Welcome to Ark Evelyn Grace

Welcome to Ark Evelyn Grace Academy. I am writing to introduce myself as the principal, and to share my vision for the future of the school.

I previously co-founded another outstanding Ark school – Ark Academy – where I served the families and communities of Brent in north-west London. Ark is a leading education charity and one of the country’s top-performing academy operators, with a shared mission to transform lives through education. 

I cannot tell you how excited and honoured I am to now serve the families of Brixton. I wish to work with all our parents to build on the school's existing firm foundations, and to cultivate its reputation for great teaching, exemplary behaviour and unrivalled opportunities beyond the classroom.

Our core purpose is to educate our students, helping them to leave this academy cleverer, kinder, and ready to become the solutions to – and not the symptoms of – any disadvantage that may be found in our community or wider society.

Teaching is a noble profession, and to teach in a disadvantaged context is nobler still. However, to simply turn up and teach is never enough. Education is only transformational if every student has a consistent diet of six great lessons every single day. Great schools develop great teachers so that all students can secure the very best outcomes in their chosen subjects, and go on to compete for the very best positions in their chosen career.

I consider it to be my job, and that of the senior team, to create conditions where every teacher can teach to the best of their ability, with opportunities to grow. You would not allow a surgeon to operate on you without years of practice and learning from other experts; in the same way, we strongly promote a culture of ongoing learning, development and peer observation amongst our teaching staff. We train, plan, teach, reflect and share together. We are keen to observe and be observed, and to model the kind of learning dispositions we expect in our students: always hungry to learn more, develop deeper understanding and keep improving. 

An outstanding school is simply one that does what it says it does. A policy or handbook should never just sit on a shelf and gather dust; it is a working document that all staff must understand and routinely apply. Great organizations are consistent, coherent and transparent, where everyone understands their role and their contribution to the whole. 

As teachers we know that there is no substitute for hard work and this, above all else, underpins our approach to student success. We work tirelessly every day to ensure each student is able to realise their individual potential.

Schools are not just a place of learning; they are a journey of self-discovery, intellectual enquiry and growth for everyone in the school community. The journey towards all our futures starts here.

I look forward to meeting you.

Our mission is to nurture talent for life-long happiness and success. We are not just a place of learning - we are the setting for an intellectual journey of self-discovery and advancement. 
 
We intend for Ark Evelyn Grace Academy to be the school of choice in the local community, with a reputation centred on great teaching, exemplary behaviour and unrivalled opportunities beyond the classroom.
 
Our commitment is that we will work tirelessly in teaching, guiding and supporting all our students, so that they may go on to secure a place at a good university and ultimately compete for the very best positions in their chosen career.

Our values are modelled by our staff and celebrated in our students. They inform our assemblies and tutor times, and give us a shared language to talk about the sort of people we want to become.

• Self-Discipline – We believe that success and the ability to steer our destiny are achieved through self-control, and taking responsibility for our own futures.
• Endeavour – There is no substitute for hard work, and only by persistently striving to get better and learn from mistakes will we achieve our goals.
• Excellence – We strive for excellence in all that we do; we shouldn't place any limits on our ambition and capacity to achieve.

Excellence is only achievable through Self-discipline and Endeavour, and these things combined enable us all to SEE the light illuminating our futures.

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