Absolute Return for Kids
Encyclopedia
Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) is an international children's charity based in the United Kingdom
.
ARK is a registered charity
under English law and is based in London. In 2009–10 it had a gross income of £14.5m.
ARK was co-founded by a group of hedge fund
financiers including Paul Marshall
and Ian Wace
of Marshall Wace
and Arpad Busson
of EIM Group, who is founding chairman of its board of trustees.
industry to improve the life chances of children, ARK aims to deliver high social returns on philanthropic investment.
ARK’s programmes are focused on clear strategic goals in the areas of Health (sub-Saharan Africa
), Education (UK
, US
, India
) and Child Protection (Eastern Europe
). In 2012, ARK will begin pioneering public-private partnership
s in education
in Africa
. In addition, it is developing an innovations incubator to support and mentor break-through ideas that help overcome the challenges children face in accessing education, health and protection.
ARK’s programmes are designed to be catalytic, sustainable and measurable. The charity applies robust development
principles and sound business
disciplines to all its programmes, including setting targets and emphasising close monitoring and evaluation
to ensure high impact. ARK’s trustees and patrons cover central and administrative costs, ensuring that 100% of donation
s go directly to deliver ARK’s programmes for children.
Since 2002, more than 200,000 children have benefited from ARK programmes. The charity has raised £150m and has leveraged over £250m in additional government funding, and significantly more indirect, in-kind funding.
ARK believes that, while governments have the ultimate responsibility for public services
such as health and education, it is vital to find effective delivery systems that work for poor children.
ARK aims to challenge conventional thinking and support alternative models that can improve quality outcomes for children. The results of this work will influence government
approaches, enabling the scale and reach necessary to bring about lasting change.
It runs a network of eleven academies - nine in London
, one in Portsmouth
and one in Birmingham
. ARK Schools was created in 2004 to work with the Department for Education and local authorities to create new schools offering exceptional opportunities to children in inner cities through the academies programme.
ARK Schools’ aim is to help close the achievement gap
between children from disadvantaged and more affluent backgrounds. Its academies focus on raising attainment so that every pupil has a real choice of going on to higher education
when they complete school.
With an average increase in the GCSE pass rate of 11 percentage points from 2010 - 2011 and an average annual improvement in GCSE attainment of 11 percentage points since opening, ARK is among the top performing academy groups for GCSE improvement.
ARK Schools will open Isaac Newton Academy in Ilford
and Bolingbroke Academy in Wandsworth in 2012. It opened its first three standalone primary academies in London in 2011. It anticipates opening further primary and secondary academies in 2012 and will open a new secondary academy in Camberwell, London, in 2013.
ARK has also developed two teacher leadership programmes in the UK and one in the United States.
Future Leaders
Future Leaders delivers a three year leadership development
programme for participants that have the talent to accelerate to headship
in four years and the commitment to improve the life chances of pupils in disadvantaged areas, where it is often more difficult to attract staff.
The focus on accelerated development drives increasing numbers of high quality headteachers and senior leaders into challenging schools at a significantly faster rate than normal: participants reach headship in 2–6 years of starting the programme, compared to 10–15 years through the normal route. Future Leaders was developed in partnership with the National College for School Leadership
(now National College) and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
who continue to support the programme.
Teaching Leaders
Teaching Leaders is a high impact programme, designed to raise levels of pupil achievement in challenging schools through outstanding middle leadership. The programme develops highly motivated middle leaders: heads of departments, heads of years and other whole-school roles. The programme is also supported by The National College and Teach First
.
.
In Africa, ARK is exploring a number of new investments in public-private partnerships and other education initiatives in the hope of generating improvement in the education of poor children across southern Africa
.
Leading Educators (USA)
Building on the success of ARK’s Teaching Leaders programme in the UK, Leading Educators is launching a national middle leadership programme for America’s disadvantaged schools. The Leading Educators Fellowship will offer a rigorous two-year participant experience to build the skills of mid-level teacher-leaders in three key areas: school culture; leadership and management and learning and teaching. In December 2010, the programme was awarded a $1.37m grant from NewSchools Venture Fund, with funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
. The programme will serve disadvantaged public schools across five US regions.
treatment programmes in South Africa
and Mozambique
has transformed the life chances of more than 130,000 children by keeping their mothers and caregivers alive. Aligned to ARK’s desire for sustainability, it has handed over its South Africa programme to a local NGO, Kheth'Impilo, accessing over $17m in funding from the US President's Emergency Fund for AIDS (PEPFAR). ARK is now working in partnership with the Clinton Foundation
in Mozambique to test innovative new point of care technologies that will speed up diagnosis and treatment for HIV
cases.
– in partnership with Hope and Homes for Children
– and Bulgaria
, have helped to move abandoned children to move out of state-run institutions into family environments and eventually to lead independent lives. ARK has effected changes in child welfare
legislation
at a national level and works with governments to deinstitutionalise and develop high quality, sustainable, family based services such as adoption
and foster care
. ARK closes institutions, prevents abandonment and provides alternative care, including adoption, fostering or small group home
s for those children who cannot be reunited with their families.
ARK has worked with organisations such as The Clinton Foundation; PEPFAR; UNICEF; The Foundation of Rania al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan; Hope and Homes for Children; The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the Global Fund, the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) and Kheth’Impilo in South Africa.
, and Founding Chairman, Arpad Busson
, ARK’s Global Board of Trustees comprises: Paul Dunning, Lord Fink, Kevin Gundle, Paul Marshall, Jennifer Moses, Michael Platt
, Blaine Tomlinson and Anthony Williams.
Ian Wace was appointed Chairman of ARK in October 2010, succeeding Lord Fink who remains a Trustee and a member of the Global Board.
ARK’s Founding Chairman, Arpad Busson, is a member of the Global Board and is Chairman of Absolute Return for Kids, US, Inc.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
ARK is a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
under English law and is based in London. In 2009–10 it had a gross income of £14.5m.
ARK was co-founded by a group of hedge fund
Hedge fund
A hedge fund is a private pool of capital actively managed by an investment adviser. Hedge funds are only open for investment to a limited number of accredited or qualified investors who meet criteria set by regulators. These investors can be institutions, such as pension funds, university...
financiers including Paul Marshall
Paul Marshall (financier)
Paul Roderick Clucas Marshall is a British investor and philanthropist.He was educated at St John's College, Oxford, and holds an MBA from INSEAD Business School....
and Ian Wace
Ian Wace
Ian Gerald Patrick Wace is a British born financier, co-founder of Marshall Wace Asset Management, a London-based hedge fund.Marshall Wace is one of Europe's leading hedge fund institutions with circa $15 billion under management. Marshall Wace Asset Management manages the award winning Eureka...
of Marshall Wace
Marshall wace
Marshall Wace LLP is a hedge fund in the City of London that was founded by Paul Marshall and Ian Wace. Marshall is chairman and chief investment officer and Wace is chief executive officer....
and Arpad Busson
Arpad Busson
Arpad A. Busson is a London-based socialite and Swiss financier. Busson entered the world of hedge funds in 1986 working in New York. He is the founder and Chairman of the EIM Group, a fund-of-funds company. Mr. Busson is also very active in a number of philanthropic causes around the...
of EIM Group, who is founding chairman of its board of trustees.
Approach
Founded in 2002 by a group of leaders in the alternative investmentAlternative investment
An alternative investment is an investment product other than the traditional investments of stocks, bonds, cash, or property. The term is a relatively loose one and includes tangible assets such as art, wine, antiques, coins, or stamps and some financial assets such as commodities, private equity,...
industry to improve the life chances of children, ARK aims to deliver high social returns on philanthropic investment.
ARK’s programmes are focused on clear strategic goals in the areas of Health (sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
), Education (UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) and Child Protection (Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
). In 2012, ARK will begin pioneering public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
s in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. In addition, it is developing an innovations incubator to support and mentor break-through ideas that help overcome the challenges children face in accessing education, health and protection.
ARK’s programmes are designed to be catalytic, sustainable and measurable. The charity applies robust development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
principles and sound business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
disciplines to all its programmes, including setting targets and emphasising close monitoring and evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.Evaluation often is used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice,...
to ensure high impact. ARK’s trustees and patrons cover central and administrative costs, ensuring that 100% of donation
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
s go directly to deliver ARK’s programmes for children.
Since 2002, more than 200,000 children have benefited from ARK programmes. The charity has raised £150m and has leveraged over £250m in additional government funding, and significantly more indirect, in-kind funding.
ARK believes that, while governments have the ultimate responsibility for public services
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
such as health and education, it is vital to find effective delivery systems that work for poor children.
ARK aims to challenge conventional thinking and support alternative models that can improve quality outcomes for children. The results of this work will influence government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
approaches, enabling the scale and reach necessary to bring about lasting change.
UK Education
ARK Schools runs ARK's UK education programme.It runs a network of eleven academies - nine in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, one in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and one in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. ARK Schools was created in 2004 to work with the Department for Education and local authorities to create new schools offering exceptional opportunities to children in inner cities through the academies programme.
ARK Schools’ aim is to help close the achievement gap
Achievement gap
Achievement gap refers to the observed disparity on a number of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The achievement gap can be observed on a variety of measures, including standardized...
between children from disadvantaged and more affluent backgrounds. Its academies focus on raising attainment so that every pupil has a real choice of going on to higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
when they complete school.
With an average increase in the GCSE pass rate of 11 percentage points from 2010 - 2011 and an average annual improvement in GCSE attainment of 11 percentage points since opening, ARK is among the top performing academy groups for GCSE improvement.
- Ark Academy Brent
- ARK Atwood Primary Academy WestminsterWestminsterWestminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
- ARK Conway Primary Academy Hammersmith & Fulham
- ARK Oval Primary Academy, Croydon
- Burlington Danes AcademyBurlington Danes AcademyBurlington Danes Academy is a Church of England non-selective, co-educational secondary school within the English academy programme, located in White City, London on a site....
, Hammersmith & Fulham - Charter Academy, Portsmouth
- Evelyn Grace AcademyEvelyn Grace AcademyEvelyn Grace Academy is a non-selective, co-educational secondary school within the English Academy programme, in Brixton, London.The Academy opened in September 2008 in temporary accommodation admitting its first 180 Year 7 pupils. In September 2010 the academy moved to a new purpose built school...
, LambethLambethLambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:... - ARK Globe Academy, SouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
- King Solomon AcademyKing Solomon AcademyKing Solomon Academy is a non-selective, non-denominational, co-educational secondary school within the English academy programme, located in Marylebone, London....
, WestminsterWestminsterWestminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross... - St Alban's Academy, Birmingham
- Walworth AcademyWalworth AcademyWalworth Academy is a mixed, non-selective school for pupils from 11 to 18. It opened as an ARK academy in 2007, replacing Walworth School. This school is split up into three sections, Chaplin, Babbage and Seacole. The Chaplin and Babbage blocks are two separate halves of Key Stage 3...
, Southwark
ARK Schools will open Isaac Newton Academy in Ilford
Ilford
Ilford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
and Bolingbroke Academy in Wandsworth in 2012. It opened its first three standalone primary academies in London in 2011. It anticipates opening further primary and secondary academies in 2012 and will open a new secondary academy in Camberwell, London, in 2013.
ARK has also developed two teacher leadership programmes in the UK and one in the United States.
Future Leaders
Future Leaders delivers a three year leadership development
Leadership development
Leadership development refers to any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an individual or organization. These activities have ranged from MBA style programs offered at university business schools to action learning, high-ropes courses and executive retreats.- Developing...
programme for participants that have the talent to accelerate to headship
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
in four years and the commitment to improve the life chances of pupils in disadvantaged areas, where it is often more difficult to attract staff.
The focus on accelerated development drives increasing numbers of high quality headteachers and senior leaders into challenging schools at a significantly faster rate than normal: participants reach headship in 2–6 years of starting the programme, compared to 10–15 years through the normal route. Future Leaders was developed in partnership with the National College for School Leadership
National College for School Leadership
The National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services is a British government-funded non-departmental public body which offers head teachers, school leaders and senior children's services leaders opportunities for professional leadership development.- History :Established in 2000...
(now National College) and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust is an independent, not-for-profit, membership organisation with headquarters in the United Kingdom, dedicated to raising standards and achievement in secondary schools in England and internationally...
who continue to support the programme.
Teaching Leaders
Teaching Leaders is a high impact programme, designed to raise levels of pupil achievement in challenging schools through outstanding middle leadership. The programme develops highly motivated middle leaders: heads of departments, heads of years and other whole-school roles. The programme is also supported by The National College and Teach First
Teach First
Teach First is an independent educational charity United Kingdom, Reg. No. 1098294, founded in 2002. Its mission is to address educational disadvantage by transforming exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields...
.
International Education
In India, ARK is developing scalable models to encourage the take-up of free school places and improve the teaching of EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
In Africa, ARK is exploring a number of new investments in public-private partnerships and other education initiatives in the hope of generating improvement in the education of poor children across southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
.
Leading Educators (USA)
Building on the success of ARK’s Teaching Leaders programme in the UK, Leading Educators is launching a national middle leadership programme for America’s disadvantaged schools. The Leading Educators Fellowship will offer a rigorous two-year participant experience to build the skills of mid-level teacher-leaders in three key areas: school culture; leadership and management and learning and teaching. In December 2010, the programme was awarded a $1.37m grant from NewSchools Venture Fund, with funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
. The programme will serve disadvantaged public schools across five US regions.
Health
ARK focuses on initiatives that are catalytic, sustainable and measurable, and that demonstrate tangible outcomes for children. ARK’s contribution to the development of high quality and sustainable AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
treatment programmes in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
has transformed the life chances of more than 130,000 children by keeping their mothers and caregivers alive. Aligned to ARK’s desire for sustainability, it has handed over its South Africa programme to a local NGO, Kheth'Impilo, accessing over $17m in funding from the US President's Emergency Fund for AIDS (PEPFAR). ARK is now working in partnership with the Clinton Foundation
Clinton Foundation
The William J. Clinton Foundation is a foundation established by former President of the United States Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence." The Foundation focuses on four critical areas:...
in Mozambique to test innovative new point of care technologies that will speed up diagnosis and treatment for HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
cases.
Child Protection
ARK’s programmes in RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
– in partnership with Hope and Homes for Children
Hope and Homes for Children
Hope and Homes for Children is a British registered charity working with children, their families and communities across 10 countries in Eastern Europe and Africa. to help children grow up in safe and productive environments...
– and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, have helped to move abandoned children to move out of state-run institutions into family environments and eventually to lead independent lives. ARK has effected changes in child welfare
Child welfare
Child protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability...
legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
at a national level and works with governments to deinstitutionalise and develop high quality, sustainable, family based services such as adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
and foster care
Foster care
Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....
. ARK closes institutions, prevents abandonment and provides alternative care, including adoption, fostering or small group home
Group home
A group home is a private residence designed or converted to serve as a non-secure home for unrelated persons who share a common characteristic.-Types of group homes:...
s for those children who cannot be reunited with their families.
Connections with other organisations
In order to deliver its programmes, ARK works closely with governments, funding agencies, foundations, as well as local and international NGOs.ARK has worked with organisations such as The Clinton Foundation; PEPFAR; UNICEF; The Foundation of Rania al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan; Hope and Homes for Children; The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the Global Fund, the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) and Kheth’Impilo in South Africa.
ARK Board of Trustees
In addition to its Chairman, Ian WaceIan Wace
Ian Gerald Patrick Wace is a British born financier, co-founder of Marshall Wace Asset Management, a London-based hedge fund.Marshall Wace is one of Europe's leading hedge fund institutions with circa $15 billion under management. Marshall Wace Asset Management manages the award winning Eureka...
, and Founding Chairman, Arpad Busson
Arpad Busson
Arpad A. Busson is a London-based socialite and Swiss financier. Busson entered the world of hedge funds in 1986 working in New York. He is the founder and Chairman of the EIM Group, a fund-of-funds company. Mr. Busson is also very active in a number of philanthropic causes around the...
, ARK’s Global Board of Trustees comprises: Paul Dunning, Lord Fink, Kevin Gundle, Paul Marshall, Jennifer Moses, Michael Platt
Michael Platt
Michael Platt is a rugby league player who plays for Bradford Bulls, he joined the Bulls in 2007 on a 2 year contract, which was extended during the 2008 season until 2011...
, Blaine Tomlinson and Anthony Williams.
Ian Wace was appointed Chairman of ARK in October 2010, succeeding Lord Fink who remains a Trustee and a member of the Global Board.
ARK’s Founding Chairman, Arpad Busson, is a member of the Global Board and is Chairman of Absolute Return for Kids, US, Inc.