Governors

The Full Governing Board and each of its committees, Education, Marketing and Finance & General Purposes, meet termly but more frequently if required.   Additional committees such as a Development Committee, are established as necessary.  Additional non-voting members can be co-opted onto committees where specific skill sets are required for projects. The aim of the Full Governing Board of Gayhurst is to give each pupil an opportunity to achieve their potential in academic, cultural and sporting pursuits. The three committees support these aims and work towards the success of the school. The Full Board ratifies all decisions and policies reviewed by the three committees and considers all matters which do not fit within a specific committees terms of reference.

The remit of the Education Committee is to provide oversight, input and direction as required to all education matters at the school. Decisions or recommendations are made on behalf of the entire Governing Body.

Membership of the Education Committee is, at a minimum, four Governors including the Chair of the Governing Body acting as an ex-officio member. In addition, the Headmaster, Deputy Head Teacher and Bursar attend, providing valuable, professional insight into matters discussed.

All relevant aspects of the education of our pupils is considered, under the guiding principle of providing the best start in life for our students within a happy and caring environment.

There is a regular programme of Teacher presentations covering all educational departments which are open to all Governors.  The committee also considers issues covering:

  • Staffing – appointments, departures, issues
  • Pupils – admissions and year numbers, issues and achievements
  • Curriculum – intra and extra
  • Development – plans and progress of the school, including the physical site of the school
  • Education related policies / procedures – ongoing reviews, maintenance of school policies and ensuring compliance of statutory government requirements.
  • Education risk management in all areas of the school, including school trips
  • Inspection – planning for and responding to recommendations

The membership of the Committee includes a minimum of 3 governors, the Headmaster, Deputy Head teacher, Bursar and the Admissions & Marketing Director. The Chair of Governors is an ex-officio member. Acting on behalf of the entire Governing Body the Marketing Committee focuses on all the relevant aspects of marketing and admissions including:

  • In conjunction with the Headmaster, the appointment and management of the Marketing and Admissions Director.
  • Overseeing the development of a long term marketing strategy.
  • Overseeing the development and monitoring of an annual marketing plan.
  • The monitoring of the admissions system.
  • Setting and agreeing with the General Purposes and Finance Committee an annual marketing budget and monitoring it.
  • Assisting with all the various communications and publications of the School, ensuring their appropriateness, depending on audience
  • Planning for and responding to outside inspection.
  • Reviewing all marketing an admissions related school policies.

The membership of the Finance & General Purposes Committee includes a minimum of three Governors, the Headmaster, Deputy head teacher, Bursar, and Chair of Governors. The committee focuses on all aspects of finance and general matters including:

  • Staffing levels, appointments, salaries and other terms
  • Accounting compliance including compliance with Charities Acts and Companies Acts
  • Setting and monitoring Annual Budgets, cash flow projections and financial performance
  • Setting Strategic Financial Targets including, but not limited to, funding, borrowing, reserves, surplus levels, fee setting, investments
  • Managing fee concessions, bursaries etc. as well as fee debtors and fee recovery procedures.
  • Delegating financial powers to the Bursar and other staff e.g. cheque signing limits, expenditure approval limits, power to sign contracts etc.
  • Building maintenance, insurances and general expenditure
  • Monitoring and advising on the school’s management systems and mitigation of risk, including conducting a rolling risk management survey.
  • Monitoring and advising on the school’s health and safety arrangements, its buildings, plant and vehicles, grounds, gardens, roadways, and security.
  • Receiving reports, reviewing, monitoring implementation, considering changes, and where required making recommendations on the: planned Maintenance Programme; Revenue and capital budgets to maintain the buildings and estate to the required standard and school development plan.
  • Having regard to the regulations and receiving reports, reviewing, monitoring compliance and making recommendations on all school policies covering risk, health and safety and finance.
    • Considering reports from the other committees and their financial implications.

Mr W. Gibbs

(Patron)

William Gibbs

He is the grandson of Stormont Gibbs who bought the school in 1927 and moved it to its present site. He is married with two children and was educated at the school. His father was a previous Chairman of Governors. He currently lives in Ireland which he has represented at cricket.

Mr R. Skinner

(Chair)

Rob Skinner LLB Dip.PR FCIPR

With two journalists as parents, it was perhaps inevitable that Rob Skinner would be drawn to a career in media relations. He has 35 years’ experience as a PR leader and spokesperson for major British and international brands, including Nationwide Building Society, HSBC and PayPal.

Rob has spoken on crisis communications at industry conferences, reflecting his experience advising senior leaders on major issues over the decades. Rob is also a seasoned interviewee on television and radio – he once drove to a Gayhurst summer event directly from the Sky News studios.

Rob moved to Buckinghamshire from his native Wales in 2001, and lives with his family in Chalfont St Giles, including their lovely pet cavapoo. His son enjoyed eight happy years at Gayhurst before moving on to secondary school in 2019.

Rob enjoys cycling (he has twice cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats), reading and history, and blogs at robskinner.net. He has also followed the fortunes of the Welsh rugby and football teams since his Cardiff childhood, which provided an early lesson that success cannot be taken for granted.

Mrs A. Borwick

Aneeta has practiced as a solicitor for over 25 years and alongside this, following her appointment in 2009, sits part time as a Deputy District Judge.Aneeta is married with one son who had a very happy seven years at Gayhurst.

Outside of work, Aneeta enjoys running, cooking and watching her son play sports

Mrs G Fienberg

Mr N. Garner

Nick Garner

Nick is an entrepreneur and digital marketing specialist. He is married with 2 children, both of whom attended Gayhurst School. His outside interests include property investment and supporting organisations who drive positive social change.

Ms E. Halliday

Elizabeth Halliday (aka Elizabeth Welch) FRICS (F&GP)

Elizabeth was a Director of Jones Lang LaSalle responsible for advising Corporate Companies for many years. More recently she has founded her own property consultancy company.

Prior to moving to Gerrards Cross her 2 boys were educated at a co-educational school in London and then they enjoyed attending Gayhurst. From there they both went to The Royal Grammar School and then on to read languages at University.

Her interests include playing tennis at Bull Lane, singing in the Village Voices Choir, quilting and she is learning to play saxophone.

Miss T. Hartley

Tracey Hartley is Headteacher at John Hampden Grammar School in High Wycombe. Prior to JHGS she was acting Headteacher at Nonsuch High School for Girls, a high performing girls Grammar School in the London Borough of Sutton. Outside of work Tracey’s interests are travelling, walking and going to the theatre.

Mrs S. Kerr

To follow

Mrs Z. MacKinnon

Zilla MacKinnon MB, Chb, MRCP, FRCPCH, National Board Examination, USA, American Academy Paediatrics Board Certified (Education)

Mrs MacKinnon’s career has covered paediatric posts at the Royal Hospitals for Sick Children Glasgow and Manchester, Westminster Children’s Hospital, Cornell University (USA), John Radcliffe Hospital and Wexham Park Hospital. She is currently the Director of children’s services at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. She is also a Senior Lecturer at Oxford University. In addition to her work she has held roles, often statutory, in Children’s Safeguarding.

The mother of three children, two of whom attended Gayhurst School, she also holds committee/trustee roles at the Rennie Grove Hospice and Cure2Children.

Mr G MacPhee

George MacPhee BA ACA BFP

George is a chartered accountant with over 5 years experience working in audit. George grew up in Gerrards Cross and attended Gayhurst School along with his brother Ben. He latter attended Shiplake College and then Bournemouth University studying Business & Finance. He has also been on the steering committee of the Gayhurst alumni association. His father is also a previous governor at Gayhurst. 

Mr S. Potts

Simon is a chartered accountant who qualified in the UK after graduating from the Australian National University. He has worked in the risk management industry for over 20 years, and spent a number of years in San Francisco before returning to the UK. He has two daughters; the youngest of whom attended Gayhurst, and is now at Queen Anne’s Caversham.

Mr A. Wallace

Alex Wallace has been a Geography teacher for over 20 years. He studied at Birmingham University before completing his PGCE at Bath University. Alex has taught across all sectors of education during his career; state, grammar and independent.

Alex began teaching in Oxfordshire, one of his early highlights was building an academic partnership with a school in Rwanda. He was part of several student and staff exchanges. Before joining Leighton Park, Alex was the Deputy Headmaster at The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. Here, he led the day to day running of school and the Teaching and Learning. This was where he also developed his relationship with Gayhurst School as he oversaw the transition between the two schools.
During his time at RGS Alex also coached the Under 15 rugby side to the National Final at Twickenham.
A keen sportsman himself, he has played both semi-professional rugby and cricket. As age has started to catch up on him, he is now more likely to be found with a golf club or tennis racket in hand!

Alex’s very first taste of teaching was in South Africa before university. It was also during this year that he met his wife, Amy. They now live at Leighton Park with their three children, George, Charlie and William.

To contact the Governing Body please write to:

C/O Mrs Vanessa Lakatos (Bursar and Clerk to Governors)

Gayhurst School, Bull Lane, Gerrards Cross, Buckighamshire, SL9 8RJ

Email: bursar@gayhurstschool.co.uk

Telephone: 01753 882690 (asking for Mrs Lakatos)