Ark Oval Primary Academy, based in Croydon, provides primary education, serving pupils aged 4 to 11. The school is a academy sponsor led and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It has a none religious character.
Ark Oval Primary Academy currently has around 601 pupils on roll, which is about 95% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 50.6% boys and 49.4% girls. Around 32.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 5.8%. Persistent absence is recorded at 15.3%.
The school has a diverse intake, with african pupils forming the largest group at around 20.3%. indian pupils make up about 14.3% , followed by other white at 11.1%
Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | 98 Cherry Orchard Road, Croydon, CR0 6BA |
| Website: | www.arkovalprimary.org |
| Telephone: | 02086883000 |
| School Type: | Academy sponsor led |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Croydon |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Ms Pavan Chandhoke |
| Religious character: | None |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 137114 |
Ofsted inspection date: 17/06/2025
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 630 |
| Number of Pupils: | 601 |
| Number of Boys: | 304 |
| Number of Girls: | 297 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 5.8% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 15.3% | 8.2% |
| African | 20.30% | 122 |
| Indian | 14.30% | 86 |
| Other White | 11.10% | 67 |
| Caribbean | 9.50% | 57 |
| White British | 9.20% | 55 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 5.50% | 33 |
| Pakistani | 5.00% | 30 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 4.50% | 27 |
| Other Asian | 4.50% | 27 |
| Unclassified | 3.30% | 20 |
| Other Mixed | 3.00% | 18 |
| White and Asian | 2.70% | 16 |
| White and Black African | 2.30% | 14 |
| Other Black | 2.30% | 14 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.80% | 11 |
| Chinese | 0.70% | 4 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunstall Nursery School Tunstall Road , CR0 6TY | 4out of 4 | 437 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Selhurst Nursery School and Children's Centre 23 Dagnall Park , South Norwood SE25 5PL | 3out of 4 | 1,486 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Thornton Heath Nursery School 51 Pridham Road , CR7 8RS | 3out of 4 | 2,326 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Crosfield Nursery School Elborough Road , South Norwood SE25 5BD | 3out of 4 | 2,358 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark Oval Primary Academy 98 Cherry Orchard Road , CR0 6BA | - not rated | 0 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Oval Primary School 98 Cherry Orchard Road , CR0 6BA | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Mary's Catholic Infant School Bedford Park , CR0 2AQ | - not rated | 490 yd | Voluntary aided school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Mary's Catholic Infant School Bedford Park , CR0 2AQ | 3out of 4 | 490 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Mary's RC Junior School Sydenham Road , CR0 2EW | - not rated | 503 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark Blake Academy 6 Morland Road , CR0 6NA | 3out of 4 | 589 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Selhurst Girls' High School The Crescent , CR9 2LY | - not rated | 680 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| St Mary's Catholic High School Woburn Road , CR9 2EE | 3out of 4 | 714 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Harris Invictus Academy Croydon 88 London Road , CR0 2TB | 4out of 4 | 1,126 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Archbishop Tenison's CofE High School Selborne Road , CR0 5JQ | 3out of 4 | 1,187 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croydon College Fairfield Campus , College Road CR9 1DX | - not rated | 722 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Harris Professional Skills Sixth Form 11 Oliver Grove , SE25 6EJ | - not rated | 2,641 yd | Free schools 16 to 19 | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Khair Secondary Girls 109-117 Cherry Orchard , CR0 6BE | - not rated | 164 yd | Other independent school | No | Girls | More About School |
| Al-Khair School 109-117 Cherry Orchard Road , CR0 6BE | - not rated | 173 yd | Other independent school | No | Boys | More About School |
| Croydon Primary Independent School 46 Leslie Grove , Cherry Orchard Road CR0 6TG | - not rated | 223 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Supreme Education AP CSEP, 32-34 Sydenham Road , CR0 2EF | - not rated | 458 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Span Centre 10 Tavistock Road , CR0 2AL | - not rated | 706 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.