Ark (charity)

Absolute Return for Kids (ARK), is an international children's educational charity based in the United Kingdom.

Ark is a registered charity under English law and is based in London. In 2017–18 it had a gross income of £14.66 million with 42 employees.[1]

Ark is the parent organisation of Ark Schools, a separate legal entity that is a Multi-academy trust in the English education system, with 36 schools (as of 31 August 2018) and nearly 24,000 pupils.[2][3]

History

Ark was co-founded in 2002 by a group of hedge fund financiers including Paul Marshall and Ian Wace of Marshall Wace and Arpad Busson of EIM Group, who was the founding chairman of its board of trustees.

Its aim was to improve the life chances of children, by creating high returns on philanthropic investment. Since 2014, the charity has been known as Ark.

Its charitable objects are: "to make sure that all children, regardless of their background, have access to a great education and real choices in life. ark incubates, launches and scales ventures that share our mission and values."[4]

Activities

Ark operates in the UK, South Africa, Zimbabwe and India. In the US, it is affiliated to Absolute Return for Kids US, Inc. (Ark US), a US philanthropic organisation which shares Ark's mission, and which supports the work of Ark through grants.[5]

Ark works in the areas of Education, Health and Child Protection. In England, its subsidiary Ark Schools is a multi-academy trust responsible for the schools that Ark runs, and is a separate legal entity with exempt charity status.[6] (Prior to 2011, Ark Schools was a registered charity.[7])

Ark Schools was created in 2004 to work with the Department for Education and local authorities to create new schools for inner cities through the academies programme. Its aim is to help close the achievement gap between children from disadvantaged and more affluent backgrounds. Its academies focus on raising attainment with the aim of every pupil going into higher education when they complete school. They are frequently held up by the government as an example of a successful multi-academy trust, where at least seven others were failing. [8] Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw stepped down in 2016 and was replaced by Amanda Spielman, the founder of Ark Schools and an accountant.[8]

As of 2019, Ark runs 36 schools in the English education system, and plans to grow further in spite of being criticised for running schools at a deficit.[9]

List of Ark schools in England

Primary schools
  • Ark Atwood Primary Academy, Westminster
  • Ark Ayrton Primary Academy, Portsmouth
  • Ark Bentworth Primary Academy, Hammersmith & Fulham
  • Ark Blacklands Primary Academy, Hastings
  • Ark Brunel Primary Academy, Kensington and Chelsea
  • Ark Byron Primary Academy, Ealing
  • Ark Castledown Primary Academy, Hastings
  • Ark Chamberlain Academy, Birmingham
  • Ark Conway Primary Academy, Hammersmith & Fulham
  • Ark Dickens Primary Academy, Portsmouth
  • Ark Franklin Primary Academy, Brent
  • Ark John Archer Primary Academy, Wandsworth
  • Ark Little Ridge Primary Academy, Hastings
  • Ark Oval Primary Academy, Croydon
  • Ark Priory Primary Academy, Ealing
  • Ark Rose Primary Academy, Birmingham
  • Ark Swift Primary Academy, Hammersmith & Fulham
  • Ark Tindal Primary Academy, Birmingham

Secondary schools

All-through schools

Ark Board of Trustees

As of November 2018 its trustees are Ian Wace (Chairman), Lord Fink, Sir Paul Marshall, Anthony Williams and Anthony Clake.[10]

Ark's Founding Chairman, Arpad Busson, is a member of the Global Board and is Chairman of Absolute Return for Kids, US, Inc.

See also

References
  1. Charity Commission. Absolute Return for Kids, registered charity no. 1095322.
  2. GovUK: Ark Schools
  3. Ofsted reports
  4. Charity Commission. Absolute Return for Kids, registered charity no. 1095322.
  5. Ark: Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2018.
  6. Ark: Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2018.
  7. Charity Commission. ARK Schools, registered charity no. 1111608.
  8. Adams Education, Richard (15 June 2016). "Few multi-academy trusts good enough to improve schools, says Wilshaw". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  9. Hazell, Will (11 January 2018). "Ark reports £4m loss and relies on loans between its schools to cover deficits". Tes. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  10. Ark: Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2018.

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