Ark 2015 Annual Report

2015 Annual Report Annual Report 2015 Section 1: Ark All children deserve an education that enables them to achieve their 2014 - 2015 full potential. Contents In the UK: Schools 6-15 In the UK: Ventures 16-21 International Programmes 22-29 Financials 30-33 Our Supporters 34-35 2 3 Annual Report 2015 Section 1: Ark Kheth’Impilo HIV/AIDS, South Africa Education Partnership STIR What we do Group Education We run a network of 34 schools in Since Ark was 34 the UK and have recently opened Mathematics our first primary school in Delhi, founded in 2002, India. Our schools are all non- Schools in Mastery Frontline selective and educate children from the UK we have been led areas of historic underachievement. by the conviction We also set up ventures that not only help pupils in our own schools that education can but also improve the education system as a whole. These ventures Schools Ventures Family transform lives. tackle some of the most intractable problems facing children – including poor numeracy and the need for outstanding children’s social workers. Our ventures are designed to become sustainable and independent over Teaching 1 time. We remain connected as the Assembly Leaders Ark Family. School in Delhi, India Leading Zimbabwe Educators, Safe Arrivals USA Future Leaders 5 Annual Report 2015 Section 2: UK Schools Ark is working to change this reality. Approach We run a network of 34 To help our students reach their schools in Birmingham, full potential, our schools prioritise six principles: our Six Pillars. Good Hastings, London and teaching is at the core of what we do. Portsmouth. We have developed our own rigorous Ark schools are all in communities teacher training programme, Ark with high levels of economic Teacher Training. The programme disadvantage or educational need. has trained nearly 150 teachers in Our students are 40% more likely three years and 100% of our recent In the UK: to start secondary school behind, trainees were offered a teaching role and twice as likely to be eligible for upon graduation. Pupil Premium funding (a measure of economic deprivation). To prepare our students for life, our schools also provide opportunities Schools beyond the academic. Our enrichment programme includes music, theatre, sports and debate. We also partner with leading employers to provide mentorship programmes focused In the UK, the strongest predictors of on employability skills and a child’s educational achievement are the career advice. qualifications, occupations and income of their parents. Children from low income backgrounds are more likely to begin school behind their peers academically High and are therefore at risk of ending expectations school with fewer opportunities. Exemplary Excellent behaviour teaching Six Pillars Depth before More time breadth for learning Knowing every child 6 7 Annual Report 2015 Section 2: UK Schools We are making a difference. • Children who are behind academically at the start of secondary school are almost three times more likely to achieve five good GCSEs if they attend an Ark school. • Six Ark secondary schools are in the top 5% of schools nationally for progress. • Twice as many disadvantaged students from Ark schools go on to university, compared to the national average. The 23 existing schools that have joined our network are making rapid progress: • Charter Academy earned a prize for being the best secondary school in the country for its use of Pupil Premium funding. Since joining the network six years ago, there has been a 51% improvement in the number of students who earn five good GCSEs, including English and maths. • Ark Bentworth Primary Academy is in the top 2% of most improved schools across the whole of London. Average GCSE improvement in our transition schools +50% +40% +30% +20% +10% GCSE improvement 0% Results 1 2 3 4 5 Years in the Ark network Our goal is to ensure that every The 11 schools we have started pupil, regardless of their background are showing what is possible: or prior attainment, achieves highly • King Solomon Academy is the top performing non- enough to go on to university or the selective state school in the country. • Ark Conway Primary Academy is the top performing career of their choice. primary school in the country in reading, writing, maths and science at key stage one. 8 9 Annual Report 2015 Section 2: UK Schools The Six Pillars in Action “We are trying to create a path that gives our students the opportunities that are historically reserved for those with great privilege.” Max Haimendorf Principal Climbing the mountain He says, ‘all of our classrooms To achieve results like Nadia’s, King Solomon Academy (KSA) ‘We are trying to create a path that to university are named after universities or the KSA invests heavily in developing King Solomon is located in one of the most gives our students the opportunities cities universities are located in. From teachers. ‘Our teachers receive weekly economically deprived wards in that are historically reserved for those Ayman, a year 11 student who year 5, we start taking our students observations and weekly feedback Academy: London. The number of pupils on with great privilege. So it’s not just recently earned nine A*s and three on day trips to universities.’ from instructional coaches,’ says Max. free school meals is more than about grades. We’re trying to create A’s at GCSE, says, ‘in this school, ‘We also create opportunities within The best non-selective twice the national average. This a group of pupils who are going to get you’re reminded of our mission every Great progress can’t the school day for team planning. state school in year, 95% of students at KSA got at into a great university and then be day. We have a motto that’s up in a lot happen without great We want teaching and learning to be really engaging all of the time.’ the country least five GCSEs rated A*-C, including happy and successful there.’ of the corridors: Climb the mountain teaching English and maths. Even more to university.’ impressively, 72% of students earned For KSA students, this path to success Excellent teaching is a key ingredient Jonathan sums up the school’s no less than B’s in this measure. These begins from age 3. The school is an all- Max says, ‘we have created an to the school’s success. ‘The teachers philosophy, ‘great progress can’t results make King Solomon Academy through, serving students from nursery environment that has a very palpable have done so much here; it’s an endless happen without great teaching.’ the number one non-selective state to sixth form. Jonathan Molver is the set of expectations and norms. This list,’ says Nadia, a year 11 student school in the country. But Secondary principal of the primary school, which culture helps our students to achieve who is one of three siblings currently KSA proves there is no magic formula Principal Max Haimendorf isn’t opened in 2007. academically and hold themselves to enrolled at KSA. ‘The teachers to achieving transformational impact. celebrating just yet. high aspirations.’ have supported me to reach my full It’s about high expectations, excellent potential. They know how to help us, teaching, and constant engagement Jonathan describes the research and individually, they know exactly with the whole school community. based character development what we need to do. I don’t think I Students earning five A*-C GCSEs in 2015 philosophy that the primary school would have got that at other schools.’ uses. The school has a common Nadia earned 11 A*s on her GCSEs KSA 95% language around values and students (narrowly beating her brother’s results know why adhering to these values is from the year before). 53% National average important: getting to university. 10 11 Annual Report 2015 Section 2: UK Schools Raising the bar ‘It’s like a family here’ ‘The six pillars have been so powerful Extending the school day, by itself, in terms of thinking about what is would not have had the kind of impact important and what isn’t important. the school was after. Mark says, ‘it’s Because these kids haven’t got a lot of hard enough to go to university and time, and they’ve got a long way to go.’ it’s much more difficult if you’re not learning all the time. So what’s the Over half of students qualify for free point of having that longer school day school meals, more than three times if you’re going to waste an hour of it the national average. Three quarters of dealing with behaviour issues?’ the student body speak a first language other than English, five times the The school has carefully crafted national average. a behaviour system that protects learning time. ‘Too many behaviour St. Alban’s extended its school day systems are set up around dealing so that, on average, students are in with the naughtiest child rather than school for 90 minutes longer. Much of dealing with everybody else. So our that extra time is spent on maths and behaviour system is there to protect and literacy. Those who struggle in reading encourage the overwhelming majority and writing may receive an additional of students who all day, every day get seven hours of instruction time in it 100% right.’ literacy. This intensive help ensures that these students catch-up quickly, These efforts have resulted in a focused giving them a better chance for success yet nurturing environment. Sixth form in other subjects. The approach works. student and Head Scholar Shukri notes, ‘We had a student, who when he started ‘it’s like a family here and everyone with us in year seven didn’t speak any wants you to succeed.’ The Six English.

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