ARK schools are celebrating another improved set of GCSE results with the publication of secondary school league tables today. GCSE results at our established schools rose from 56% to 61% in one year (5 grades A*-C including English and Maths). For those schools open for more than a year when pupils took their GCSEs, on average there has been a rise of 34 percentage points since becoming an ARK school. Overall across the ARK network, including our new schools, 57% of students achieved 5 grades A*-C including English and maths.
On 10 January, staff at ARK All Saints Academy welcomed students into their brand new building for the start of the new term. The students were excited, impressed and a little nervous, but after a full day of inductions they couldn’t wait to get started on lessons in their new surroundings.
On 12 December 2013, one lucky ARK Schools student was selected to be a mascot at a UEFA Europa League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Russian football club Anzhi Makhachkala. Nicholas, a year 4 student at ARK Franklin Primary Academy, attended the match with his father and godfather. He got a moment of glory on the pitch, walking down the tunnel and onto the pitch with stars like Andros Townsend and Hugo Lloris during the pre-match introductions.
“Not something you do every day”
Pupils from nine ARK secondary schools became diplomats for the day when they took part in the second Model United Nations (MUN) conference hosted by King Solomon Academy on 13 December. They participated in a day of debate, diplomacy and resolution around the theme of ‘Protecting Our Future: Preparing for the Threats of Climate Change.' Delegates researched and prepared position papers in advance and proved to be adept at representing the interests of their allocated United Nations country or committee.
A pioneering band musicianship project has launched at ARK Kings Academy in Birmingham. From today, every student in Years 7 and 8 will receive small group tuition to learn singing, guitar or drums as part of a special curriculum designed to develop band musicianship skills.
The programme is being incorporated into ARK Kings’ existing music curriculum. The instruments will be completely new to the students and they will also have the option to take up additional instrumental tuition in the future, as other year groups currently do.
Bolingbroke Academy in Clapham Junction has today been endorsed by Ofsted, the independent inspector of schools, as a good school. Opened only 15 months ago, the Ofsted report praised the school as providing students with “a springboard to a successful future.”
Let this video from the students of ARK Putney Academy bring a smile to your face as we head into the holiday season. From playing in the snow to UGG boots, find out what they're most looking forward to over the Christmas holidays.
Mathematics Mastery, which was recently featured on Newsnight, combines some of the world's best teaching techniques to give pupils great foundations in maths. It was developed in collaboration with maths leaders in ARK primaries and secondaries and is now used in over 100 schools across the country. As the team works with even more schools, they are looking for new recruits to share Maths Mastery ideas and inspire pupils.
Building strong foundations
The Ark Teacher Training Programme today received approval to deliver its own training to aspiring teachers. Ark’s academies will join the 77 schools in England already approved by the National College of Teaching and Leadership to deliver initial teacher training to a new generation of young educators.
The politician who aspires to run the country’s education system chose to visit ARK Globe Academy near Elephant and Castle on Wednesday to talk to students about their own career aspirations.
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