the sixth form (which is small, with 34 pupils) tells a different story: value added is +0.53, banded “Well above average,” and the best three A-levels average a B- grade. That suggests the sixth form is a relative strength, even if the main school struggles. The EBacc entry rate is low at 22.5%, and only 11.6% of pupils achieve grade 5 or above in English and maths.

Ark Alexandra is a large, oversubscribed Church of England secondary in Hastings with 1,431 pupils against a capacity of 1,800. For 2025/26, it received 398 applications for 229 places, with 172 first-preference offers — a ratio of 1.74 applicants per place. The school serves a high-needs population: 31.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, and it lists nine SEND provisions including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Facilities include science labs, a sports hall, playing fields, tennis courts, a gym, music rooms, and a chapel. Clubs range from Chess and Model UN to DofE and Young Enterprise. Parent views are sharply divided: only 43% would recommend the school, and just 28% agreed that SEND children get the support they need. This school will suit families who value its inclusive ethos and wide range of extracurriculars, but who are prepared for inconsistent academic outcomes and significant behaviour challenges.

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