Ark has been growing as a sixth-form network for a decade, and we’ve learned a lot in the process.
To develop our approach, we visited high-performing providers across the country achieving excellent results in the face of socioeconomic disadvantage.
We’ve also learned some lessons the hard way. Misjudgments about timing and readiness resulted in difficult decisions to pause sixth form in a couple of instances.
We now have fourteen 11-18 schools delivering A-levels and BTECs to over 2,500 students. Our sixth-form cohorts include significantly higher-than-average numbers of young people on free school meals (FSM)
These students are statistically more likely to fall behind in KS5, but ours do just as well as their non-FSM peers. In 2024, we were the top-performing large trust for academic progress in KS5 and the top-performing trust of any size for progress on applied general qualifications.
As a result, about 85 per cent of our Year 13 leavers progressed to university last year. Over two-thirds of these went onto ‘top-third’ institutions, around twice the national average.
Key drivers of success
Here’s what we’ve learned about what works well.
Distributed leadership
Our network sixth form strategy supports decision-making around readiness for opening, curriculum design and implementation, personal development and quality improvement.
We promote systems that ensure as much coherence as possible across key stages 3, 4 and 5 to avoid the risk of silos, but we have particularly focused on distributed leadership for KS5 curriculum, teaching and assessment.
Aligned models
We have gradually moved towards greater curriculum alignment as a foundation for supporting, developing and retaining our teachers.
We provide regular subject-specific training and development through KS5 subject networks for our large subjects. These are led by school-based staff with coordination from the network team.
Common assessments ensure robust, accurate and consistent monitoring data at key points, with actions to address under-achievement discussed in termly achievement reviews with principals.
Vocational alternatives
We wanted to provide an aspirational alternative to A-levels, with parity of esteem and parity of opportunity for a cohort typically including a higher proportion of our most vulnerable students.
Our Professional Pathways programme, launched in 2014, comprises BTEC Extended Diplomas in four subjects, carefully chosen to support progression.
The core qualification is enhanced by carefully-planned wraparound support and guidance, including student conferences and employer and university visits.
Destinations support
Our destinations team supports schools from KS1 to KS5. This support ramps up in KS5 to provide the information, guidance and opportunities that drive destinations success.
Meanwhile, the Professional Pathways team ensures that the AGQ cohort has an even broader entitlement and graduate with ambition, employability skills and industry insights.
Remaining challenges
Nevertheless, we still face a number of short- and medium-term challenges which will require innovation and collaboration.
Sustained destinations
Access is not enough. We need to keep improving the persistence rates of our students, particularly those from less-advantaged contexts, in the face of national trends pointing in the opposite direction.
We need to do better at providing them with the skills, mindset and resilience to succeed in their next steps.
Recruitment and retention
Attracting, developing, and keeping hold of our strongest KS5 teachers is a significant challenge. This is heightened by shortages in subjects accounting for a relatively high volume of our A-level entries.
Consistent teaching
We are constantly reviewing our approach to supporting and developing staff to ensure greater classroom consistency. This means balancing network pedagogical approaches with school-level choices to provide a smooth and logical progression from KS4.
Our students’ successes over the past decade give us confidence that we are on the right path.
Colleagues from other trusts, schools and colleges have helped us greatly in this first phase. We look forward to continuing those conversations and starting new ones as we continue to develop.
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