The Governing Body consists of between 8 and 12 Governors with experience from a wide range of fields, including religion, education and finance. Their roles and responsibilities are set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the school and essentially consist of assuming responsibility for the land, the buildings and the business of the school, while delegating operational executive management to the Headmaster, who is directly accountable to the Governors.
The purpose of the Governing Body is to provide strategic direction and oversight of the functioning of the school, whose main aim is to provide an excellent education to the pupils. The Memorandum and Articles of Association of the school, states this aim in these words:
‘To carry on with an improved constitution the said School as a school for the education of girls and young children as day scholars and boarders … in accordance with the principles of the Church of England, and to provide a sound religious education, in accordance with said principles, for girls and young children.’
St Margaret's is part of the St Mary’s charitable trust and the Governors of the School are entrusted with the objects of the Charity as set out in its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The school is in sound financial health, and the audited accounts are available from the Bursar on request and from the Charity Commission’s website.
For the academic year 2020/21 the Governing Body comprises:
| NAME |
PROFESSION/BACKGROUND |
IN POST SINCE... |
| Mr Svante Adde (Chair) |
Economics & Business Administration |
November 2018 |
| Mrs Vicky Wilson (Deputy Chair)* |
Charities/Former Parent |
June 2007 |
| The Venerable Hedley Ringrose* |
Religion/Education |
June 2011 |
| Dr Simon Turton (Chairman of the Finance Committee) |
Medical/Finance |
March 2014 |
| Dr Linda Ashton |
Scientist |
September 2016 |
| Mr Martin Harris |
Education |
January 2017 |
| Mrs Cate Bell |
Chair of Calne Girls' Association, Trustee of Cane Foundation Trust |
September 2017 |
| Mrs Pamela Morris-Sykes |
Finance |
March 2019 |
| Mrs Tricia Pearce* |
Education |
September 2019 |
| Mr Robert Cutler* |
Human Resources |
September 2019 |
| Mrs Deborah Harris |
Education |
November 2020 |
| Mrs Anne Ferguson OBE |
Emeritus Governor |
September 2015 |
| Professor Julia Buckingham |
Emeritus Governor |
September 2016 |
| Mr Michael Pipes |
Emeritus Governor |
September 2017 |
*St Margaret's Committee
This provides a good balance of experience and makes for an effective Governing Body, which is tasked to act corporately and objectively in all decision-making. The main Governing Body is supported by a smaller Sub-Committee responsible for finance, the F and GP Committee, and by a Risk Management Committee. Governors are kept abreast of developments in school in regular communications, reports and meetings with the Headmaster and members of the Senior Leadership Team. Governors may be contacted through the Bursar, Mr Danny Boswell, who is Clerk to the Governors.
Please click here for an Introduction to the Governors.
St Margaret's Preparatory School, a subsidiary of St Mary's School (Calne).
Registered office: Curzon Street, Calne, Wiltshire
Registered charity number: 309482
Company registration number: 00235572