Governor profiles
Stuart Dennison - Chair of Trustees and Governors
Role: Chair of Trustees and Governing Body, Safeguarding Governor
Date appointed: December 2013
Appointed by: Board of Trustees
Committee member for: Human Resources and Governance, Finance and Audit, Every Child Matters, Pay Committee (Chair)
Stuart is a qualified Chartered Public Finance accountant with a Masters degree in Strategic Business Planning.
He has substantial safeguarding experience including seven years as a member of a Diocesan Safeguarding Commission, as well as serving in a number of diverse roles within a church.
Stuart is Chair of Oxted and District History Society and serves in other voluntary organisations.
Business interests and appointments: Trustee of Charles Close Society
Governance roles in other educational institutions: none
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: Retired member of Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA)
Steve Gooch - Trustee and Governor
Role: Trustee and Governor
Date appointed: September 2021
Appointed by: Board of Trustees
Committee member: Progress and Attainment, Human Resources and Governance (Chair), Pay Committee
Steve retired as a Head Teacher in 2018. Since then he has kept busy in consultancy, voluntary work and admission appeals. Steve became interested in language disorders when his nephew lost his communication skills following a road accident (he is now much improved and doing well). Steve hopes to use all of his experience to support the School and Trustees
Business interests and other appointments: none
Governance roles in other educational institutions: none
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: none
Will Gunston - Trustee and Governor
Role: Trustee and Governor
Date appointed: May 2013 as Parent Governor, and September 2022 as Trustee
Appointed by: Board of Trustees
Committee member for: Finance and Audit, Human Resources and Governance, Research Ethics Panel
Will is a solicitor and partner at Osborne Clarke LLP and leads the firm's restructuring and insolvency service line. He was a Parent Governor of Moor House School & College for nine years before becoming a Trustee in 2022. Prior to his involvement at Moor House, he was, for two years, a Parent Governor of Percy Hedley School, Newcastle upon Tyne. He lives in Lamberhurst, Kent with his wife and four children.
Business interests and other appointments: Osborne Clarke LLP provides ad hoc legal to MHS&C on a pro bono basis.
Governance roles in other educational institutions: none
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: The Law Society; Solicitors Regulation Authority; Association of Business Recovery Professionals (R3); Insolvency Lawyers' Association
Judy Ireson - Trustee & Governor
Role: Trustee & Governor
Date appointed: March 2024
Appointed by: Board of Governors
Committee member for: Progress and Attainment, Research Ethics Panel (chair)
Judy is Emerita Professor of Psychology in Education at UCL’s Institute of Education, where she worked for nearly thirty years, gaining extensive experience of research.
Her interest in learning and teaching has taken her into a variety of educational settings both in and out of school including classrooms, small groups and individual tutoring.
Business interests and other appointments: None
Governance roles in other educational institutions: None
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: None
Professional memberships: Retired member of The British Psychological Association; Hon Fellow of The Tutors’ Association
Julia Irvine - Trustee & Governor
Role: Trustee and Governor
Date appointed: March 2017 (PG), September 2024 (Trustee)
Appointed by: Board of Governors
Committee member for: Every Child Matters, Finance and Audit
Julia has a degree in Computer Science, and spent her working life as an accountant and project manager within financial services both in the UK and overseas.
Originally from London she now lives in Brenchley, Kent with her husband, two children and many animals and now runs the family property business.
Up until July 2022 Julia was the chair of the Moor House School & College Parent Staff Association (PSA).
Business interests and other appointments: Director and Company Secretary of Irvine Property Solutions Ltd and Woodside SPV Ltd, Member of MacMillan Cancer Support Ball Committee (voluntary) and Committee Member for Disability Snowsport UK (voluntary)
Governance roles in other educational institutions: none
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: Qualified ICAEW Chartered Accountant
David Marnham - Trustee and Governor
Role: Trustee and Governor
Date appointed: December 2018
Appointed by: Board of Trustees
Committee member for: Finance and Audit (Chair), Pay Committee
David is a retired chartered accountant having previously been a financial services partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers, London. He is currently actively involved with a number of charities and has been a governor of four schools, both locally and in Cambridge.
He was born in Oxted and returned to live in Limpsfield 37 years ago. David is married and has three children.
Business interests and other appointments: Trustee The Abbeyfield North Downs Society Ltd (a Registered Society and exempt charity), Trustee Scouloudi Foundation.
Governance roles in other educational institutions: Trustee Combe Bank Educational Trust
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW)
Kevin Maskell - Trustee and Governor
Role: Trustee and Governor
Date appointed: December 2018
Appointed by: Board of Trustees
Committee member for: Progress and Attainment (Chair)
Kevin has had a 40-year career in curriculum development, teaching, advisory and senior management roles in secondary schools, Further Education Colleges, Universities and UK National Government Organisations. Kevin is at present a District Councillor, the Chair of the Housing and Health Advisory Committee and Deputy Chair of a charity that provides leadership and research on Neuro-diversity in employment that informs national policy development.
Business interests and other appointments: Councillor and Chair Housing and Health for Sevenoaks District Council, Trustee and Link Member of the Autism Commission for AchievAbility UK, Local Authority Appointee for Westerham and Edenbridge Citizens Advice
Governance roles in other educational institutions: none
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: none
Laura Middleditch - Trustee and Governor
Role: Trustee and Governor, Chair of ECM, Safeguarding Governor and named Governor for Residential Provision
Date appointed: October 2018
Appointed by: Board of Trustees
Committee member for: Every Child Matters (Chair)
As the parent of a past pupil Laura has a good knowledge of Moor House School and College. Her son attended from the age of 8 and left in 2017, having achieved a Level 3 Diploma in Agriculture from Hadlow College.
Laura has over 20 years of legal experience having worked as a civil servant in the Crown Prosecution Service and as a Paralegal in a law firm specialising in SEN. She has also served as a Local Councillor on her Parish Council, Trustee of a Nursery School and on committees at West Suffolk Hospital.
She lives on the Essex/Suffolk border, with her husband and two children and together the family run an arable farm. In her free time Laura is a keen beekeeper.
Business interests and other appointments: Partner Lovelands Partnership, Presiding Officer during elections, Braintree District Council
Governance roles in other educational institutions: none
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: none
Richard Piskorz - Trustee & Governor
Role: Trustee and Governor
Date appointed: October 2022
Appointed by: Board of Trustees
Committee member for: Finance and Audit
Richard retired in 2019 from his role as Chief Operating Officer of BNP Paribas Securities Services and the investment banking division in Warsaw, Poland.
He has over thirty five years experience in the financial services sector, principally the investment management and securities services sectors, where has held a number of leadership roles.
Richard is married with two grown up children. He has lived in the Oxted area for over 30 years.
Business interests and other appointments: A member of the executive council of Churches Together in Oxted & District (CTOD).
Richard has set up and runs the Oxted & District Job Club sponsored by Titsey Rotary Club and CTOD.
Governance roles in other educational institutions: none
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and associate member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.
Jane Vallance - Staff Governor
Role: Staff Governor
Date appointed: 2011
Appointed by: Board of Governors
Committee member for: Every Child Matters
Jane has worked at Moor House School & College since September 2005 and has had responsibility for supporting student learning across all our key stages during this time.
In January 2009, she was appointed as one of our Learning Support Team Leaders and has managed both the School and College Specialist Teaching Assistant teams within this role.
Jane is based within our College environment currently and is responsible for leading and managing this support team and overseeing schedules for both on and offsite provision.
She is eager to be involved with governance and how this supports the development and future of Moor House for all stakeholders.
Business interests and other appointments: Employee Moor House School & College
Governance roles in other educational institutions: none
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: Unison member
Sam Ackerley - Staff Governor
Role: Teacher Governor
Date appointed: March 2023
Appointed by: Board of Governors
Committee member for: Health & Safety, HR & Governance
Sam has worked at Moor House School & College since 2019 as a teacher of various subjects including English, Maths, ICT & History.
In 2021, Sam was appointed as a Director of Learning for ICT, Creative Arts and Drama.
Later that year, she then become the Director of Learning for English & Drama.
In 2022, Sam was appointed as (acting) Assistant Headteacher of the Lower School, managing the pastoral care of students in KS2 and year 7.
Sam has a BAED QTS degree in Primary Education with English as a specialism which she undertook at University of Reading. She also recently completed her masters in English Education at UCL. Sam is excited and proud to be part of the development, success and future of Moor House School & College.
Business interests and other appointments: Employee Moor House School & College
Governance roles in other educational institutions: none
Material interests or relationships with other Governors and staff: none
Professional memberships: National Education Union
Retired within the last 12 months
Christine Combes
Appointed by: Board of Governors
Date appointed: December 2014
Date resigned: July 2024