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
Katie Oliver
Katie joined Ark in 2006, just before the first Ark school opened and since then has undertaken a number of different roles including Projects Director, responsible for growing the schools network, and Operations Director. In 2019, Katie identified Early Years as an area where Ark could be having more impact and as Director of Ark Start, leads our growing nursery network, as well as advocating for the importance of Early Years in national policy. Ark Start currently operates two nurseries in South London and has plans to expand quickly over the coming years.
Camilla Al-Hariri
Camilla is the Head of University and Careers at KSA. She has worked at the Academy since 2012, after graduating from University of Cambridge with a 1st class degree in Natural Sciences. Camilla began working with our first secondary school cohort, co2016, and setting up the work experience programme and external exams processes. Since then, she has worked in formalising and delivering our school’s careers and university programme, ensuring all students are prepared for university and the workplace. She is motivated to be a governor to help contribute to the strategic decision making needed as the school moves forward and to ensure student preparedness for university and success in the workplace is a priority at every level of decision making.
Nafsika Butler-Thalassis
Nafsika Butler-Thalassis is the Cabinet member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and the Voluntary Sector in Westminster Council. Additionally, she works for the BME Health Forum, a local charity that specialises in reducing health inequalities for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. She has two children, one of whom attends King Solomon Academy.
Anton Gjoka
With one child at King Solomon Academy, secondary school maths teacher Anton is delighted to support the school as a parent governor.
Fatma Nasr
As a parent and language teacher, Fatma is always concerned about the quality of teaching and learning in schools. Fatma strongly believes that we must tackle the inequality in education, and is very willing to collaborate to achieve this. Fatma is also aware of the challenges that educators may face in schools nowadays, and wants to contribute to improving the lives of all the children and teachers by collaborating with the leaders of schools to be more effective.
Sinem Oyzoyn
Sinem Oyzoyn is an alumni of King Solomon Academy. Sinem graduated from the University of Warwick and is a Teach First Ambassador. Sinem feels privileged to have attended KSA and serve KSA as a school governor.
Kristen Shannon
Kristen Shannon's is the founder and CEO of Highliner Technology -a tech-start up consultancy that enables accelerated growth through operations. She has experience both in the education sector and technology sector and has worked as a Head of Recruitment as well as a COO. She brings her experience of recruitment and operations to the board as well as a passion for STEM education.
Julian Simmonds
Julian Simmonds spent his entire career at Citigroup and retired as an Executive Vice President in 2001. He has now other business interests in the property sector and is an independent non-executive director of VTB Capital PLC, a major Russian bank. He has 2 children and 1 grandson. After retiring from Citigroup, Julian spent 8 years as chair of governors at Notting Hill & Ealing High School overseeing a complete rebuild of the heart of the school. Since moving to Chelsea, he has become a governor and chairs the Finance Committee at the Chelsea Academy. Julian also sits on the advisory council of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He enjoys strenuous work-outs in the gym. Julian hopes that his various experiences will help him make a positive difference to the Academy.
Roger Vinter
Roger's motivation for being a governor is that he feels passionate about every child no matter what their background being given an equal chance to succeed academically and improve their future life opportunities. As a governor Roger brings his general experience and educational knowledge to bear in discussion with school leaders and not only support but can suggest improvements in educational standards and student welfare.