How Ark's governance works
Every school in the Ark network is the legal responsibility of the Ark Schools Board. This board focuses on statutory duties and delegates most day-to-day responsibilities to each school’s individual Local Governing Body (LGB).
This means that our Academy's governors are able to concentrate on the things that really matter – educational strategy, school outcomes and aspiration.
The Ark Schools Decision Making Framework outlines where responsibility and accountability sits for the key functional areas within Ark Schools between the ‘tiers’ of governance.
Our Local Governing Body
Our Local Governing Body (LGB) is made up of 6-10 members – usually people with a local connection or interest who are committed to supporting educational opportunity in the area. The board generally includes:
- Academy Principal
- Up to two Parent Governors
- One Teaching Staff Governor
- One Non-teaching Staff Governor
- One Local Authority representative
We aim to create a balanced group that will have the right skills, connections and dynamic for the LGB to work well and support the school in achieving exceptional performance. Attributes we look for include:
- Good insight into the specific challenges at the school and the general challenges of operating top-quality schools
- Excellent community links
- Specific skills as needed by/relevant to the school
- A link to the senior executive team of Ark Schools
All appointments are made by the Director of Governance for Ark Schools. The term of a governor is three years, except for the Principal, who remains a governor for the duration of his or her time in post. Governors may be reappointed for further terms.
The LGB meets four times a year.
Becoming a governor
If you have an interest and commitment to improving education, and would like to make a difference within your community, please register your interest in becoming a governor by completing our online Governor Application Form. If you have any questions about a governor’s role or responsibilities please contact us at governance.team@arkonline.org
A full programme of induction, training and support is provided. You can see more information, including role specifications here.
Contacting the governors
The current Clerk to Governors is Sakina Marzban (sakina.marzban@arkonline.org). Please contact them if you have any governance-related queries, or would like to contact one of the governors.
Our Governors
Gerard Griffin
Gerard Griffin is managing partner at Chilmark Capital Management. Previously, he was Portfolio Manager at GLG Partners and CEO and founder of Tisbury Capital Management. Gerard currently serves as Chair of the Board of Governors of Isaac Newton Academy and as a Director of ARK Schools, and is on the board of St Luke's Centre in Manchester. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and received a joint B.A. and M.A. in Political Science from Yale in 1990, and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1996.
Sheraz Bhatti
Sheraz has been appointed as a parent governor on the LGB.
Joanna Fookes
Joanna practised as a solicitor in and around the City of London for over 20 years, specialising in dispute resolution and risk management for professional clients. She recently began a new career as a languages teacher and currently teaches French in a non-selective secondary academy in London. She believes strongly in the importance of equity in education and aims to play a part in ensuring that the schoolchildren of her community receive the best possible education, so that they are able to exploit their potential fully in school and in later life.
Claire Hickling
Claire is a professional tutor in the London area and trains teachers at the beginning of their careers. She was a science teacher for many years and has experience of safeguarding, behaviour and inclusion in schools.
Masum Hussain
Sayeqa Islam
Sayeqa joined Ark in July 2013 and is the Head of People Development, having previously worked for Stonewall and the English-Speaking Union, managing their education programmes. Sayeqa graduated in law and economics from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand - and started working in a criminal law chamber. She then moved into consulting for a range of charitable organisations - such as the British Council, Open Society Foundations and the Qatar Foundation - on integrating the use of communication and advocacy skills in education settings. Sayeqa has been a trainer in over 20 countries, and in her spare time, coaches the Team England debate team competing at the World Championships in 2015.
Samantha Jones
Sam joined Isaac Newton Academy in December 2016, originally in the role of PA to the Principal and now having progressed into Executive Assistant & HR Lead. She joined the education sector as she believed she could help to inspire and have a positive influence on young peoples lives in the community.
Joseph Lawlor
Joseph Lawlor is a Deputy Head in North London. He has 11 years' experience of working in education, including five years of senior leadership. Joseph believes in the transformational power of education to young people's life chances and is dedicated to ensuring every young person gets the best education possible.
Sajida Majid
Sajida is a qualified Solicitor and Teaching Assistant, and has previously worked in the school in the capacity of Volunteer Parent Assistant. Sajida is passionate about every child being able to access outstanding education.
Adarsh Ramchurn
Adarsh joins as an Ark Appointed Governor, having been a member of the first cohort of students at INA. He is currently completing a degree apprenticeship in Business Management with Social Change at Queen Mary, whilst working at The Royal Society of Arts.
Zainab Yusuf
Zainab Yusuf is an Investor Relations and Business Development professional at an infrastructure fund. Prior to this she spent 5 years in Investment Banking and a Fintech company, specialising in fundraising for listed companies. She has previously worked as a private tutor, and a tutor at a supplementary school. Zainab has always been passionate about the education sector in ensuring that future generations, irrespective of their backgrounds and nationalities, are afforded a good standard of education and therefore have access to a wide pool of opportunities.
Having built substantial experience in helping companies with fundraising and navigating strategic decisions, Zainab would love the opportunity to use her experience to help make a difference.
