Ark Elvin Academy

About Ark Elvin Academy

Ark Elvin Academy is a school that local parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 667 applications for just 210 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.18. That means more than three families applied for every available spot. Of those applications, 148 put the school as their first preference, and 144 of those families received an offer — so if you really want a place, putting it first on your form is the way to go. The school is a mixed, non-religious state secondary in Brent, with a sixth form attached, and it’s run by the Ark academy trust. With 1,305 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,200, it’s already over its official limit, which tells you something about demand. The headteacher is Peter Cook, and the school has no religious character, so it’s open to families of all backgrounds.

Academically, Ark Elvin Academy is performing well above the national average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.35 is rated as ‘Above average’, meaning pupils here make significantly more progress than pupils with similar starting points across the country. That’s especially impressive given that 39.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. The school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 43.4, and 57.1% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. In the most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Outstanding across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. That’s a step up from its previous Good rating in 2019. In Brent, the school ranks 8th out of 18 state secondaries on Progress 8, though the local authority average Progress 8 is 0.73, so there are stronger performers nearby.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including science labs, music rooms, a gymnasium, ICT suites, a library, playing fields, tennis courts, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include hockey, basketball, athletics, badminton, cricket, rugby, rowing, rounders, netball, and swimming. There’s also a long list of clubs and activities, from art and science clubs to coding, orchestra, Duke of Edinburgh, debate, film club, chess, and Model UN. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for a wide range of needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families who want strong academic progress in a diverse, urban setting, and who are prepared to compete for a place.

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