Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Arrow
ARK ACAdEMY
THE INSIDE STORY
UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE
Preparing pupils for higher education
REAd ALL AboUT IT
How ARK is nurturing a love of literacy
PLUS: bEYoNd THE SUMMIT
Your feedback from the big day
ARK News
GCSEs: the
final figures
The official GCSE results figures
for all schools in England were
published in January, and they
confirmed 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 of 12 percentage points over
last year.
The final figures for these
academies (percentage achieving
five A*-C grades including English
and maths) were:
■ Burlington Danes: 67% (2009,
50%) top 10 for GCSE performance The Government’s recent chains or federations such as
■ Charter: 24% (2009, 21%) among all academies that have White Paper on education ARK Schools... have an even
■ Globe: 42% (2009, 35%) been open for at least two highlighted the successes of the larger proportion of their pupils
■ St Alban’s: 50% (2009, 31%) years. St Alban’s joins them in academy programme, and of achieving five or more A*- C
■ Walworth: 59% (2009, 45%) the top 20, when ranked by the ARK network in particular, grades at GCSE on average
Both Burlington Danes and improvement in GCSE results concluding that “those than pupils of academies not
Walworth academies are in the since 2007. Academies which are part of in a chain.”
ARK News
ARK Conway, a new primary school, will open in September in this former Hammersmith library
and the school has a distinctive
logo (above), by leading artist of the existing St Michael and Southwark Diocese will continue September. Head teachers, Daniel
Michael Craig-Martin. All Angels Church of England to run the school until 2013, with Upfield at Atwood in Westminster,
ARK Schools is also working Academy in Southwark, which ARK providing some support. and Damian McBeath at Conway
with local parents to open will close in July 2013. Despite ARK will also open two in Hammersmith, have held well-
Bolingbroke Academy in significant recent success, the London primary schools in attended information sessions.
Wandsworth in 2012, to address existing school’s falling rolls
the area’s shortage of secondary undermined its viability and
school places. More than 2,400 threatened its planned building
people backed the parent-run programme. ARK’s sponsorship
Neighbourhood School Campaign has secured the building
(NSC) for a new school, as did programme and the new
politicians from all major parties. academy will open to Year 7
The NSC concluded that ARK pupils in 2013. Year 7 and 8
was most closely aligned to their pupils will transfer to other local
vision for the school after visiting schools this September. Year 9
four academies in the network. and 10s will complete their
ARK is also opening a new studies at St Michael’s, so they
academy in 2013 on the site can focus on their GCSEs. The Primary head teachers: Damian McBeath (left) and Daniel Upfield
ARK News
NewYork ARK
masterclass updates
Following the success of Doug
Lemov’s workshops at the ARK
Schools Summit, a group of Ofsted successes: Ark
teachers from across the network Academy has received an
travelled to Albany, New York, “outstanding” rating after its
last December, to take part in first full Ofsted inspection since
a two-day “train the trainer” opening (more on page 10).
workshop delivered by Doug Ofsted also completed their first
(pictured below) and his team monitoring of St Alban’s Academy
The trip was an opportunity Hasnain, who described his visit Globe pupils’ winning design:
to work with teachers from across as “a great success, with pupils Four Year 10 pupils from Globe
the USA, all of whom work in asking very detailed questions”. Academy have beaten 900 other
schools committed to closing ARK aims to bring a wide students to win the Virtual
the achievement gap. range of visitors to our schools, Ventura Award, run by the Design
“Using the techniques, I have and encourages primary and Museum in London. Rajun
been amazed at how the students International. Following Steve secondary academies to register Hussain, Heshmatullah Tajik,
have responded,” said Natalie Crawshaw’s talk at Burlington their interest with ARK and Freddy Hussain and Armin
Sheppard, Small School Head Danes, Year 9 student Mohamed through Speakers for Schools Druzanovic invented the “Dish
Teacher at Globe Academy. “I feel Sheryanna commented: “It and the Education and Dash”, a plate that folds into a
lucky to have been given such was amazing to hear how Employers Taskforce. box, designed to carry food home
hope about what is possible.” from restaurants.
bEYoNd THE
SUMMIT...
Last November, nearly 1,000 ARK Schools staff met to celebrate how The same top rating was given by more
far we have come and to look to the future. By Georgina Cavaliere than 90% of those who attended the session
on line management delivered by Sir Keith
November 1 2010 saw the inaugural ARK from teaching and line management, to Ajegbo, while more than 60% of those
Schools Summit, held in central London. The “soft” skills such as conflict resolution and support staff who joined the “Excellence
event brought together more than 800 staff time management. All sessions were designed behind the scenes” session by Rob Dominic,
working in all roles across all our schools and to give delegates practical techniques they rated it “excellent”.
was the first time the whole network had could use immediately on returning to school. We have also listened to your feedback and
gathered under one roof. We wanted the day Overall, feedback from the day was want to ensure the day is even more enjoyable
to be an opportunity to celebrate our success, extremely positive. Doug Lemov’s “Teach like next time. One of the areas we are working on
learn together and look to the future while a Champion” sessions were a high point for is staggering the end of workshops to avoid
providing an opportunity for everybody teaching staff, with more than 77% rating overcrowding at lunch time.
to meet with their peers in other schools. the session “excellent”; while over 90% of After the Summit, many schools held
External experts provided training sessions the delegates who attended Jay Altman’s an INSET day to allow themselves the
in a wide variety of areas, covering everything session on small schools, rated it “excellent”. opportunity to put their new skills into
practice: many of
People at Doug Lemov’s teaching
the Summit strategies were applied
(clockwise, in the classrooms and
from first right): a small group of senior
award-winning staff from across the
LSA Helen ARK Schools network
Kolawole with visited the US to attend
Sally Coates; a training programme
Jay Altman; with Doug Lemov
Doug Lemov; (see News, page 5).
Dylan Wiliam Many of the training
and Venessa sessions offered at the
Willms Summit were “tasters”
of the network-wide
Training and Professional
Development menu that
ARK Summit
St Alban’s
Academy
A Winter’s Tale
Charter
Academy
A Midsummer
Night’s Dream
King Solomon
Academy
Macbeth
Evelyn Grace
Academy
Macbeth
Burlington
Danes Academy
A Midsummer
Night’s Dream AR K
LIGHTS UP
THE STAGE
On 18 and 19 November, more than 150
pupils of various ages came from across
the ARK Schools network to London’s Shaw
Globe Theatre to perform abridged versions of
Shakespeare’s plays. By Sarah Gregory
Academy
Romeo and Macbeth’s witches were brought to life with
Juliet 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 Jones. “It was an absolute delight being
Alison Tyreman, the school’s Head of English. in a professional space,” he said.
“Their confidence has soared and they are a The performances of A Midsummer Night’s
tighter team.” Dream could not have been more different,
Taking on the same play, King Solomon yet were equally delightful to watch. Charter
Academy students used clever props to great Academy put on a spirited show, delivering
effect, decapitating Macbeth and holding his their speeches excellently and filling their
head high. Although the youngest of the performance with humour. Every cast
performers, they took on this complex tale member shone from the moment they
with great maturity. entered the stage, with particular moments of
In Walworth Academy’s Romeo and greatness from Bottom, Puck and the fairies.
Juliet, Benvolio inhabited his role with “Engaging in a professional event for the
great humour, as did Lord Capulet, who was public was an exciting and vibrant experience
portrayed in the style of for all of us,” commented Lynda O’Neill,
Walworth a used-car salesman. Their Charter Academy’s Head
wit was a counterbalance “Their of Dance and Drama.
Academy to the death of Mercutio, confidence Burlington Danes set
Romeo and who was slain in dramatic has soared a high benchmark for
Juliet Hollywood style. future performances
In Globe Academy’s
and they are with excellent acting,
performance of the same a tighter direction and styling.
play, Friar Lawrence was team” They brought the story
a show stealer, and the together in a highly
fight scene, employing original way, with highlights from those
professionally playing Bottom, Puck, Oberon and Francis
choreographed stage Flute. Their bright interpretation was very
swordsmanship, was well delivered and the pleasure of the cast
exhilarating to watch, was very clear to see. “All of them want to do
as were the light-footed it again – right now!” said their drama teacher
boys and girls who danced Matthew Rowlands-Roberts after the show.
in the banqueting scene. St Alban’s brave rendition of the
“Before doing the challenging A Winter’s Tale produced
Shakespeare Schools particularly strong performances from the
Festival I didn’t really students in the roles of Hermione, Time,
understand Shakespeare, and Polixenes, as they told this moving
it was like another story of lost love. “This event has raised
language,” observed pupils’ self-esteem as well as their focus on
one Globe student with verse speaking and finding the meaning in
an enthusiasm that was text,” said Andrew Cooley, Head of English
shared by the school’s at St Alban’s. “It has created a group of expert
Head of Drama and pupils able to bring new understanding of
Performing Arts, Russell Shakespeare to the classroom.” ■
THE JoURNEY
To oUTSTANdING
The second of ARK’s new schools to receive an outstanding
Ofsted report, Ark Academy has achieved a great deal in a
very short time. Principal Delia Smith OBE reveals how
when we learn together. Our induction of staff real live students we had spent so long crucially, we got it from day one, allowing
helped establish this culture. Teaching and preparing for! us to capitalise on all the enthusiasm and
learning formed the largest part of training, So we had the right people, a clear vision curiosity our founder students brought with
along with the writing of detailed schemes of backed up by detailed plans, and a first-rate them at the start of their time with us.
work with senior leadership team support – training programme. And from that we got There are, as we all know, myriad factors
really stretching stuff. However, it is true that what the lead Ofsted inspector highlighted that contribute to the development of a school
by 20 September we were all going a little at the start of his feedback: “Six great lessons that I have not mentioned, from the design of
stir crazy, and were desperate to see all the a day, consistently across the school.” And, the curriculum to the pupils’ induction plan;
from the school’s ethos (that small thing) imposition. We conducted 57 formal lesson around. First choice Year 7 applications for
to the endless building meetings. I have observations in the eight weeks before Ofsted, next September are up from 55 last year to
concentrated here on what I see as the central and this undoubtedly helped. Everyone 286, an increase of over 400%. The challenge
tasks for a principal: recruiting the right staff observes everyone – there is no hierarchical of sustaining our initial success – of keeping
and developing them so they are consistently structure to the schedule and no defensiveness the consistency as the school expands – is our
“expert teachers”. Most will follow from this. about feedback. main focus in the coming months. The pupils
Observations are embedded in our culture A useful corollary of our start up was that have also been endlessly told how privileged
and are recognised by staff as a right, not an many teachers this year, with only Year 7 they are as “founder pupils”, and that they
classes, have extensive slack in their timetable. must not take this for granted. As we’ve said
We have used this time to support classes in over and over since we opened: “we will
a consistent way: 40% of our lessons have never have this opportunity again”. That,
two teachers in the room. This carefully above all, is Ark Academy’s mantra for 2011. ■
programmed co-teaching has had a direct
impact on pupil progress, and enabled Ofsted
to say, “there are substantial opportunities What Ofsted
for staff to observe and work alongside other
colleagues [and] receive feedback…. on their
says
own performance”. As well as being a great “Pupils make outstanding progress
deal for the pupils, co-teaching has had in their studies.”
probably the greatest and quickest impact “...outstanding aspects include the
on teacher professional development that consistently high expectations and rigorous
we have encountered. lesson planning.”
We know we have been extremely
Delia Smith and students, main picture, fortunate to have the chance to reflect, “...pupils really enjoy their lessons and
opposite. Main picture, above: reception plan and build on all our prior experience in appreciate the efforts of their teachers
pupils at carpet time. Above: all students opening a new academy. We will never lose to make them interesting.”
start each day with a 20-minute reading sight of this. Since opening we have turned “The progress of pupils with special
lesson. Left: basketball in the gym the community’s initial apprehensiveness educational needs is also outstanding.”
ARK’s University Success At ARK, we want every pupil to do well Curriculum design While providing an
Programme aims to ensure our enough by age 18 to have real options: to go appropriate set of options for all students,
pupils have the best choices after to university or to follow the career of their the curriculum in ARK schools must allow
choice. The University Success Programme students to strengthen their position as
they leave us. By Rose McNamee
is here to support schools in making sure the competitive candidates for top universities.
pupils in our network are well prepared for University advice Teachers need support in
Q. What’s changing? Q. So how does a student loan differ Q. So when they earn enough,
Today, universities can charge around £3,000 from a mortgage or credit-card debt? how do the payments work?
per year for their undergraduate degrees; in First, a tuition-fee loan is given to any Student loan repayments are 9% of income
the future they’ll all be able to charge up to eligible student who applies for one, over £21,000. So with a yearly salary of
£6,000 per year – and some, in “exceptional regardless of credit history. Second, there £22,000, a graduate’s total student loan
circumstances”, will be able to charge up to is no upfront cost, with payments only repayments for the year will be 9% of
£9,000 per year. beginning after graduation. Third, the loan £1,000, in 12 monthly payments. This
is written off after 30 years if the graduate amounts to £90 per year in monthly
Q. What if students can’t afford hasn’t repaid in full. Fourth, payments are installments of £7.50.
to pay £9,000 per year? entirely contingent on the graduate’s income,
They don’t have to – tuition fees will and only begin when a graduate earns Q. How does repaying the
continue to be covered by Government- £21,000 or more per year. maintenance loan work?
funded loans, with no credit checks and In exactly the same way as the tuition fee
no mortgage-style repayment regimes. Q. But won’t increases to the loan – the two figures are added together
interest rates make student and paid off together, under the same terms
Q. How will students be able to afford loans far more expensive? and conditions.
their living costs? The interest rate on a student loan
In a similar way to now. Every eligible does not affect the amount the graduate Q. What about bursaries?
student will be entitled to a maintenance pays each month; rather, it affects the In future, if universities want to charge
loan. Students from families with low length of time that the graduate pays it off more than £6,000 per year, they will need
incomes will get a full maintenance grant for. Even though student loan balances will to pass strict tests to prove that they are
as well, and there will be partial grants get bigger, the monthly repayments will not discriminating against poorer students.
available to some students from middle- always be affordable relative to what the They can do this by paying out more of their
income families. graduate earns. extra income in the form of bursaries.
ARK Literacy
brought to book
ARK Schools has implemented Spellbound In their own words
a variety of initiatives to stimulate On 8 July 2010, Walworth Academy hosted Now in its third year at Burlington Danes,
a passion for reading, writing and the first-ever ARK Spelling Bee, and teams First Story is a writers’ club with a twist: it’s a
discussion among its pupils from Walworth, Charter, Burlington Danes group of Key Stage 4 students with a talent for
and Globe academies all took part in the final creative writing (pictured above). They meet
Early reading skills are developed through a heat, fielding their best spellers from Year 7 to each week with award-winning author,
strong synthetic phonics reading programme Year 9. The air of concentration was electric, Courttia Newland, to experiment with their
that focuses on decoding words through and words such as philanthropy, kaleidoscope imaginations and tap into inner thoughts.
blending pure sounds. Once children have and onomatopoeia bounced off every tongue. The beauty of First Story – a national
basic reading skills, the focus is on reading All of the teams were excellent, and it charity promoting creative writing in British
fluency and comprehension. Due to the large was the students from Globe Academy schools – is that, while it does attract a very
numbers of children with English as a second (pictured below) who eventually won the day. high calibre of student, it opens its doors
language, the challenge is to develop English Next year the competition is expected to to pupils of all abilities. “The atmosphere is
speaking and comprehension as quickly as be even fiercer, as we are hoping that all really great,” enthuses Said Mohammed.
possible so the entire curriculum is accessible. of ARK’s academies will take up the challenge. “You see the other students acting maturely.”
In 2011, we have a wide range of Courttia’s past is significant, too. He
activities taking place in our schools to attended Burlington Danes in the late eighties,
encourage a love of reading and writing. and the students love to hear about his
On 3 March, we celebrate World Book Day misdemeanours. Courttia describes First Story
with posters, parades, books, authors and as “a chance to work with the freshest, most
special events. Schools will also be promoting passionate and talented new voices around”.
reading, writing, speaking and listening with The students are working on an anthology
a separate Literacy Week, and some are also of stories and poems, which will be published.
planning a Poetry Week. This year they all entered a national First
ARK runs a number of literacy-related Story 100-word short story contest, which
programmes, including Debate Mate, as was won by Burlington Danes pupil Fred Gill.
well as the ARK Spelling Bee and First He says: “First Story has inspired me to read
Story, both featured here. more and get more interested in literature.”
For more information on these initiatives, “The students have gone from strength to
contact Sherry Bent sherry.bent@arkonline.org strength,” says the group’s co-ordinator Kate
or Mark Masters mark.masters@arkonline.org Pretsell. “I’m very proud to be part of it!” ■
P I N
Please get in touch with us
at The Arrow with all your
school news, teaching tips,
staff updates... anything
that would be of interest
to your ARK colleagues.
BOARD
arrow@arkonline.org
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Mark Gregory, Vice Principal
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traditional about courses at King’s College
meet and greet at the ent extended provision, and great teaching across the
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