Charlotte Marten has served as Chair of AGBIS since 2024. She is a governor at North London Collegiate School. She is former Deputy Chair of Governors at Rugby School and former Chair of the Grammar School Heads' Association. Charlotte remains actively involved in education through her role as a director of the Inspire Education Trust, and through her work as an education consultant.
Sir Nick Gibb was the MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton between 1997 and 2024, having represented the constituency for 27 years. Nick is also a former Schools Minister, serving for over 10 years in the UK Government under four Prime Ministers (2010-12, 2014-21 and 2022-23). He is a qualified chartered accountant, having worked for KPMG in the 13 years prior to becoming an MP in 1997. Nick graduated in law from the University of Durham in 1981.
As Schools Minister, Nick introduced the Phonics Screening Check and the Multiplication Tables Check and he reformed the Primary National Curriculum as well as introducing revised GCSEs and A levels.
As Education Minister, Nick overhauled the teacher training framework (“Core Content Framework”), and the CPD for teachers in the first two years in the profession (“Early Career Framework”) to ensure that initial teacher training and continuing professional development was evidence-led, as determined by the Education Endowment Foundation. He also oversaw the reform of the suite of National Professional Qualifications (“NPQs”) for teachers, senior leaders and head teachers. He also revised, simplified and strengthened the Teachers’ Standards.
The PIRLS international study of the reading ability of 9-year-olds reported England coming 4th in the world of countries that tested children of the same age, with England achieving its highest ever score – largely attributed to the reforms introduced since 2010. And the recent PISA survey showed England rising from 17th to 11th place in Maths.
A recent Daily Telegraph article
quoted Nick Gibb “as the most influential schools minister in England’s history”.
Alex Mitchell's career spans 38 years in the maintained and, predominantly, independent sectors including day, boarding, single sex, co-ed, tied and standalone schools. After many years as a Director of Music in several schools, including Haberdashers' Girls' School in Elstree and the Loughborough Foundation Schools in the East Midlands, he became Headmaster of Holmwood House School in Colchester, Essex in 2009 for 12 years. During that time, Alex was Chairman of the IAPS East Anglia district. Since 2002, Alex built up 24 years' experience as an ISI inspector and, since 2019, has been a Reporting Inspector for UK and international inspections. Until recently, Alex was a governor of an independent school in Hertfordshire and is currently a governor of a British international boarding school in Africa. Having undertaken reviews of governance, he now leads the AGBIS International programme as well as coordinating consultancy services for both UK and international member schools.
Julie Robinson began her career as a teacher, housemistress then head of prep schools. Julie led on education and training for the prep schools association, IAPS, then joined the Independent Schools Council in 2015.
ISC’s small team of staff has been described as “sleepless champions of the sector”, representing independent education at national level in the media and across government departments.
ISC’s data analysis informs advocacy of the sector and Julie promotes sector-wide campaigning, appearing in the national media (including Newsnight, Sky, BBC and Channel 4 News, The Today Programme) and contributing to books and articles.
ISC is a coordinating body bringing together the associations representing heads, governors, bursars and schools (AGBIS, GSA, HMC, ISA, IAPS, ISBA and the Society of Heads) along with affiliates BSA, COBIS, SCIS and WISC, to inform and promote the sector, rebutting untruths and explaining the value of independent education to wider society.
ISC provides a vital route into government policy for independent schools groups as well as presenting a united front for the sector at large.
Julie is a parent and a school governor for a state school and an independent school.
Lorraine Davidson was a senior civil servant at the Scottish Government where she was Head of Education Strategy, Head of vaccine oversight during the pandemic and Head of European Engagement. She served a Vice Chair of Gordonstoun. Lorraine also enjoyed a 20-year career in the media during which she was a BBC political correspondent at Westminster, Europe Correspondent for the Daily Mirror in Brussels and a political correspondent for the Times. She also wrote a biography of the former First Minister Jack McConnell.
Tom Beardmore-Gray was educated at Ampleforth College and University College, Oxford. After three years with the Metropolitan Police Tom qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in 1990 and went on to work for Pepsi and De Beers.
In 2010 Tom became CFO of the Girls’ Day School Trust where he managed a broad range of M&A activity. In 2018 Tom became Chief Executive with Prep Schools Trust and managed the Trust’s merger with Radley to form the Radley Schools Group in 2025.
Tom is Warden of Bradfield and a director of AGBIS. He has previously served as Vice President of the University of Reading and as Chair of Governors at Lambrook School.
Sue joined ISBA in 2025 and leads the ISBA Advice and Guidance team – with responsibility for co-ordinating the advice and guidance support and resources for schools. She joined ISBA from a school group where she was Business Director, prior to which she was a school Bursar. Her career in education has also included being Director of Operations in a for-profit group, management consultancy (education policy and implementation) with a “big-four” firm, and teaching (in the UK and overseas).
Ali is the CEO of Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation. Ali brings over 15 years’
experience of leading programmes and policies to address social inequality from roles in the civil service, including for Prime Ministers Blair & Brown, as well as in local government and in various charity roles. Prior to becoming CEO, Ali led RNCSF's focus on impact and learning for two years, having joined RNCSF from Oxfam GB.
Heather is Chief Executive Officer at RSAcademics and leads their work to help schools build strong leadership, effective governance and thriving communities.
Since joining RSAcademics in 2014, she has brought strategic insight and deep sector understanding to her work with schools. Before becoming CEO, Heather led both the Consultancy Services practice and the Professional Services Appointments team, supporting schools across the independent and state sectors to strengthen their leadership and plan for the future.
Her consultancy projects have ranged from strategic reviews and research studies to brand development, fundraising and change management. Whatever the brief, Heather focuses on helping school leaders and governors make confident, evidence-based decisions that have a lasting impact.
Earlier in her career, Heather held senior roles in higher education, including Faculty Manager of the Business School and Director of Marketing and Market Development at the University of Surrey. She later served as Director of Finance & Operations of an independent school and Business Manager at an academy. She studied Law and German and holds an MBA from Henley Management College.
Heather is Chair of the Board of Whole Education and previously served as a governor of a large UK independent school for over a decade. She is motivated by a belief that strong, values-led leadership in schools can change lives and communities for the better.
David Woodgate was appointed Chief Executive of the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association in May 2016. Prior to this he was Chief Executive of the Institute of Financial Accountants from 2007 to 2015 after which he spent a year as the Strategy Consultant to the Institute of Public Accountants in Australia.
David qualified as a Barrister in 1982 following a first degree in Languages (French and Russian), Law and Linguistics. He moved from the law into the City, holding several senior management and executive positions in the National Westminster Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland – in Strategic Planning, Corporate Finance and latterly as Director of e-Commerce for the corporate bank. He ran an outsourcing business and a specialist internal consultancy providing market intelligence and competitor analysis.
He completed an MBA at Warwick University Business School in 1992 with distinction. A former Chief Executive of the Institute of Administrative Management, he also holds a postgraduate diploma in Charity Management from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and South Bank University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Chartered Banker, a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights. David is also a former Chairman of Governors of an HMC Independent school and is currently a Governor of the City of London School.
After a degree in PPE from Oxford University, Antony qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst and Young, and then worked for a number of large companies in finance roles, before deciding to become a teacher, starting at Eastbourne College. He went on to be Director of Studies at Denstone College, then Deputy Head Academic at Clifton College, before being appointed Principal of St Lawrence College. After nearly seven years there he became CEO of the Mill Hill School Foundation from January 2020.
Adam is a Senior Associate at Stone King, specialising in advising independent schools on a range of issues including employment law, educational issues, safeguarding, discrimination and SEND matters. He regularly speaks at conferences in both the schools and charity sectors as well as providing comment in sector publications.
Charlotte is a Partner in Stone King’s independent schools team and co-leads the firm’s dedicated special education provision team. She is extremely experienced providing advice and training for independent schools, independent special schools and non-maintained special schools on a range of pastoral care and operational matters, and often speaks at events for the independent schools sector including the ISBA and HMC – The Heads’ Conference. As well as being a member of the Education Law Association, Charlotte served for seven years as a governor of her local independent school, which catered predominately for children with mild to moderate learning difficulties
Joanna joined the Independent Schools Inspectorate in October 2025, as Director Legal, Regulation and Complaints. Joanna’s career in education spans 33 years working across different sectors including schools, higher education teacher training, inspection, regulation and policy as well as school improvement and governance within multi-academy trusts. As one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) for nine years, Joanna led inspections of schools and initial teacher education providers, as well as developing and leading regional and national training for inspectors. As a Senior HMI for the London region Joanna led governance seminars and has worked as a Head of Governance and Director of Governance and Strategy with trustees and executive directors. In her early career Joanna worked in teacher education leading UK and international dance teacher education programmes at the Royal Academy of Dance.
Suzie Longstaff is Managing Director at Dukes Education, overseeing Dukes’ schools across central and south London. With 25 years’ experience as a school leader across single-sex and co-educational, day and boarding schools, she is recognised for her strategic, forward-thinking approach to education and was named one of the i25 Innovators and Influencers in Education.
Before moving into education, Suzie was an elite rowing cox, including coxing the British Olympic VIII at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. She currently serves on the governing bodies of schools in her region and a local HMC school, and holds a degree in Economics, with further qualifications in mathematics, computing and business leadership, studied at Durham, Cambridge, Oxford and Bath.
Philip Britton is the Head of Foundation of Bolton School. He was brought up on Tyneside, took a first in physics at Oxford and did teacher training at Cambridge. He worked as physics teacher, Head of Physics and Deputy Head at Leeds Grammar School, where he is now a Governor, before moving to Bolton in 2008. In 2010 he was awarded an MBE for services to physics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics where he was Vice President for education has been much involved in physics education, encouraging teachers to encourage the next generation of physicists. Interested in local community and civic life he is a Deputy Lieutenant in Greater Manchester. He has a Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bolton and is a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, having a long term interest in innovative teaching and learning. In recent years he chaired the trustees of IDPE for a three year term .Philip is currently Chair of HMC, the members organisation for Leading Independent Schools and a director of the Independent Schools Council.
Laura Knight is the Founder and CEO of Sapio, a consultancy helping schools and education organisations lead with confidence in the age of AI. A former teacher, leader, and digital strategist, she now advises governing bodies, schools and trusts, edtech companies and universities on how to harness emerging technologies responsibly and strategically. Laura is a Fellow of both the RSA and the Chartered College of Teaching, a published author with Sage, and a regular keynote speaker for associations including the Society of Heads, HMC, ISA, and COBIS. Her work is known for its clarity, integrity, and practical insight into what leadership looks like when technology meets human purpose.
