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 Valerie Oldland (Valerie.Oldland@arkonline.org). Please contact them if you have any governance-related queries, or would like to contact one of the governors.
Our Governors
Francis Marx
Francis started his career in Strategy Consulting to the tech and telecom sectors. He helped his clients to find and realise new growth opportunities, improve systems and processes and restructure their organisations. He now brings this experience to investing in and supporting the leadership teams of small and mid sized industrial businesses. Francis has been a member of the LGB at Ark White City Academy since its conversion to an academy in 2013 and has held the roles of Finance Link and Vice Chair. In 2022, Francis relocated to Hampshire and is keen to contribute now to the local area.
Evanthia Soukara
Evanthia is a qualified early years teacher. She has a Master of Education and a Master of Business Administration. Evanthia has diverse working experience in childcare, education, social care and business settings both in Greece and U. K. Her passion and main interest is education and learning. Evanthia currently works with adults who have additional needs and lives in Portsmouth with her two children. She is honored to be a governor at Ark Primary Academies and is committed to actively support both the leading team with their strategic decisions and children with their learning.
Rob Wood
Rob Wood works in cloud computing, is an Honorary Alderman and former Lord Mayor of Portsmouth. He is Vice-Chair of Governors at Ark Charter.As a strong family-oriented person, Rob knows the importance of keeping our young people safe and wishes to ensure they have the best possible opportunity to develop to their full potential. A Portsmouth City Councillor from 2010 to 2022 and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Children and Education since 2011, Rob was previously the Cabinet Member for Children and Families between 2018 – 20, Children and Education between 2011-14 and Chair of Governance and Audit in 2010. Rob has a vested interest in improving education outcomes, as both grandchildren (and children) attended local authority schools. He has contributed to the LGiU paper on the "Middle-Tier" role in delivering Education and the local authority's role within this and has chaired and spoken at several national seminars on the subject of Education.
Sue Thomas
Sue has substantial experience in IT systems and Finance having worked as a senior software developer and previously as a financial accountant. She is a graduate of the University of Portsmouth (MSc), a qualified software engineer and a qualified accountant (retired) and has two grown up children who both went to schools in Portsmouth. With an enthusiastic and enquiring outlook on life, Sue is passionate about the positive value of education and the opportunities that it can bring and is keen to see that all children in Portsmouth receive excellent teaching and support.
Caroline Gough
Caroline has been a teacher in Portsmouth for more than 30 years and has worked at Dickens for 17 years. Caroline is passionate about supporting and educating the children in this community and working with their families. Both her children were educated in Portsmouth and she has previously been a parent governor and a teacher governor in different schools in the city.
Tinu Okubadejo
Tinu has lived in Portsmouth for most of her life and has worked in health roles for over 40 years, including as a university senior lecturer and as a clinician. In her clinical role, she visited homes of families with children in Portsmouth affected by poverty. Tinu possesses several postgraduate qualifications including an MSc from the University of Portsmouth and a qualification for teaching (at university level). Her skills include public health knowledge, analysis and synthesis of information. Tinu has one adult child who went to school in Portsmouth. Following retirement, Tinu wants to use her experience and local knowledge to support Portsmouth schools as a governor.
Richard Gould
Richard was born in Portsmouth and has spent most of his life connected to the area. Richard has spent more than 30 years working in various law enforcement agencies with a focus on financial crime. Richard’s experience working at the coal face through to strategic leadership positions has seen him develop a sound knowledge and expertise in good governance. Richard now works in the international arena as an independent consultant. Richard has a passion for education and development which, since his departure from law enforcement into the private sector, he is keen to use to assist the community he is so closely associated with