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 Vanessa Watson (vanessa.watson@arkonline.org). Please contact them if you have any governance-related queries, or would like to contact one of the governors.
Our Governors
Paul Campbell
Paul was born in Newcastle and grew up in Yorkshire. He attended a local comprehensive school and then Cambridge University. After a period working in investment banking he co-founded an asset management business and held the role of CEO for fifteen years. Paul takes a keen interest in education, believing passionately that all children should have access to a quality education capable of equipping them to fulfill their potential.
Thomas Buckett
Tom lives in Acton with his wife, two teenage daughters and dog, he grew up in West London and has made a life for himself here. In his professional life he is a partner in an Executive Search firm and spends much of his time advising and consulting with senior leaders in financial services on talent. He is passionate about purposeful engagement and affording individuals the opportunity to truly shine in whatever direction they choose.
Tom is passionate about tennis and endurance running, having completed Ironman events and ultra distance marathons.
Nadine Butler
I am an experienced Deputy DSL at Ark Acton Academy. I work very closely with our Vice Principal to ensure all students and staff are safe. However, I have an invested interest in all things Equality Diversity and Inclusion. One of my many hats that I wear outside of AAA, is that I sit on the Ealing panel that approves both Adopters and Foster Carers as well as matching placements. I also sit on the Equality, Exclusion and Attendance Board for Barnet and I am a parent governor. As I am a governor outside of Ark it has been a fascinating journey to see how schools are run outside of the day-to-day functions. As an employee, I believe very much in Mr Knight's vision for the school and all those that attend. With that being said, I would like to contribute and help move the school forward in a positive way to ensure that all who attend leave school with the skills to become a good role model and inspiration to their community.
Dr. Andrew Curtis
Dr. Curtis is a passionate believer in educational opportunity for all and much of his career has reflected this. His current position is Research and Evaluation Manager at Paul Hamlyn Foundation, an organisation committed to social justice. His daughter attends Ark Acton and he has been impressed with the school’s transformation over the last few years and the vital role it plays in the local community. As parent governor he would be able to bring a broader perspective of educational issues as well as real life experience as a parent of a student at the school.
Konstantina Drakouli
Konstantina has been a resident of Ealing for 15 years, and is the parent of two children in state-funded secondary schools in the Borough. Therefore, she has a wide knowledge and acute interest in the quality of public education in her locality. Professionally, Konstantina is employed full-time in the finance industry and has participated in bank recruitment programmes for students of sixth form. She is able to lend that experience to Ark Acton in order to help students interested in that career path with an applied, pragmatic and hands-on perspective.
Josephine Gayton
Josephine is an experienced R&D professional who has worked in the pharmaceutical industry since 1999. She is currently the Chief Development Officer at Precirix, a Belgium based biotech company developing drugs to treat cancer. Before moving into the pharmaceutical industry, she gained a PhD at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, in molecular biology and genetics.
She also has a BSc (1st class Hons) from Sussex University in Biology with European Studies (French) and a diploma from the Universite Joseph Fourier, Grenoble. Josie is a keen scuba diver, skier and more recently a snow boarder. She lives in London with her husband, secondary age twin children and twin cats. Josephine was previously the parent governor at Ark Byron for a three year term.
Kiera Oluwunmi
Kiera Oluwunmi is a Barrister practising in criminal law. Prior to being called to the Bar, Kiera worked for a member of the House of Lords and completed leadership programmes with a focus on reconciliation in her native Northern Ireland. Kiera had volunteered leading workshops and careers advice panels for school leavers as well as those not in education and employment. Kiera has volunteered extensively with those affected by homelessness and refugees and feels passionately about amplifying the voices of those who feel disillusioned by society. In this role as a governor, Kiera hopes to bring her experience from advocating for the vulnerable and entering a competitive professional environment to help benefit current and future pupils.
Nicholas Pointer
Nick Pointer is Associate Dean of Learning Design and Strategy at Ambition Institute, where he oversees the design and delivery of programmes of professional development (CPD) for teachers and school leaders. As a teacher educator and coach Nick specialises in research-informed approaches to the development of teacher expertise. In the classroom, Nick has previously worked in a number of state secondary schools teaching science and physics, in addition to leading teams as a director of science. He is passionate about the power of education to give young people the best start in life and believes that schools play a crucial role in serving and supporting local communities. Nick is a keen sailor and windsurfer, and before working as a science teacher taught watersports in sailing schools across Europe.