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 6-12 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
- Parent Governors
- One Teaching Staff Governor
- One Non-teaching Staff Governor
- One Local Authority representative
- Two governors appointed by the Diocese
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 Charles Shaw (charles.shaw@arkonline.org). Please contact them if you have any governance-related queries, or would like to contact one of the governors.
Our Governors
Amy McJennett
Lesley Hurst
Link: Church School, Values & Ethos
Lesley is a Diocese of Chichester appointed Governor. She is an experienced school governor, having governed in a special needs school and both primary and secondary schools. Lesley is Assistant Director of Education for the Diocese of Chichester and is responsible for a variety of issues concerning schools including land and buildings, school organisation and working with external organisations.
Bryan Knope
Link: Health & Safety
Bryan Knope is an Ark appointed Governor, being Head of Estates across the whole Trust. He manages all the school buildings within Ark. He lives in Kent, and although he spends much of his time on-site, he is based at Ark Central’s main office in London.
Fiona Lewis
Link: Safeguarding
I am a Practice Manager for Children’s Services at East Sussex County Council. My previous role was as a Child Protection Chair and Independent Reviewing Officer which involved overseeing Child Protection and Looked After Child plans and brought me into contact with schools across the Country. I have also been an Associate Tutor / Lecturer at Sussex University. I grew up in Hastings and feel strongly that children should be provided with the same opportunities and ambitions as those in other areas of the country. I have had three children and two step-children at Ark schools so feel that I have a good understanding of what the Academy has to offer, its strengths and those areas where there is the potential to improve.
Patricia Millett
Link: SEND
Patricia graduated in History and spent 15 years as an investment banker before training as a secondary school French teacher. Further training in SEND allowed her to address the breadth and complexity of teaching and she focused increasingly in this area over a 20-year career. No longer teaching, Patricia is actively involved in the NFP sector as a trustee on music and visual arts boards with particular focus in participation work with children and their communities. She believes in the transformative power of education and the importance of literacy to overcoming barriers to learning.
Mark Tewkesbury
Link: Finance, Communications & Community
Mark has lived in the Hastings area for 20 years, and has daughters at the school, which gives him a good understanding of and a vested interest in the standards which the school strives to achieve. He works from home for a large banking group and in his spare time he is a volunteer Coxswain for the RNLI in Hastings, which sees him leading a team in unpredictable and challenging circumstances.
Holly Woods
Link: Pupil Premium & LAC, RSHE
I have taught in a special needs school in Hastings for the last 15 years. As part of my role, I work closely with many mainstream schools across the county to ensure appropriate provision is available for children with behavioural difficulties or a diagnosed SEN. I have 3 children who all have been educated in Ark schools, primary and secondary. I have witnessed and been part of the change to an academy and understands the strengths and areas of development needed in his process.
Rhys Spiers
Heads of School
Tommy Ittu (Head of Lower School) and Alex Birks-Agnew (Head of Upper School) attend LGB meetings as contributors.