Meet the Governors

It has been my privilege to be Chair of Governors of Cirencester College since 2017. My background is in education, starting as a teacher in London before progressing to various senior roles at local, regional and national level. I also held multiple governance roles in schools and colleges. Latterly my specialism was in 16-19 education and training so working with Cirencester College was a natural progression when I retired.

We have a very diverse and talented body of students and it is my personal ambition that we help each and every one of them to achieve their own goals and help them on their journey to adult working life. I work as part of an equally talented and diverse team of governors, it is our role to support and challenge the Principal and senior leaders of the college to achieve our strategic objectives and make them work for each and every student. I believe my background and experience make me well suited to be part of that team.

I live within the area from which we draw our students and use this as an opportunity to both promote the college and receive feedback from parents and students alike.

About me

Alongside extensive public sector experience in local government, business and commercial knowledge were shaped early in my career through various roles in the private sector, including international banking.

As Chief Executive of Cirencester Town Council, I have put the skills and knowledge I have to full benefit through effective corporate management, community partnerships and innovative youth projects, such as Ozone and Ideas into Action.
I am currently involved with various projects including neighbourhood planning, town centre master planning and the launch of the Cotswold New Start Network, a partnership with Cotswold District Council and the Department for Work and Pensions to support young people into employment.

In 2017, as part of my MBA and a secondment with the National Association of Local Councils, I researched building capacity and capabilities at a local level to support the social, environmental, and economic well-being of town and parish communities. This led to a change in government policy relating to local government finance. Subsequently, I have undertaken various national policy advisory roles and supported all-party parliamentary groups on issues such as housing, planning and loneliness.
I am married to the Head Chef of a local restaurant, and we have two sons currently at Cirencester College.

My experience of being a Governor

This is my first role as Governor of an education corporation, and I have been a Governor since September 2021. I have a broad range of strategic leadership and management skills and experience in other corporate governance roles as Clerk and Company Secretary to a charitable trust, Director Trustee of the Steadings Community Management Trust, and a former Non-Executive Director of SLCC Enterprises Ltd.

My experience of Cirencester College

The success and culture of the College are built upon a foundation of strong senior leadership and corporate governance. It is a place in which every young person, whatever their background and wherever they are at now, is valued and can shape their lives for the future. Our students also have an intrinsic part to play in the life of the College and wider community.

About me

I have a degree in Law from Southampton University and later obtained a Master’s degree in Internet and Telecommunications Law from the University of Strathclyde in 2003. Following my first degree, I worked in private practice and then as a Law lecturer at Further and Higher Education levels. In 2003, I took on the role as Academic Registrar at what was then Swansea Institute of Higher Education later to become Swansea Metropolitan University. I was a member of the senior management team responsible for the obtaining of university status. I retired in 2013.

From 2011 to 2016, I was a Governor at Coleg Sir Gar in Carmarthenshire. My main focus was on improving the training of Governors, I was also a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and a Link Governor for one of the campuses.
In 2016, I moved to Cricklade. I am a committee member of the Upper Thames Protection Society and a volunteer for reading support at St Sampson’s Primary School.

My experience of being a Governor

I have been a Co-opted Governor since October 2016 and am a member of the Search and Governance Committee. My motivation for taking on the role as a governor was that I have had a very broad range of experience within the education sector, at Further and Higher Education levels, and I felt that this could be beneficial to the College.

My experience of Cirencester College

Since becoming a Governor I have always been impressed with the College’s ethos to bring the best out of all students.

About me

I qualified as a Chartered Accountant locally, working at St. James’s
Place Wealth Management plc in Cirencester. Having spent some time
preparing their consolidated Group financial statements and previously
supported their Unit Trust investment group operations. For the past 2
years I have been working within the corporate strategy team, managing
a £180m securitised loan portfolio and supporting our relationships with
the capital markets.

I have spent over 15 years in the local area, having originally done my
GCSE’s at a college near Stonehouse. Then moving onto an
apprenticeship in finance and accounting with a logistics and
warehousing company, which was actually supported by Cirencester
College.

My experience of being a Governor

I have been a Governor since January 2018, and I have found the
experience to be a challenging but rewarding use of my skills. I also help
support our separate Audit and Remuneration Committees. It has been
nice to be able to give back to the community that provided the training
on my original apprenticeship back in 2011.

My experience of Cirencester College

The college has always been central hub for the area with a great
reputation for providing high quality education, and a reach not just
limited to Swindon and Cirencester areas. I have always respected the
college’s wider emphasis to prepare students for life outside education
and support the direction they choose, not just their academic learning.
My main aims as a Governor is to ensure the effective ongoing use of our
funding and physical assets, and provide independent challenge to the
Senior Management Team to support the colleges objectives.

I am delighted to be appointed a governor of Cirencester College and look forward to meeting students, parents and staff in the course of my tenure.

A former Army officer, I now run my own Cirencester-based consultancy. I also lecture part-time at New Buckinghamshire University. I am proud to be a trustee of ‘About Turn’, a Gloucestershire charity working with service veterans, as well as a volunteer with various other local and national organisations.

Many years ago, I served as the Chair of a primary school governing body and, more recently, was a governor of Uplands Special School, Swindon. I started putting down roots in Cirencester ten years ago and have long been impressed by the innovation and excellence demonstrated by Cirencester College, so I am immensely proud to now be one of the team.

About me

I have a degree in Physics from Exeter University and worked for three years as a Physics teacher in Northamptonshire following my graduation. Subsequently, I joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a Navigator on the Tornado F3. While in the RAF, I obtained a degree in International Studies from the Open University, a Master’s degree in Aerospace Systems from RAF College Cranwell and another Master’s degree in Human Factors and Safety Assessment from Cranfield University. My RAF career involved air defence operations in the UK, Eastern Europe and Falkland Islands, managing flight trials for the Typhoon aircraft and safety management for training aircraft including the Red Arrows. I left the RAF in 2016 to work as an aviation safety consultant. In 2021 I moved to an Associate Director role with the NHS. I am a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and volunteer as the IET Education Officer for Gloucestershire. I am a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Ambassador, and since 2016, I have organised the IET stand at the Cheltenham Science Festival. I have two school-aged children and have lived in Gloucestershire since 2012.

My experience of being a Governor

I began as a Co-opted Governor in May 2017 and became vice-chair in July 2019. I decided to put myself forward to become a Governor as a vacancy for a STEM “Focus Governor” arose at a time when I had the capacity to take on a new role as both my children were at school, I had finished my latest master's degree and settled into my new civilian job after leaving the RAF. I have great passion for STEM; I am keen to enthuse and encourage young people to consider studying STEM subjects, and make them aware of the diversity of potential future careers which may follow. I believe that my experience in the RAF, especially in safety management which has a strong focus on Governance and the promotion of positive organisational behaviours, will enable me to add value to the Corporation. I feel that becoming a Governor has given me Board-level exposure and allowed me to develop a greater awareness of the complexities and challenges of running an educational organisation.

My experience of Cirencester College

My initial contact with the College arose through my work with the IET. I was a member of the STEM Board of its Engineering “Career Ready” Academy and have been a student mentor. My contacts with students and staff at the College have been very positive. I have a number of friends whose children attend the College and I am aware of the very strong reputation of the college both in Cirencester and beyond. In particular, I firmly support its positive attitude to promoting STEM opportunities and connections with local employers for the benefit of both students and the local economy.

A career in education is always changing, challenging, at times frustrating but exceptionally rewarding. Being part of a person’s discovery of learning is a privilege and one I have been lucky enough to experience in a long and extremely varied working life in the secondary, post-16 and adult sectors both in this country and abroad.

The last twenty-five years, until my retirement in 2018, I was fortunate to work at Cirencester Sixth Form College in roles ranging from curriculum development, pastoral care, customer service, middle and senior management. The opportunity to be part of the growth of a college which holds student progress and well-being as its central goal and, despite growth, maintains an outstanding caring and stimulating community ethos is priceless. I am very proud to be associated with Cirencester College, my daughter went to the College and demonstrated that this bridge between school and life is by far the best place for so many young people. Watching confidence flourish in our students has been an enduring pleasure. When the opportunity arose to join the Corporation, I was delighted to apply. I hope that I can continue in this supportive role for next, exciting phase of the College’s growth. With a specific focus on Safeguarding, student well-being and student voice, I hope to put my experience in these areas to good use.

For over twenty years, I have served on the Board of Trustees at Cirencester Kingshill and I thoroughly enjoy my involvement in this 11-16 comprehensive school, keeping my knowledge of this sector current and being able to specialise in curriculum, pastoral, staffing and student well-being, my areas of greatest interest. I am looking forward to combining these roles to continue my involvement and passion for education.