Absolute Return for Kids (ARK)

ARK is an international charity whose purpose is to transform children’s lives.  It was founded in 2002 by senior figures in the alternative investment industry.  With a shared vision of collective philanthropy, ARK delivers high social returns on philanthropic investment.

ARK has an extremely committed Board of Trustees who use their skills and experience to support ARK’s activities.  Along with ARK’s Patrons, the Trustees ensure that central administrative costs are covered so that 100% of all donations go directly to deliver ARK’s programmes for children. ARK identifies, creates and delivers innovative and highly effective programmes in the areas of Health (Sub-Saharan Africa), Education (UK, India) and Child Protection (Eastern Europe) that are transformative, scalable and sustainable.A

Founded in 2004, ARK Schools runs a network of non-selective academies offering high quality education to children of all backgrounds. ARK is currently educating over 4,400 pupils at six academies in London, one in Birmingham and one in Portsmouth. ARK aims to have 12 academies open by 2012. ARK also runs and develops programmes to help schools succeed. The Future Leaders programme develops outstanding leaders for challenging urban schools. The Teaching Leaders programme trains dynamic and effective middle leaders to lead exceptional teams of teachers in urban schools. 

For more information about ARK, see the website www.arkonline.org

Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT)

The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) is the leading national body for secondary education in the UK, part funded by the DfES, delivering the Government's Specialist Schools and Academies programme. The Government's aim is that by 2008 all schools will be specialist, except those planned to be Academies.

SSAT’s mission is to raise educational standards across all English schools and ensure that all children have access to a good education. Its way of working is based on the principle 'by schools for schools’. The Trust is at the heart of a growing network of more than 2,900 schools including primary, secondary, special schools and academies – a network it believes to be the largest of its kind in the world.

For more information about the SSAT, see the website www.specialistschools.org.uk

We also work closely with other partners such as the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services and Teach First.