Trustee Board

Sally Graham - 01/03/22 - 28/02/26

I am a professional fundraiser. I have worked at Cancer Research UK and been a Development Director at a London University. I am a former Trustee of the Microloan Foundation supporting female entrepreneurs with business loans and training.

I now fundraise for impact investment business, via a company that I founded, in order not only to leverage my network, but also to have flexibility to actively be involved in my children’s education.

I am a mother of three. My eldest son is in year 7 at Charters; my other two children are Years 5 and 6. With my children’s junior school, I have been an active member of the PTA. I recently raised £2,500 in a week using digital tools not staff and paperwork to fundraise. I am one of the parent-tutor contacts for my son’s class at Charters. I like to be involved and know the community.

 I am passionate about education and supporting children to be their best. I love the diversity of Charters (I have worked with Paralympian and Charters' Alumna Sophie Christianson) and am keen to ensure every child is given the opportunity and funding to thrive.

Andy Smith - 19/04/21 - 18/04/25

As a parent of two children attending Charters, I am delighted to be able to add to the community in which they both are thriving. I strongly believe in our education system and the opportunities it provides our young people. I am committed to enabling students to reach their own full potential, whilst enjoying their school years and developing rounded skills for whatever their future endeavours might be within the modern world.
As a Chartered Surveyor and have worked within construction and property throughout my career, leading teams to deliver projects from conceptional development to project conclusion. I enjoy my chosen profession and continue to learn and grow within it.
When not working and acting as a taxi to my teenagers, I enjoy refurbishing houses (generally the one we live in!) and family life - including our spaniels.

Nabila Tayub 22 April 2022 - 21 April 2026

I moved back to the UK after 16 years in Malawi in 2021 and have two daughters at Charters, in Yr 9 and Yr 12. They are both loving their Charters experience as am I!

I was head of the parents’ association and a trustee at my daughters’ British international school in Malawi and wrote the school’s new constitution, helped establish a new board as well as expanding the school to secondary education and significantly improving its financial position. I am passionate about education and development and for children from all backgrounds to achieve their potential. I am the link Trustee for Pupil Premium at Charters.

I have a mixed Arts and Sciences background from Oxford and Cambridge and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and have worked in international development and public health for over 16 years with a particular focus on women and girls affected by HIV. I have extensive fundraising experience having set up and run two charities as well as well as being the fundraising lead for STOPAIDS and Action for Global Health where I am currently working on Policy & Operations. I would love for the student body at Charters to have more opportunity to engage with global development and their place as global citizens.

Richard Tyler 16/01/21 - 15/01/25

(Initial Term as Parent Trustee from 17/01/2017)

Having had both my children attend & then move on from Charters, I have seen at first hand how the school lives up to the ethos of Unity - Respect - Excellence.  A Parent Trustee since 2017, in 2021 I moved to be a Community Trustee and have been the Chair of Curriculum Committee since 2018.  My focus and energy is on supporting the school navigating difficult decisions where funding has not allowed us to offer the wider range of courses we would ideally want to provide our students with, as well as focusing on support for students impacted in their learning by Covid.

John Fletcher -  01/09/20

John Kearney: 28/11/23 - 28/11/27

I am the dad of Wren Kearney who has just joined Charters in year 7, and Gruff who is currently in year 5 at Ascot Heath Primary this year.  I moved to Ascot in 2016 and have worked in telecoms, technology and data pricing roles throughout my career including time working abroad regulating mobile phone prices in Qatar.

Experiences that have given me an understanding into what good looks like in terms of:

• Governance Processes
• Strategy Creation
•  Consensus Building
• Evaluating the benefits and risks of financial choices
• Measuring impact of decisions which I believe are transferable and useful to the role of a Trustee

I have been impressed with the clarity of Charters' vision for the pupils and am a firm believer in both knowledge for the sake of knowledge but also developing academic and social skills to move forward in life.

I can be found most mornings being taken for a walk by our rescue dog around the backstreets of North Ascot. On weekends when not ferrying the kids to wherever they need to be I keep an eye on Arsenal, enjoy cooking large bits of meat and planning our next trip to visit my wife's Australian family.

I declare that I have a child on roll at the school and am eligible and willing to serve as a parent trustee.

Katrin Augustin 02/03/23 - 01/03/27

I am a lecturer in Public Health at King's College London and the Lead for Development, Diversity and Inclusion of the School of Life Course Sciences & Population Health where I focus on best practice in the inclusive and equitable development of all students (undergraduate and graduate) and staff. I have worked in academia and education for 10 years both in research and education. I am passionate about widening participation in academia and have previously volunteered for the Access Project to support children from low income backgrounds gaining access to higher education. Both of my children attend Charters (Sixth Form and Year 8) and I would be delighted to offer my experience in higher education and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion matters for the benefit of students, staff and the wider community.

Peter Barralet: 10/11/20 - 09/11/24

I was delighted to be successful in joining the board of trustees at Charters. As a parent of two children at the school, I have continued to be impressed by the quality of the education as well as the positive, encouraging environment. I strongly believe that the school system should ensure that all pupils are offered the opportunity to equip themselves with the best possible set of skills to reach their potential in our modern, global economy. It is clear that these skills may be very different to the traditional ones in the past. I personally graduated with an engineering degree, and have been fortunate in working internationally for a much of my career, both in large and small multinational companies. I hope to be able to bring some of that experience to Charters as it continues to progress and evolve in what are quite challenging times.

Martine Dodwell-Bennett: 19/04/21 - 18/04/25

I am delighted to be able to serve the school and our community as a parent trustee. I have had three children attend Charters over the years, my youngest having joined Year 7 in the year of my appointment. It is a wonderful school with wonderful teachers, but it can achieve more, and I hope to be able to contribute to its future successes.

Our children’s schooling is not just about academic success, although clearly that is a main aim, but it also needs to be focussed on giving our children the best grounding possible for life as an adult in a rapidly changing world. It is our responsibility to ensure that they find careers that enrich them, that they contribute to their communities, that they have healthy relationships and achieve positive mental and physical wellbeing, and that their time at Charters is both enjoyable and invaluable. We should do anything we can as parents, teachers and trustees to help achieve this.

I have been employed at a senior level in the technology sector for many years and have a broad business background across most disciplines and am keen to apply my skills wherever they may best fit during my time as trustee.

Rachel Roberts: 28/11/23 - 28/11/27

Having had substantial professional experience in education (including having taught at Charters for 10 years, 2004-2014) and now working as a teacher educator, I feel that I can bring value to the role of Trustee.  My two children have both been taught at Charters (one child is currently in Yr 11; the other having completed A Levels and currently studying at university) and both having received very positive and supportive experiences, I feel that I have a good understanding of the school from a parents’ perspective.  

My professional role at the University of Reading, where I am Associate Professor of English Education and Deputy Director of the Secondary PGCE programme, means that I have good insight into how schools work in terms of curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment across the Key Stages.  In addition, I am currently Trustee (and former Chair) of an educational association: the National Association for the Teaching of English.  Whilst my principal work centres on the development of trainee teachers, I am an active researcher in the field of education, with particular interests in mentorship and English curriculum and pedagogy.  I am passionate about the quality of teaching and ensuring that all young people have access to an excellent education.   

James Toney - 01/03/22 - 28/02/26

In 2021, I concluded a ten-year spell as a governor at my children's primary school, including seven as chair of governors. During this time, I led the school governing body through a strategic review, two Ofsted inspections, a multi-million-pound building project and the appointment of a new headteacher.

In my day job I’m the managing editor at a press, communications and media training agency in London, with responsibility for major event coverage, editorial strategy and our award-winning post graduate journalism training school, ranked the UK's number one since 2015. I also advise FTSE100 brands on their media profile and crisis communications strategies.

I have two children at Charters and I'm keen to offer my business and communications experience, and lessons from my previous governance role, to benefit the school and its community.

Helen Holroyd - 17/12/2021 - 16/12/2025

I am very pleased to be joining the Board of Trustees at such a well-respected and popular local school.

My professional background is in Education, working initially as a Primary School teacher in Inner London after completing my PGCE. I then qualified as an Educational Psychologist in 1983 and undertook a variety of posts in local authority psychological services in Warwickshire and Richmond upon Thames (which later became Achieving For Children), before retiring in 2015. I have lived in the local area for 25 years and have two adult daughters. 

As a Co-Opted Trustee at Charters, one specific interest of mine will be in the development of pupils’ wellbeing and resilience, especially during the transition phases of their school life. My professional experience in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities has also contributed towards a keen awareness around ensuring all young people are supported to achieve their potential.

Stefanie McGeoghan - 05/09/2022 - 04/09/2026

Having recently moved out of London, I am pleased to join the board of trustees at Charters as a new member of the community.

I have three young children and work as an Assistant Headteacher, DSL and SENDCO at an inner London school.

I have been on my school's board of Governors for many years, serving over 2 governance terms. I have worked on both their Finance and Curriculum Committees.

Along with this experience, I offer Charters my knowledge and expertise in understanding primary education, school leadership, safeguarding, SEND (and strategic leadership thereof), strategic pastoral care and SEMH support. Currently, my professional interests include decolonising the curriculum, building a culture of coaching and SEMH.

I share Charters’ values and look forward to contributing to its future and that of our staff and students.