New Governors Seminar

Jenny Brown

Head, City of London School for Girls

Since becoming head of City of London School for Girls in 2019, Jenny has focused much of her headship around the idea of 'Finding space to pioneer'. Part of this has involved growing partnerships with other schools, including building much closer collaboration with City of London School, and also forging new educational provision in the City. The most recent expression of this is the establishment of a joint co-educational junior school at Gray's Inn, and a new sixth form centre for the girls’ school in the former Museum of London. 
 
This is Jenny's second headship; she spent 5 years as head of St Alban's High School for Girls.  Before this, Jenny worked in several leading schools, including South Hampstead High School and St Paul's Girls' School, where she was director of the sixth form. Jenny herself was educated at North London Collegiate School and the University of Oxford, where she read English. Jenny continues to teach English at A Level and has sat on a number of Boards including the Advisory Board of the New College of the Humanities, HMC and GSA committees and is currently a Governor at Cranleigh School, Lancing College and Highgate School. She also sits on the Board of IntoUniversity and is a Trustee of the Mitchell Trust Charity. Any leisure hours are full of John Donne, George Eliot, Jane Austen, editing her playwright husband’s plays, swimming in very cold water and enjoying the company of her son and daughter. 

Richard Harman

Chief Executive, AGBIS

Richard Harman was educated at The King’s School, Worcester, followed by Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read English.  Having spent two years working for an academic publisher, he decided his real vocation was in teaching.  After five years at Marlborough College teaching English and Drama, during which time he also completed his PGCE at Exeter University, he spent 12 years at Eastbourne College.  Progressing from Head of English to Housemaster of a Sixth Form girls’ house to member of the Senior Management Team, he then became Headmaster of Aldenham in September 2000 and thence to Uppingham in 2006. After a decade leading Uppingham and 32 years overall in teaching, he embarked on a third career as Chief Executive of AGBIS. Richard is much enjoying the challenges at AGBIS, having been Chairman of the Boarding Schools’ Association for 2011-12 and Chairman of HMC for 2014-15.

Virginia Parkes

Director of Learning and Professional Development, AGBIS

Virginia (Ginny) Parkes commenced her career in education 20 years ago, when she initially taught ICT and business studies up to, and including, A Level.  After several years in teaching, Ginny moved into a consultancy based role before joining the Department for Education, initially as Head of Digital Engagement for the Training and Development Agency (TDA) before moving on as a Senior Communications Advisor for the DfE.  Following the birth of her two daughters, Ginny took up the role of Education Strategy Director for an educational trust in Greater Manchester, before eventually taking up her previous role as Director of Finance & Operations (Bursar) at Beech Hall School in Cheshire.  Ginny is an experienced governance professional, having sat as a governor for several schools throughout her career, as well as holding the position of Director of Governance for a large complex FE college group in South Yorkshire.  Ginny is now a Trustee of the Sir John Brunner Foundation in Cheshire.  In addition to being a qualified teacher, Ginny also holds a first degree in Business Management and a MSc. in Technology Enhanced Learning, Innovation & Change. Ginny’s role within AGBIS draws on her experience as a teacher, governance professional and independent school bursar enabling her to support member schools’ governing bodies.

David Woodgate

CEO, ISBA

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.