42% of Ark Pioneer Academy's first sixth form leavers went to Russell Group universities. A-level grades by subject, and the 22 October open evening.
Ark Pioneer Academy’s first sixth form leavers have gone on to university, apprenticeships and jobs this autumn. Forty-two per cent went to Russell Group universities.
The figures come from the school’s published results and destinations page. The non-selective school on Westcombe Drive, Barnet, opened in September 2019 with 180 pupils in Year 7. That founding year group reached sixth form age in 2024, so this summer’s Year 13 sat the school’s first A-levels and BTECs.
Where the first leavers went
The school’s destinations table for 2026 shows:
- 42% to Russell Group universities
- 93% progressing to education, an apprenticeship or employment
- 4% taking a gap year
- 4% starting an apprenticeship
The table also sorts university places into thirds of Ark’s own ranking of universities. Those categories overlap with the Russell Group figure, so they do not add up to 100, and we have not used them here.
The A-level and BTEC results
The sixth form entered students for 186 A-level exams across 18 subjects. The five biggest subjects were:
| Subject | Entries | A* to B | A* to C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maths | 31 | 67.7% | 77.4% |
| Economics | 24 | 41.7% | 87.5% |
| Psychology | 24 | 41.7% | 58.3% |
| History | 12 | 66.7% | 100% |
| Physics | 12 | 33.3% | 50.0% |
Smaller groups did well too. All eight geography entries got a D or better, and six of them reached A to B. Five students took further maths: four got A to C and three A* to B.
On the vocational side, 20 students took the BTEC in applied science and 15 the BTEC in business. Twelve of the science group and seven of the business group got at least D*DD, the top band the school reports. Every student in both groups got at least distinction, merit, merit.
GCSEs and staying on at school
The school’s 2026 GCSE results, on the same page:
- 77% of Year 11 got grade 4 or above in English and maths
- 62% got grade 5 or above in both
- an Attainment 8 score of 53.6
More of its Year 11 now go on to a school sixth form rather than a college. Of the 168 pupils who left Year 11 this summer, 71% moved into a school sixth form, against 57% in 2024 and 60% in 2025. Another 29% went to a college sixth form. The table does not say how many stayed at Ark Pioneer itself.
Ofsted rated Ark Pioneer Outstanding in every area after an inspection on 13 September 2023. For the borough-wide picture this summer, see our Barnet GCSE results story.
What it means for you
If your child is in Year 11 and choosing a sixth form, Ark Pioneer is holding its sixth form open evening on Thursday 22 October, from 4.30pm to 7.30pm, according to its website. The school is at Westcombe Drive, Barnet, EN5 2BE.
Each sixth form’s own results page is the best like-for-like check. Look at entries as well as percentages: a subject with two or three students can swing a long way on one grade.
Half term dates for Barnet schools are on our school term dates page.
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