Governance

Theresa Homewood is the former Senior Deputy Headteacher at Sevenoaks School, having previously been the Pastoral Deputy Head for fourteen years. Theresa was the acting Headteacher from 2019-2020. One of the Governors nominated by Sevenoaks School, the Education Sponsor of Knole Academy, Theresa’s main role is to help foster links between the two schools.

Anne first became a governor when her daughter was a student at The Bradbourne School and then became a governor at Knole Academy. She takes a keen interest in governance and worked for several years advising the directorate of a local authority on governance issues. Anne is responsible for the induction of new governors at Knole Academy.

Annabel is a Director in the NHS and is responsible for elective services across Guys & St Thomas’, Kings College and Lewisham & Greenwich Trusts. Her work focuses on identifying and delivering opportunities for these Trusts to collaborate and improve the care we give to our patients. She was a governor of a primary school in London for 8 years and is thrilled to be a governor again in the area where she was educated, giving her an opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction and success of a school.

Dr Ives joined Sevenoaks in 2021 as Senior Deputy Head. Before that, she taught at Canford School in Dorset, where she worked closely with the Headmaster, leading an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. Dr Ives studied at the University of St Andrews, where she earned a first-class degree in History and wrote her PhD on the Civil Rights Movement in the United States in the 1960s. Before starting her teaching career, Dr Ives spent eight years working as a civil servant and is proud of serving her country in this manner.

In 1997, Donna joined Knole Academy. Donna was Head Girl between 2003 and 2004 and remains extremely proud to have been chosen for this role. After successfully completing her A-Levels, she studied for a Law Degree. In 2009, Donna was called to the Bar as an Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn member. Donna cross-qualified to become a Chartered Legal Executive in 2015. Subsequently, she became a senior associate at a specialist law firm in the City of London.

Jesse joined Sevenoaks School as Headmaster in September 2020. During his tenure, the school achieved the best academic results in its history. Jesse expanded the school’s innovative Outreach and Partnership Programme and created a strong network of charities and partner schools within the local community. Before this, Jesse was Director of Studies at Harrow, where he broadened the school’s academic curriculum. He started his career at Whitgift School as a teacher of Theology and Philosophy, the Assistant Head of Sixth Form and the Theory of Knowledge Coordinator. He studied at Harvard University, where he gained a BA Honours cum laude in Comparative Religion and Philosophy, and at Oxford University, where his MSt focused on ethical philosophy.

Jo serves on the T&L committee and is the governor responsible for monitoring SEN (special educational needs) provision. Jo is also a governor at a local primary school and Chair of the Kent Junior Chess Association, which organises tournaments and promotes chess to young people across the county. Jo’s professional background includes being an editor, journalist, and photographer. A previous role was managing editor at the Department for Education, which gave her valuable insight into developing and implementing education policy.

Joanne was educated in east Manchester before studying for a postgraduate degree in History at the University of Warwick. After a couple of years in the charity sector, Joanne joined the civil service and qualified as an HR professional. Joanne’s current role looks at the succession plans for senior Civil Service leaders and ensures development and support are in place for individuals.

Malcolm has three teenage children and has lived in Sevenoaks since 1996. Malcolm studied at the University of Birmingham, achieving a First in Chemical Engineering. Malcolm worked as a Process Engineer in design and operations before moving on to projects for Esso’s European refineries. Malcolm’s education and career have taught him the value of STEM subjects and how important it is to inspire young people to take an interest in them.

Neil is a qualified practising accountant with over thirty years of experience working with small businesses and private clients. He has served as a governor of a grammar school for over six years and as a primary school governor, with particular experience in finance and curriculum matters. He is currently a councillor in a neighbouring authority, serving as chairman of the Audit Committee and sitting on the Education Children and Families committee. He has visited many other schools, spoken to numerous school leadership teams, and had valuable insight into the wider fields of school funding and standards.

Nick is a Chartered Certified Accountant with over 15 years of experience in the Education sector, working as an external auditor, external consultant, internal auditor and Head of Finance within both private and public education settings. Nick has been passionate about education throughout his career and believes strongly in making decisions with current and future pupils in mind. “Finding the balance to ensure a school or trust delivers the best education for the pupils in the here and now whilst building a sustainable environment for the future is key to my decision-making. Being a Governor at Knole Academy is an honour and a position I take very seriously and take great pride in.”

Roger has spent most of his working life as a solicitor with a major law firm based in London. His clients included governments, international organisations, major financial institutions, and leading companies worldwide. As a retired lawyer, Roger has nearly 30 years of experience building and managing a substantial legal practice. He has worked with, analysed, described and investigated various businesses. Roger is also a trustee of his firm’s charitable foundation and a volunteer with the Institute of Advanced Motoring.

Sarah runs a family business in Sevenoaks, ‘Riverhill Himalayan Gardens’, which she and her husband relaunched in 2010. After completing a degree in German at Exeter University, Sarah worked in the Financial Services Industry before training as a teacher at Homerton, Cambridge.  She taught in the Primary sector in Essex and then as Assistant Head at Ben Jonson Primary School in East London before moving to Sevenoaks and having four children.

Stuart grew up in Brisbane, Australia, where he studied science at QUT and then education at USQ. Stuart is a science teacher and lead teacher of Physics at Knole Academy. He grew up playing many sports and surfing and has retained his love of the outdoors and sports. Stuart is Head of Extracurricular and Co-curricular at Knole Academy, where he manages the House competitions, student rewards, clubs and Duke of Edinburgh. Stuart is also a Lieutenant in the Knole Academy CCF contingent. He is passionate about the outdoors and challenging students to better themselves. Stuart believes that a valuable education must also include teaching students to be honest and good community members.