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The newsletter of the ARK Schools network Issue 5|March|2011

TheArrow

ARKACAdEMYTHE INSIDE STORY

PLUS:

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGEPreparing pupils for higher education

REAd ALL AboUT IT

How ARK is nurturing a love of literacy

bEYoNd THE SUMMITYour feedback from the big day

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2/162 |The Arrow| March 2011

Hardly a day goes by at the moment without somebody

on the news discussing public sector cuts. Throughout

this upheaval, Michael Gove has said that schools would

be largely immune, and the school funding settlement

showed real-terms growth over the lifetime of this

government. Also, with the pupil premium, he has said

that schools in areas of high deprivation would be better

off. But whats the reality behind the rhetoric?The most honest answer is that we dont fully know yet,

as we havent had all the details. It is clear that among

schools there will be winners and losers. The pupil

premium (starting at 430 per eligible pupil, but likely to

rise to over 2k per eligible pupil

over the next four years) will be a

boon to those schools with above-

average numbers of children who

are eligible for free school meals,

which includes all ARK academies.

However, it is also becoming clear

that while the main schools budgetis supposedly protected, it will not rise in line with inflation

and some non-core areas will be reduced.

Our current plans assume that increases through the

pupil premium will offset inflation and other cuts, so for

once you can feel sympathy for your colleagues in the

leafy suburbs, who will see real-terms cuts in funding

over the next few years. For us, funding streams will

change but the overall effect should not be greatly

different. These funds should be sufficient to achieve

our targets if we manage them well.

One aspect of ensuring our schools receive what

they are entitled to is to see that pupils who are eligible

for free school meals register for them.

Many of our schools are looking again at ways of

motivating these parents to sign their children up for free

school meals. We need to ensure that all our pupils get the

best support, that

they have the

opportunity for

a hot, nutritious

meal every day,

and that all of our

schools get their

full funding

to sustain the huge

progress they

are all making.

ContentsNews 2

Beyond The Summit 6

ARK Lights Up The Stage 8

The Journey 10

University Challenge 14

Brought To Book 15

Pinboard 16

The Arrow is the newsletter ofARK Schools,65 Kingsway, London WC2B 6TD

Simon PinkFinanceandResources Director,ARK Schools

First person

Globe Academy has been working

in partnership with private equity

firm Actis, whose staff kindly

agreed to mentor a group of Year

10 students on a range of topics.

The STARZ programme began

last October and was planned as

a once-weekly after-school visit for

eight weeks, but was so successful

it was extended to 11 weeks.

The students built up an excellentrapport with their mentors on the

programme, during which they

prepared CVs, excelled at mock

interviews, designed and delivered

presentations in the boardroom

and even presented their own

sales pitches.

Our coaches were so pleased

with their progress we decided

to extend the programme,

commented Suzy Opperman from

Actis. The STARZ have developed

an outstanding amount of

confidence. They have bonded

really well and I am so proudof what they have achieved.

ARKhopes to offer the STARZ

programme to other schools in

the network from September.

Following consultation inJanuary, all principals across

the network have agreed to

introduce a common ARK

baseline test in English and

mathematics for all new Year 7

students. These tests will take

place on either the taster day

or as part of the academys

summer school.

In addition, principals have

agreed to pilot common termly

assessments in English and

mathematics for Years 7, 8 and

9. The pilot will take place inApril, with a view to extending

it across the network for the

end of the summer term.

This development will not

only help to ensure consistency

in levelling students attainment,

but will create a network-wide

professional dialogue about

standards in English and

mathematics, and consideration

of what students need to be

taught if they are to reach the

ambitious targets we set them.

New tests to track progress

RisingSTARZ

It is clear thatamong schoolsthere will bewinnersand losers

Politics, fundingandfreeschool

meals

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3/16The Arrow| March 2011 | 3

ARK News

The official GCSE results figures

for all schools in England were

published in January, and theyconfirmed that ARK Schools was

the top-performing academy

group for GCSE improvement

for the second year running.

The five ARK academies with

GCSE results achieved an average

rise of12 percentage points over

last year.

The final figures for these

academies (percentage achieving

five A*-C grades including English

and maths) were:

I Burlington Danes: 67% (2009,

50%)I Charter: 24% (2009, 21%)

IGlobe: 42% (2009, 35%)

I St Albans: 50% (2009, 31%)

IWalworth: 59% (2009, 45%)

Both Burlington Danes and

Walworth academies are in the

top 10 for GCSE performanceamong all academies that have

been open for at least two

years. St Albans joins them in

the top 20, when ranked by

improvement in GCSE results

since 2007.

The Governments recentWhite Paper on education

highlighted the successes of the

academy programme, and of

the ARK network in particular,

concluding that those

Academies which are part of

chains or federations such asARK Schools... have an even

larger proportion of their pupils

achieving five or more A*- C

grades at GCSE on average

than pupils of academies not

in a chain.

GCSEs: thefinal figures

Having sent four ARK pupils to

the prestigious Phillips Exetersummer school in New

Hampshire last year, a scholarship

generously funded by one of

ARKs donors will allow up to

six Year 11 students, chosen

from across the ARK network,

to attend the course this summer.

The summer school is

renowned internationally for

providing a challenging and

exciting experience for the 700

students fortunate enough to

gain a place each year. Admission

is highly competitive, withstudents needing to demonstrate

their commitment to study. Once

admitted, they can choose from

a wide range of classes, from

scientific subjects such as 3D

Computer Design and ProblemSolving in Calculus, to arts and

humanities courses, including

Debate and Argumentation,

Philosophy of Science and

Acting for the Camera. They

will also have the opportunity

to participate in a wide range

of sports, visit local cities and

attractions, join singing and

acting ensembles and forge

friendships with classmates

from many different countries

and backgrounds.

Applications for ARKs 2011scholarship have now closed.

Look out for details of how the

successful applicants got on in

future issues ofThe Arrow.

In January, Sophy Blakeway,

ARKs Director of Primary,

and the five ARK primary head

teachers visited Charter schools

in New Orleans. The purpose

of the week-long trip was to

combine training with school

visits, to learn how culture and

values have been developed and

embedded in Charter schools.

The training, provided by

Ben Marcovitz and Jay Altman,

also covered models for staffdevelopment training, high

expectations and how to deliver

them, identifying existing

attainment gaps and behaviour

management.

The group visited a total

of six schools to see how the

models

outlined by

Jay and Ben

worked in

practice. All

were in areas

of NewOrleans with

high levels of

need and are

making great strides in pupil

attainment. It was clear from

day one how much time and

attention these institutes have

spent focusing upon shared

values and the common vision tosucceed, said Damian McBeath,

head teacher of ARK Conway.

The trip was a fantastic

opportunity to learn more about

Charter schools, particularly in

New Orleans, described by Ben

Marcovitz as one of the most

exciting cities for educational

reform in the US at present.

back t summer schl

Primaryjectives in

Neworleans

BrianF.Crowley

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ARK News

4|The Arrow| March 2011

The ARKSchools network keeps

growing, with five secondary and

primary schools in London in

development. Building work has

started at Isaac Newton Academy,

which opens in Redbridge for itsfirst Year 7 students in 2012. A

principal is now being appointed

and the school has a distinctivelogo (above), by leading artist

Michael Craig-Martin.

ARKSchools is also working

with local parents to open

Bolingbroke Academy in

Wandsworth in 2012, to address

the areas shortage of secondary

school places. More than 2,400

people backed the parent-run

Neighbourhood School Campaign

(NSC) for a new school, as did

politicians from all major parties.

The NSC concluded that ARK

was most closely aligned to theirvision for the school after visiting

four academies in the network.

ARK is also opening a new

academy in 2013 on the site

of the existing St Michael and

All Angels Church of England

Academy in Southwark, which

will close in July2013. Despite

significant recent success, the

existing schools falling rolls

undermined its viability and

threatened its planned building

programme. ARKs sponsorship

has secured the building

programme and the new

academy will open to Year 7

pupils in 2013. Year 7 and 8

pupils will transfer to other localschools this September. Year 9

and 10s will complete their

studies at St Michaels, so they

can focus on their GCSEs. The

Southwark Diocese will continue

to run the school until 2013, with

ARKproviding some support.

ARKwill also open two

London primary schools in

September. Head teachers, Daniel

Upfield at Atwood in Westminster,

and Damian McBeath at Conway

in Hammersmith, have held well-

attended information sessions.

In an afternoon of energy,

excitement and exacting

arithmetic, Year 8 students from

across the ARKnetwork gathered

at King Solomon Academy on 24

November to compete for the title

ofARKMathematics Champion.Organised by Bruno Reddy, King

Solomons Head of Maths, and

hosted by Marina Damiba, the

schools Assistant Head, it was

what we hope will be the first

of manyARKnetwork

mathematics events.

To qualify, students competed

in individual challenges at their

schools. The top four students

from each academy then formed

a team to go head to head with

the other ARKacademies.

How would you have done?

One of the puzzles was this: a13-metre rope was cut into three

pieces. The longest was twice as

long as the shortest. The lengths

were whole numbers in metres.

How long was the shortest piece?

The students worked very

well individually and also showed

strong teamwork

skills, said Helen

Drury, ARKSchools

Director of

Mathematics.

All of them clearly

enjoyed the eventand got a real buzz

from the challenges

involved.

A winningformula

Five new schools to join the ARK network

Winners

Team Competition:

Gold:Charter Academy

(teammembers,David

Tubbs,LiamWigmore, LeeHarmanandHaydenChan)

Silver: Globe Academy

Bronze:WalworthAcademy

Individual Competition

Gold:KaranBagri,

King Solomon Academy

Silver:Moustafa Katamsh,

Burlington DanesAcademy

Bronze: BarinBamgbose,

EvelynGraceAcademy

ARK Conway, a new primary school, will open in September in this former Hammersmith library

Primary head teachers: Damian McBeath (left) and Daniel Upfield

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ARK News

Ofsted successes: ArkAcademy has received an

outstanding rating after its

first full Ofsted inspection since

opening (more on page 10).

Ofsted also completed their first

monitoring of St Albans Academy

and judged the school to be

making good progress. Inspectors

noted the exceptional progress

made in transforming behaviour

and ethos, and the very effective

care, guidance and support

offered, particularly to the

most vulnerable children.

Aspiring to headship: ARK

Schools Director of Education

Sir Michael Wilshaw has been

leading an eight-month pilot

course for vice principals

aspiring to headship. For further

information on the course contact

georgina.cavaliere@arkonline.org

Honours for Evelyn Grace:

On 11 November, Evelyn Grace

Academy received the Academy

Development Award at theEducation Business Awards. The

honour was for the development

of the academy from its opening

through to the management and

procurement of the new building.

Sally Morgan joins Ofsted:

Michael Gove has announced

the appointment of Sally Morgan

as Chairman of Ofsted from 1

March. Sally will continue as

adviser to ARKs global board, a

position she has held since 2005,

but sadly will have to stand downfrom Globe Academys governing

body, where she served as chair

of the curriculum committee. We

offer her our congratulations as

she takes up this important role.

Globe pupils winning design:

Four Year 10 pupils from Globe

Academy have beaten 900 other

students to win the Virtual

Ventura Award, run by the Design

Museum in London. Rajun

Hussain, Heshmatullah Tajik,

Freddy Hussain and ArminDruzanovic invented the Dish

Dash, a plate that folds into a

box, designed to carry food home

from restaurants.

ARK academies have welcomed

some distinguished guests over

the past few months, the result

of a new partnership with Robert

Pestons Speakers for Schools

programme, the Education andEmployers Taskforce and ARK

volunteer Liz Chong.

Last term Burlington Danes

pupils heard talks from Michael

McGrath, the only disabled

person to reach both

geographical poles, record-

breaking yachtswoman Dame

Ellen MacArthur and Steve

Crawshaw, international

advocacy director at Amnesty

International. Following Steve

Crawshaws talk at BurlingtonDanes, Year 9 student Mohamed

Sheryanna commented: It

was amazing to hear how

individuals can make a

difference in world affairs.

Evelyn Grace Academy has

enjoyed a visit from Richard

Beeston, Foreign Editor ofThe

Times, described by the schoolsPrincipal Peter Walker as a

fascinating insight into how amajor national newspaper covers

the worlds hotspots for news.

Meanwhile, Globe Academy

welcomed John Makinson,

CEO of Penguin Books, and Anti-

Slavery Internationals Iqtadar

Hasnain, who described his visit

as a great success, with pupils

asking very detailed questions.

ARK aims to bring a wide

range of visitors to our schools,

and encourages primary and

secondary academies to register

their interest with ARK andthrough Speakers for Schools

and the Education and

Employers Taskforce.

NewYorkmasterclassFollowing the success of Doug

Lemovs workshops at the ARK

Schools Summit, a group ofteachers from across the network

travelled to Albany, New York,

last December, to take part in

a two-day train the trainer

workshop delivered by Doug

(pictured below) and his team

from Uncommon Schools. Aimed

at lead teachers, the training

explored a range of techniques

and used video-clip analysis to

help communicate the ideas and

provide examples of champion

teachers at work.

It has been several weeks

since I attended the workshop

and I am still loving and

practising the techniques I used,commented Lucy Frame, Small

School Head Teacher at Walworth

Academy. Even better, I led an

inset on some of the techniques

to the whole staff, and two days

later they are using them and the

pupils have

reported

that they

can feel

that school

is different.

It has

alreadymade

more of an

impact than

any other

behaviour workshop I have ever

been on.

The trip was an opportunity

to work with teachers from across

the USA, all of whom work in

schools committed to closing

the achievement gap.

Using the techniques, I have

been amazed at how the students

have responded, said NatalieSheppard, Small School Head

Teacher at Globe Academy. I feel

lucky to have been given such

hope about what is possible.

VIPvisitors

EllenMacArthurTrust

C2011MichaelMcG

rathManagementServicesLtd

ARKupdates

Steve Crawshaw, above, and

Dame Ellen MacArthur, left

Disabled explorer Michael McGrath visited Burlington Danes

It has beenseveral weekssince Iattended theworkshop and

I am still lovingand practisingthe techniquesI used

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November 1 2010 saw the inaugural ARK

Schools Summit, held in central London. The

event brought together more than 800 staff

working in all roles across all our schools and

was the first time the whole network had

gathered under one roof. We wanted the day

to be an opportunity to celebrate our success,

learn together and look to the future while

providing an opportunity for everybody

to meet with their peers in other schools.

External experts provided training sessionsin a wide variety of areas, covering everything

from teaching and line management, to

soft skills such as conflict resolution and

time management. All sessions were designed

to give delegates practical techniques they

could use immediately on returning to school.

Overall, feedback from the day was

extremely positive. Doug Lemovs Teach like

a Champion sessions were a high point for

teaching staff, with more than 77% rating

the session excellent; while over 90% of

the delegates who attended Jay Altmanssession on small schools, rated it excellent.

The same top rating was given by more

than 90% of those who attended the session

on line management delivered by Sir Keith

Ajegbo, while more than 60% of those

support staff who joined the Excellence

behind the scenes session by Rob Dominic,

rated it excellent.

We have also listened to your feedback and

want to ensure the day is even more enjoyable

next time. One of the areas we are working on

is staggering the end of workshops to avoid

overcrowding at lunch time.

After the Summit, many schools held

an INSET day to allow themselves theopportunity to put their new skills into

practice: many of

Doug Lemovs teaching

strategies were applied

in the classrooms and

a small group of senior

staff from across the

ARK Schools network

visited the US to attend

a training programme

with Doug Lemov

(see News, page 5).

Many of the training

sessions offered at theSummit were tasters

of the network-wide

Training and Professional

Development menu that

Last November, nearly 1,000 ARK Schools staff met to celebrate howfar we have come and to look to the future. By Georgina Cavaliere

bEYoNdTHESUMMIT...

People at

the Summit

(clockwise,

from first right):

award-winning

LSA Helen

Kolawole with

Sally Coates;

Jay Altman;

Doug Lemov;

Dylan Wiliam

and VenessaWillms

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is scheduled for launch this term.

Hosted on the Fronter homepage,

you can access training material

and presentations from all theSummit sessions, and also access

new modules on a broad range

of skills via the Training and

Professional Development menu.

G It gave a clear outline

of ARKs ethos and expectations

G I learnt more specific

and useful ways of

supporting students

G The celebration of

individuals with awards

kick started the day well

G Training sessions were

inspiring and easily applied

in my classroom

G There were really

relevant, savvy and

intelligent speakers

Networktrainingmenulaunched

ARK Summit

The Training and Professional

Development menu is designed to

provide all staff with an opportunity

to develop and share best practice

across the network

Whatever your role, development need

or career aspiration, you will find a rangeof bite sized training solutions from

external and internal providers to support

you in achieving your goals. Their purpose

is to help you to access the training you

need without necessarily having to leave

your school, building new skills gradually

within the time you have available.

Over the past two terms, we have spoken

to many staff across the network to help us

understand what training you would value

today and which skills you need for the future.

The training menu is now almost ready

for launch. Organised under 12 job

categories, such as Teaching, Catering,Operations, Support, Premises, Marketing

and Communications, IT and Finance, the

training solutions are available under three

broad headings:

Personal and professional development

skills: skills that relate to how you lead

yourself. This category includes training in

safeguarding, using MS office, communication

skills (both written and oral), time

management, planning and organising,

influencing and conflict management.

Leadership and management training:

skills that are relevant as you lead andmanage others. This category includes

programmes such as The First Time

Manager, leading through change, building

a culture in small schools, coaching, having

difficult conversations, mentoring, planning

and organising a team.

Role-specific training: this relates

specifically to the role you perform. If

you select the teaching menu, you will find

a range of practical teacher development

solutions to support you in the classroom.

If you select the IT menu, youll find support

for ITIL Foundation, Exchange 2007, and soon. Under the operations menu, you will

find COSHH, fire awareness and a number

of other options.

Where possible, each module will offer a

range of options to suit the time you have

available: you can sign up to face-to-face

sessions, twilight sessions at other schools,

webinars, online modules, video clips and

download knowledge documents. As the

network evolves and the needs of our schools

change, we will develop the content of

the training menu to ensure that our

professional development continues

to support our in-school priorities.To access the training menu, simply

log on to Fronter, select Training

from the homepage, and you are

ready to go. Happy training! I

What you said:ARK filled Westminster Central

Hall, main picture. Top: warming

up for the Great Teaching, Great

Learning session. Above, left and

right: it was an opportunity to meet

with staff from across the network

The Arrow| March 2011| 7

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Charter

Academy

A MidsummerNights Dream

King Solomon

Academy

Macbeth

Evelyn Grace

Academy

Macbeth

St Albans

Academy

A Winters Tale

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Burlington

Danes Academy

A Midsummer

Nights Dream

Macbeths witches were brought to life with

spooky authenticity by pupils from Evelyn

Grace Academy, with strong female actors

taking on the lead male roles. The experience

for our students was incredible, commented

Alison Tyreman, the schools Head of English.

Their confidence has soared and they are a

tighter team.

Taking on the same play, King Solomon

Academy students used clever props to great

effect, decapitating Macbeth and holding his

head high. Although the youngest of the

performers, they took on this complex tale

with great maturity.In Walworth Academys Romeo and

Juliet, Benvolio inhabited his role with

great humour, as did Lord Capulet, who was

portrayed in the style of

a used-car salesman. Their

wit was a counterbalance

to the death of Mercutio,

who was slain in dramatic

Hollywood style.

In Globe Academys

performance of the same

play, Friar Lawrence was

a show stealer, and the

fight scene, employingprofessionally

choreographed stage

swordsmanship, was

exhilarating to watch,

as were the light-footed

boys and girls who danced

in the banqueting scene.

Before doing the

Shakespeare Schools

Festival I didnt really

understand Shakespeare,

it was like another

language, observed

one Globe student withan enthusiasm that was

shared by the schools

Head of Drama and

Performing Arts, Russell

Jones. It was an absolute delight being

in a professional space, he said.

The performances ofA Midsummer Nights

Dream could not have been more different,

yet were equally delightful to watch. Charter

Academy put on a spirited show, delivering

their speeches excellently and filling their

performance with humour. Every cast

member shone from the moment they

entered the stage, with particular moments ofgreatness from Bottom, Puck and the fairies.

Engaging in a professional event for the

public was an exciting and vibrant experience

for all of us, commented Lynda ONeill,

Charter Academys Head

of Dance and Drama.

Burlington Danes set

a high benchmark for

future performances

with excellent acting,

direction and styling.

They brought the story

together in a highly

original way, with highlights from thoseplaying Bottom, Puck, Oberon and Francis

Flute. Their bright interpretation was very

well delivered and the pleasure of the cast

was very clear to see. All of them want to do

it again right now! said their drama teacher

Matthew Rowlands-Roberts after the show.

St Albans brave rendition of the

challenging A Winters Tale produced

particularly strong performances from the

students in the roles of Hermione, Time,

and Polixenes, as they told this moving

story of lost love. This event has raised

pupils self-esteem as well as their focus on

verse speaking and finding the meaning intext, said Andrew Cooley, Head of English

at St Albans. It has created a group of expert

pupils able to bring new understanding of

Shakespeare to the classroom.I

Theirconfidencehas soaredand they area tighterteam

Walworth

Academy

Romeo and

Juliet

Globe

Academy

Romeo andJuliet

LIGHTS UPTHE STAGEOn 18 and 19 November, more than 150

pupils of various ages came from across

the ARK Schools network to Londons Shaw

Theatre to perform abridged versions of

Shakespeares plays. By Sarah Gregory

ARK

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Year 7s at Ark Academy are encouraged to

take pride in their status as founderpupils (above).Right: at the end of its first

year, 95% of Ark Academys primary

school pupils exceeded national

expectations in English and maths

THE JoURNEY

TooUTSTANdINGThe second of ARKs new schools to receive an outstandingOfsted report, Ark Academy has achieved a great deal in avery short time. Principal Delia Smith OBE reveals how

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ARK The Journey

In January 2008, Ark Academy was just

an idea: all we had was a muddy field, with

no planning permission and local protestors

camped out on site. It was not the most

auspicious start, but things soon changed.

Later that year, our primary section opened

in temporary accommodation. It helped build

our reputation in the community, and quicklybecame oversubscribed. On 20 September

2010 we moved into our permanent buildings

and opened our secondary school, and now

we have 40 teachers, 400 students and an

outstanding Ofsted inspection.

How did we do it? First, we didnt start with

a blank sheet of paper our founder teachers

bring a wealth of experience from

a variety of backgrounds. We also had time:

a year to plan before moving into the new

building. So what did we focus on?

G Planning, planning and more planning

Always practical and realistic, and whereverpossible down to that devil, detail. We didnt

write policies so they could sit on the shelf.

Everything we planned was carefully

implemented, mainly during our month-

long training period with all our staff

before we opened (this time was essential).

G The main thing is the main thing

Before opening, we endlessly refined our

thoughts and plans for teaching and learning

we really did make this the focus. We asked:

what do we believe in? What teaching extends

learning the most? We discussed ad infinitum

our pedagogy, our craft, the science behindlearning. The outcome? The central policy

of Ark Academy, the Learning and Teaching

Policy. It is our training manual, and we

revisit it routinely.

G The right people on the bus: recruitment

of staff. This could easily have been at the

top of this list. We made our plans and vision

explicit to all potential recruits at excellent

recruitment fairs in Central London. We

didnt pull any punches, and made it clear

how much hard work was ahead of anyone

who came on board. Its exciting but not

an easy ride! was the basic message.The teachers who werent deterred

by this were just the right people.

G Training, training and more training

The next six months focus was on how to

generate buy in from all staff alignment

as they say across the pond. Our answer wastraining, not just by us, but also by nationally

recognised educators such as Geoff Barton and

Guy Claxton. This crucial area for any school

was given extensive thought, planning and

provision. No one at Ark Academy ever

arrives as a teacher; a lifetime is notlong enough to master the craft. We are

all learning all the time, and we learn best

Ark Academy: a brief historyG Sept 2008 Ark

Academy Primary

School opens in

temporary

accommodation

with Jacqueline

Steele as head

teacher, 56 reception

students, twoteachers, five

support staff and

one site manager.

G By the end of the

first year 95% of

students exceeded

national expectations

for attainment in

English, and 100%

did in maths, despite

having levels well

below nationalaverage on entry.

G Sept 2009

Applications for

Reception more

than double; the

school is hugely

oversubscribed.

G August 2010

30 new teachers

and support staff

begin one month

of induction and

training at ARKs

head office.

G Sept 2010 Moveinto the new building

with Nursery, Year 1,

Year 2 and Year 7

(400 students in total).

Everything works

(almost) perfectly

G November 2010

School graded

Outstanding after

a two-day Ofsted

inspection, in which

38 lessons wereobserved.

G January 2011

Ark Academy

receives 990

applications

(of which 546 are first

or second choices)

for Year 7 for 2011

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ARK The Journey

12 |The Arrow| March 2011

when we learn together. Our induction of staff

helped establish this culture. Teaching and

learning formed the largest part of training,

along with the writing of detailed schemes of

work with senior leadership team support

really stretching stuff. However, it is true that

by 20 September we were all going a little

stir crazy, and were desperate to see all the

real live students we had spent so long

preparing for!

So we had the right people, a clear vision

backed up by detailed plans, and a first-rate

training programme. And from that we got

what the lead Ofsted inspector highlighted

at the start of his feedback: Six great lessons

a day, consistently across the school. And,

crucially, we got it from day one, allowing

us to capitalise on all the enthusiasm and

curiosity our founder students brought with

them at the start of their time with us.

There are, as we all know, myriad factors

that contribute to the development of a school

that I have not mentioned, from the design of

the curriculum to the pupils induction plan;

Being a founding teacher of ArkAcademy has been a rare privilege

that I have enjoyed every minute

of. I have been able to shape

a department, lessons and,

ultimately, the students I teach.

John Kirkman, Director of

English, Secondary School

Joining a new academy has

provided me with a unique and

exciting opportunity to help shape

the foundations of an outstanding

school, while making a real and

lasting difference to the lives ofthe children and families within

our local community.

Julie Harrison, Year2 teacher

and Mathematics Subject Leader

We love being part of a newacademy because our classrooms

are new and shiny, and our learning

is exciting and fun! We are really

good at maths and writing, and

our new teachers make it

a happy place to be.

Hadeal Abdelatti and Errice

Harris, Da Vinci Class, Year2

I have never been part of a new

school before, but so far it has

been wonderful. Since we are

the first year group, we have a

big responsibility. We have toset an example for all the new

students who come next year.

Temisan Ebigeyi-Popo, Orwell

Class, Year7

staff andstudents

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13/16The Arrow| March 2011| 13

ARK The Journey

from the schools ethos (that small thing)

to the endless building meetings. I have

concentrated here on what I see as the central

tasks for a principal: recruiting the right staff

and developing them so they are consistently

expert teachers. Most will follow from this.

Observations are embedded in our culture

and are recognised by staff as a right, not an

imposition. We conducted 57 formal lesson

observations in the eight weeks before Ofsted,

and this undoubtedly helped. Everyone

observes everyone there is no hierarchical

structure to the schedule and no defensiveness

about feedback.

A useful corollary of our start up was that

many teachers this year, with only Year 7

classes, have extensive slack in their timetable.

We have used this time to support classes ina consistent way: 40% of our lessons have

two teachers in the room. This carefully

programmed co-teaching has had a direct

impact on pupil progress, and enabled Ofsted

to say, there are substantial opportunities

for staff to observe and work alongside other

colleagues [and] receive feedback. on their

own performance. As well as being a great

deal for the pupils, co-teaching has had

probably the greatest and quickest impact

on teacher professional development that

we have encountered.

We know we have been extremely

fortunate to have the chance to reflect,plan and build on all our prior experience in

opening a new academy. We will never lose

sight of this. Since opening we have turned

the communitys initial apprehensiveness

around. First choice Year 7 applications for

next September are up from 55 last year to

286, an increase of over 400%. The challenge

of sustaining our initial success of keeping

the consistency as the school expands is our

main focus in the coming months. The pupils

have also been endlessly told how privileged

they are as founder pupils, and that they

must not take this for granted. As weve said

over and over since we opened: we willnever have this opportunity again. That,

above all, is Ark Academys mantra for 2011.I

Pupils make outstanding progress

in their studies.

...outstanding aspects include the

consistently high expectations and rigorous

lesson planning.

...pupils really enjoy their lessons andappreciate the efforts of their teachers

to make them interesting.

The progress of pupils with special

educational needs is also outstanding.

What Ofstedsays

Delia Smith and students, main picture,opposite. Main picture, above: reception

pupils at carpet time. Above: all students

start each day with a 20-minute reading

lesson.Left: basketball in the gym

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ARK Higher education

14 | The Arrow| March 2011

At ARK, we want every pupil to do well

enough by age 18 to have real options: to go

to university or to follow the career of their

choice. The University Success Programme

is here to support schools in making sure the

pupils in our network are well prepared for

university when they leave us.

This year, the UK has record numbers ofyoung people applying to university, a relative

scarcity of graduate jobs and the prospect

of tuition fees increasing to 9,000 per year.

So why do we still want the majority of

ARK Sixth Form leavers to go?

There are strong reasons. Graduates are

more likely than non-graduates to be in work,

to command higher wages (the graduate

premium over A levels is estimated to be

100,000, net of tax, over a working lifetime),

and to be in a position to move jobs if they

choose. This increased earning power and

career mobility tends to extend to the

graduates family, as well. Graduates arealso more likely than non-graduates to enjoy

significant personal and social benefits.

Despite some progress, university

admission is still heavily influenced by

socioeconomic factors: those who attend

fee-paying schools are six times as likely to go

to a highly selective university as their peers

at state schools; and 22 times as likely as state

school pupils who receive free school meals.

So ARK students need the same opportunities

to gain life experiences that supplement good

grades in supporting successful applications.

Globe Academys STARZ programme

(News, page 2) is a good example of this.The University Success Programmes has

several priorities:

Curriculum design While providing an

appropriate set of options for all students,

the curriculum in ARK schools must allow

students to strengthen their position as

competitive candidates for top universities.

University advice Teachers need support in

advising students on curriculum choices and

navigating the university application process.Student experiences To aspire towards

learning at the highest levels, students need

opportunities to visit (and receive visits from)

universities, their students and staff.

Alumni trackingWe need to ensure there

is tracking of leavers destinations whether

to university, training courses or employment

leading to relationships of mutual support

after students have left our schools.

So there is plenty to do. It will be exciting

to begin delivering activities that can ensure

our students are competitive candidates for

the university of their choice when theyre 18.

Email University Success Programme ManagerRose McNamee at rose.mcnamee@arkonline.org

for more information on the programme.

A taste of OxfordLast winter, Walworth Academys Year 12

(and some Year 11) students took a revision

trip to Oxford. Hosted by Oxford Science

Studies at St Edwards School in the city,

its focus was on preparing them for their

upcoming AS exams while giving a taster

of studying in this historic university city.

The teaching mirrored the Oxford tutorial

system, with pupils learning in small classes,

often of three pupils or fewer. It really focusedtheir minds and left them feeling much better

prepared for their AS exams. I

Q.Whats changing?

Today, universities can charge around 3,000

per year for their undergraduate degrees; in

the future theyll all be able to charge up to

6,000 per year and some, in exceptional

circumstances, will be able to charge up to

9,000 per year.

Q.What if students cant afford

to pay 9,000 per year?

They dont have to tuition fees will

continue to be covered by Government-

funded loans, with no credit checks and

no mortgage-style repayment regimes.

Q.How will students be able to afford

their living costs?

In a similar way to now. Every eligible

student will be entitled to a maintenance

loan. Students from families with low

incomes will get a full maintenance grantas well, and there will be partial grants

available to some students from middle-

income families.

Q.So how does a student loan differ

from a mortgage or credit-card debt?

First, a tuition-fee loan is given to any

eligible student who applies for one,

regardless of credit history. Second, there

is no upfront cost, with payments only

beginning after graduation. Third, the loanis written off after 30 years if the graduate

hasnt repaid in full. Fourth, payments are

entirely contingent on the graduates income,

and only begin when a graduate earns

21,000 or more per year.

Q.But wont increases to the

interest rates make student

loans far more expensive?

The interest rate on a student loan

does not affect the amount the graduate

pays each month; rather, it affects the

length of time that the graduate pays it off

for. Even though student loan balances willget bigger, the monthly repayments will

always be affordable relative to what the

graduate earns.

Q.So when they earn enough,

how do the payments work?

Student loan repayments are 9% of income

over 21,000. So with a yearly salary of

22,000, a graduates total student loan

repayments for the year will be 9% of

1,000, in 12 monthly payments. Thisamounts to 90 per year in monthly

installments of 7.50.

Q. How does repaying the

maintenance loan work?

In exactly the same way as the tuition fee

loan the two figures are added together

and paid off together, under the same terms

and conditions.

Q. What about bursaries?

In future, if universities want to charge

more than 6,000 per year, they will need

to pass strict tests to prove that they arenot discriminating against poorer students.

They can do this by paying out more of their

extra income in the form of bursaries.

Calculating the cost Find out what the Governments changes touniversity funding will mean for students

ARKs University SuccessProgramme aims to ensure ourpupils have the best choices afterthey leave us. By Rose McNamee

Universitychallenge

Aspiration to top universities like Oxford

can be encouraged by local study trips

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ARK Literacy

ARK Schools has implementeda variety of initiatives to stimulatea passion for reading, writing anddiscussion among its pupils

Early reading skills are developed through a

strong synthetic phonics reading programme

that focuses on decoding words through

blending pure sounds. Once children have

basic reading skills, the focus is on reading

fluency and comprehension. Due to the large

numbers of children with English as a second

language, the challenge is to develop Englishspeaking and comprehension as quickly as

possible so the entire curriculum is accessible.

In 2011, we have a wide range of

activities taking place in our schools to

encourage a love of reading and writing.

On 3 March, we celebrate World Book Day

with posters, parades, books, authors and

special events. Schools will also be promoting

reading, writing, speaking and listening with

a separate Literacy Week, and some are also

planning a Poetry Week.

ARK runs a number of literacy-related

programmes, including Debate Mate, as

well as the ARK Spelling Bee and FirstStory, both featured here.

For more information on these initiatives,

contact Sherry Bent sherry.bent@arkonline.org

or Mark Masters mark.masters@arkonline.org

SpellboundOn 8 July 2010, Walworth Academy hosted

the first-ever ARK Spelling Bee, and teams

from Walworth, Charter, Burlington Danes

and Globe academies all took part in the final

heat, fielding their best spellers from Year 7 to

Year 9. The air of concentration was electric,

and words such as philanthropy, kaleidoscope

and onomatopoeia bounced off every tongue.

All of the teams were excellent, and it

was the students from Globe Academy

(pictured below) who eventually won the day.

Next year the competition is expected tobe even fiercer, as we are hoping that all

of ARKs academies will take up the challenge.

In their own wordsNow in its third year at Burlington Danes,

First Story is a writers club with a twist: its a

group of Key Stage 4 students with a talent for

creative writing (pictured above). They meet

each week with award-winning author,

Courttia Newland, to experiment with their

imaginations and tap into inner thoughts.

The beauty of First Story a national

charity promoting creative writing in British

schools is that, while it does attract a very

high calibre of student, it opens its doors

to pupils of all abilities. The atmosphere isreally great, enthuses Said Mohammed.

You see the other students acting maturely.

Courttias past is significant, too. He

attended Burlington Danes in the late eighties,

and the students love to hear about his

misdemeanours. Courttia describes First Story

as a chance to work with the freshest, most

passionate and talented new voices around.

The students are working on an anthology

of stories and poems, which will be published.

This year they all entered a national First

Story 100-word short story contest, which

was won by Burlington Danes pupil Fred Gill.

He says: First Story has inspired me to readmore and get more interested in literature.

The students have gone from strength to

strength, says the groups co-ordinator Kate

Pretsell. Im very proud to be part of it! I

The Arrow| March 2011 | 15

Love is a fragile transparent solid, used in windows.

Fear can be found in different sizes and used to write on.

Coke is another word for scared.

A statue is when you want something someone else has.

Regret is a musical instrument with six strings.

Hatred is made from the nutrients of the Earth.

Evil is the fizzy drink with the unique taste, usually brown.

Glass is when you take a strong dislike towards someone.Misery is something plastic you write with.

A wall is when you feel bad about something you've done.

Jealousy is the end of life.

The heart is a yellow fruit with skin you can peel easily.

Paper is the sadness you feel when you've done something

you wish you hadnt, or havent done something you

wish you had.

Love is used to build stuff.

A lightbulb is when you feel brave.

Hatred is a material made out of oil.

Ink is a feeling of dread or sadness.

Guilt is cement and clay mixed together to make buildings.Age is the sadness you feel when youre away from home.

Love is the room between things.

Love is all the gaps in the universe.

Courage is used for writing.

brought toook

Acollaborationbyall thestudentsinBurlingtonDanes First

Storygroup

Surreal

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