Academies are publicly funded, independently governed schools. Each academy has a sponsor, in this case ARK Academies, and is run by agreement with the Secretary of State for Education (DfE) on behalf of the Government. The DfE funds the full running costs of the academy.
Burlington Danes Academy is operated by ARK Academies, a charitable company incorporated to oversee the academies it sponsors. Burlington Danes is a Church of England school and, while it welcomes pupils of every religion or none, the school maintains its Christian ethos. Ark academies works closely with the London Diocesan Board for Schools which nominates two members to the governing body.
The ARK Academies board is the legally responsible governing body which, in practice, delegates most of its functions to the Burlington Danes Governing Body.
Burlington Danes Academy’s governing body can have up to 15 members, made up as follows:
- 6-10 members nominated by ARK Schools. These are usually people with a local connection who are committed to supporting educational opportunity in the area. ARK Schools periodically advertises for people who are interested in becoming governors.
- A parent representative (often the chair of the Parent Council)
- A representative nominated by Hammersmith and Fulham Council
- The academy principal and two elected representatives of teaching and non teaching staff.
Governors are appointed/ elected for two year terms. The initial term of the first chair and vice chair of governors will be three years, with annual election by the governing body thereafter. (Academy staff may not be chair or vice chair of the governing body).
