Channing Governors' biographies

Any correspondence for the Chair of Governors should be addressed to:

Mrs Cindy Leslie, Chair of Governors

Channing School, Highgate, London N6 5HF

John Alexander FCA

Currently a Partner at Carter Backer Winter. Full-time insolvency practitioner since 1976.

Member of Strategy Committee

Andrew Appleyard BSc

Educated at Perse School and Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge. BSc degree in Land Management from Reading University and Diploma in Investment Management from London Business School.  Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Securities Industry Management Association.
Since October 2007 Head of UK Specialist Funds (Real Estate) at Aviva Investors with overall responsibility for nine real estate funds.

Unitarian.

Steve Barber BSc (Econ)

Educated at University College School in Hampstead and a former Channing parent. A graduate of the London School of Economics and a long-term resident of Highgate. A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a partner in PriceWaterhouseCoopers until 1998. Subsequently finance director of Mirror Group plc, partner in Ernst & Young and COO of Palladian Group. Currently a non-executive director of Next plc, chairing the audit committee. Also chairman of the Fitzroy Park Residents' Association.

Deputy Chair of Board of Governors.

Catherine Budgett-Meakin, BA (Hons)

Educated at Channing School, then the University of Kent (Sociology), and at Oxford University (Post Graduate Certificate of Education).  Taught in inner London comprehensive schools for 15 years.  Worked for the international charity Intermediate Technology Development Group (now Practical Action) for 15 years.  10 years carrying out consultancy work in the voluntary sector with emphasis on development education, sustainability and environment. Now Chair of the Highgate Society.

Malcolm Burns MA (Oxon) Cert Ed

Educated at Highgate School and St Peter’s College Oxford.
Retired teacher of Spanish and French.  Formerly Senior Housemaster and Head of Modern Languages at Rugby School. Three years VSO, university lecturer and then Director of Colombo-Americano Language Institute in Colombia.

Unitarian.

Chair of Education Committee


Jane Dacre BSc MBBS MD FRCP (London) FRCP (Glasgow) FRCP (Edinburgh) FHEA

Educated at Channing School and UCH Medical School, London. Currently Vice Dean and director of Medical Education at UCL. GMC Council Member, Medical Director of the MRCP (UK) examination. Non Executive Director, the Whittington Hospital Trust.

Amanda Davidson BSc (London)

Educated at Channing School, as were her grandmother, aunt and mother. Board member of the FSA, Director at Independent Financial Advisers, Baigrie Davies. Spent more than 30 years as an independent financial adviser following a degree in Maths and Physics at London University. Has completed 12 years of regulatory disciplinary work culminating in membership of the FSA’s regulatory decisions committee. Until April 2010, was deputy Chair of AIFA, the IFA trade association and a participant in AIFA’s working party on the Retail Distribution Review and on its Business Transition work group. Is currently a Director of CFEB.

Unitarian.

Eleanor Jane de Swiet MA (Cantab), PGCE (Institute of Education, London)

Educated at Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Girton College Cambridge. Headteacher of The Henrietta Barnett School 1989-1999. External Adviser in the maintained sector 2000-2009. Governor of Ashmount School (current) and Cheltenham Ladies' College 1999-2008. Trustee of Open Door Crouch End 2000-2009 and Toynbee Hall 2000-2008.

Mihiri Jayaweera MA (Cantab)

Qualified as a chartered accountant in 1992 and obtained the Certificate in Law in 2010. Previous appointments include Managing Director, Strategy, at Nomura International and Managing Director, Head of Business Development, Lehman Brothers.


Cindy Leslie LlB, Bristol

Educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College and the University of Bristol. Former Dispute Resolution partner. Member of the Council of the University of Bristol, Trustee of the University of Bristol Students' Union and non-executive member of the board of the Solicitors' Regulation Authority.

Chair of Governors.

Juliette Otterburn Hall BSc (Bristol)

Educated at Channing School, then graduated from University of Bristol with a First Class Honours degree in Psychology. Pursued an accomplished career as a Creative Director and Executive Producer in television.

Delva Patman FRICS ACIArb FRSA

Educated at Romford County High School for Girls. Qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1969 and established Delva Patman Associates in 1980. First Lady Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors in 1999/2000. Currently Chairman of the Board of the College of Estate Management in Reading. Honorary Air Commodore of 7010 (VR) Photographic Interpretation Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Member of the National Employers Advisory Board. Also on the Council of Roedean School and a Governor of Christ’s Hospital School. Daughter attended Channing.

Chair of Estates Committee

Brigid Rentoul MA (Yale)

Educated at Cambridge and Yale, Brigid is a corporate finance lawyer, practising both English and NY law. Currently employed at Winton Capital Management Ltd as General Counsel. Crafts Council Trustee and Member of the Audit Committee. Current Channing parent.

Member of Development and Strategy Committee

Clare Richards BA (London) BSc (UCL), Dip Arch, RIBA

Educated at Downe House and Oxford High School, with degrees in Art History from the Courtauld Institute of Art and in Architecture from UCL. After 10 years in TV journalism, established Pillarbox Productions, making social interest documentaries for BBC TV and Channel 4. Co-founded Children's Express (now Headliners UK), a charity that encourages the personal development of young people through journalism. Returned to education in 2002 to train as an architect, qualifying in 2011; currently self-employed. Lay Member of the Royal College of Pathologists' Lay Committee. Member of the RIBA's Education and Trust Fund's Committee. Daughter attended Channing.

Margaret Rudland BSc

Headmistress of The Gololphin and Latymer School from January 1986 to December 2008. Taught Mathematics at Godolphin and Latymer from 1969 to 1972 before working for VSO in a boys’ government Secondary School in Nigeria. Was Head of Mathematics and Second Mistress at St Paul’s Girls’ School, and Deputy Head of Norwich High School. Was President of the Girls’ Schools Association in 1996, having previously chaired the Education Committee. Has represented the independent sector on the General Teaching Council, been on the Board of UCAS and a Council Member of UCS. Currently a Governor of several schools, sits on the Board of AGBIS and Chair of the ESU Education Committee.

Carol Stephenson, Cert. Ed., London

Educated at Totnes High School, Devon and Philippa Fawcett College of Education, London. Retired Head of Ipswich High Junior School (G.D.S.T.), having taught primary-aged children in both the maintained and independent sectors. Former member of Early Years Education Committee in Suffolk and the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate.

Tessa Stone MA (Cantab) PhD

Educated at Warden Park School (West Sussex), Kelly College (Devon) and Newnham College Cambridge. Chief Executive of BrightsideUNIAID, and prior to that, Director of the Sutton Trust (both national education charities). Trustee of Into University, Children’s University and the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation.  Governor of Brentwood School (Essex) and the Stephen Perse Foundation (Cambridge).