Governors

Christine Grindrod, Chair of Governors

Christine has dedicated her career to education, having worked in the sector for 39 years in a variety of roles. Her last full-time post was as Deputy Headteacher in an Ofsted Outstanding rated school, and she has been heavily involved in CPD, teacher training and recruitment throughout her career.

These skills, as well as her personal connection to Gumley House through her daughter, who is a Gumley alumna, allow Christine to make well-informed decisions for the future of the school.

My vision is for Gumley to be the very best school it can be, ensuring the future happiness of its students by equipping them with the skills, education and values that give them choices in their future.

The high expectations of staff and students encompasses both the academic and the pastoral aspects school life, and that’s what sets Gumley House apart.

Liz Higgins, Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee & Joint Vice Chair of Governors

When asked to join the governing body by the previous Headteacher at Gumley, Liz felt it was time to give something back to the school that had been home to her and her two daughters.

As a chartered accountant, Liz’s financial background allied with her deep rooted understanding of the school as an alumna puts her in the perfect position to make strategic decisions for the benefit of the school and its community.

I love the fact that the school focuses on educating the whole person. Girls are offered the chance to excel academically and flourish in a wide range of extracurricular activities. I also love the collegiate feel of the school.  The school’s ethos encourages tolerance and kindness and the girls demonstrate a level of acceptance and support for each other which, when I talk to others with experience of similar schools, appears to be exceptional.

Liz’s vision is to continue the long Gumley House tradition of educating girls to become responsible, successful citizens who look outwards to see what they can contribute to society.

Georgina Ioannides, Foundation Governor, Joint Vice Chair of Governors

Georgina chose to join the Gumley House governing board after her eldest daughter joined the school in September 2015. She was driven to get closer to the school in order to use her considerable skills and experience to drive the school forward.

The school’s focus on pastoral care has always been at the heart of Gumley House with every student treated as an individual and nurtured to reach their full potential.

I love the focus on pastoral care and the importance of developing girls beyond their academics and helping them to become more well-rounded, happy individuals.

All our governors bring a lot to the school, and Georgina’s 18 years of experience in Student Recruitment and talent development at KPMG make her an ideal governor, applying her leadership and career coaching skills for the benefit of our students and staff. Georgina plays an active role in developing our current staff and helps the recruitment process, so we can attract the highest calibre staff to Gumley House.

John Hannon, Foundation Governor

Chair of Governors John Hannon joined the governing body in 2015 with the goal of making the school financially independent and to put in place measures to maintain solvency without sacrificing its ethos.

As Head of Operations for numerous investment management companies, John has significant experience of process management, budgeting and control, and applies these skills to his role at the school.

John’s three daughters enjoyed successful school careers at Gumley, and he felt that the marriage of spiritual and pastoral care with academic rigour and achievement made the school stand out from its local competition.

Deborah Toussant, Foundation Governor

Deborah represents the parents of our Gumley Girls on the Gumley House governing board. As a teacher with 17 years’ experience, she is able to bridge the gap between the staff and parent communities at Gumley, bringing a different perspective to school governance at the school.

I wanted to be part of the Gumley community with my girls. Gumley House is unique because of the ethos and values the school instils in every student. The girls are nurtured and loved.

The governing body are always looking to push Gumley House on to bigger and better things, and Deborah’s vision for the school is for every member of the school community to achieve personal and academic excellence.