School Governors
Oxford High School, along with the other schools of the Girls’ Day School Trust, is administered by the Council of the Trust. Our own School Governing Board is appointed by the Council. All members take an active interest in the daily life of the school.
School Governors
Chairman: Mrs Margaret Shannon BSc
Vice Chairman: Lady Krebs MA DPhil CertEd
Mrs Louise Ansdell
Ms Emma Bridgewater
Professor Andrew Goudie DSc (Oxon)
Mr Robert Gullifer
Professor Rajesh Thakker MD, ScD (Cambridge), FRCP, FmedSci
Mrs Sally Van Noorden BA BLitt
Back Row (left to right)
Mr Robert Gullifer, Mrs Sally Van Noorden, Mrs Louise Ansdell
Front Row (left to right)
Mrs Margaret Shannon (Chairman), Mrs Judith Carlisle (Head), Lady Krebs (Vice Chairman)
New Governors, 04.02.2013
Mrs Margaret Shannon (Chairman) welcomes new Governors,
Professor Andrew Goudie (centre) and Professor Rajesh Thakker to the school.
Thumbnail Sketches of Members of the Local Governing Body
MRS MARGARET SHANNON (Chairman) – Since working in business in Canada for 12 years, Mrs Shannon has been an Oxford High School parent since 1994, was a Chair of FOxHS in 1996/7 and has been involved with the community as a Beaver and Brownie leader, local Residents’ Association Chair, Bodleian Guide and Guides’ Organiser, and a “Training for Babysitters” tutor through the Ferry Centre and local schools. She is a Canadian with a BSc in Biology from the University of Western Ontario and has lived with her husband and three children in Oxford since 1987.
MRS LOUISE ANSDELL - Louise Ansdell, barrister. Educated OHS until 1987, then read Classics and English at New College, Oxford before undertaking a law conversion course, Bar Vocational Course and pupillage. Louise spent 5 years in chambers in London at 1 Mitre Court Buildings (now 1 Hare Court) before moving to Harcourt Chambers. Her two main areas of specialism in practice are matrimonial finance and children in care. She also contributes to Butterworths Family Law Service, the most comprehensive family law practitioner text, on a range of family law topics. Louise has been a governor of Hanford School in Dorset since the mid 1990s. She lives and works in Oxford. Louise is married with two children, one now a pupil at OHS
MS EMMA BRIDGEWATER – Emma Bridgewater was born in Cambridge but brought up in Oxford and was at Oxford High School from 1971-78. She then went to London University where she read English. Since then she has founded and developed the successful pottery business bearing her name and her trademark spotted pottery can be found in homes all over the country. In 2008 Emma moved back to Oxford with her husband Matthew Rice and their four children. Matthew is chairman of the Governing Board at Bedales in Hampshire.
PROFESSOR ANDREW GOUDIE – Professor Andrew Goudie is a Geographer who was educated at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Since 1970 he has worked in the University of Oxford and has been Professor of Geography, a Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Master of St Cross and Director of the China Centre. He is an Honorary Fellow of St Cross and of Hertford. His two daughters attended Oxford High School. He has been President of the Geographical Association and has written over 40 books on Geographical topics, some of them for sixth form use.
MR ROBERT GULLIFER read English and was a Choral Scholar at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge; he did his postgraduate education certificate at the Oxford University education department. He has taught at senior schools and prep schools in London, Bristol and Oxford and is now Head of New College School, Oxford. He is also an independent schools’ inspector. He has a particular interest in music and drama and in the history of charitable and independent education. He is married to a GDST alumna and their two daughters have just left Oxford High School.
LADY (KATHARINE) KREBS (Vice Chairman) – read Zoology, followed by a DPhil in Child Psychology, at St. Anne’s College, Oxford. She taught Biology at the University of British Columbia and subsequently gained a Certificate in Education at the University of Wales. She taught Biology and other sciences in the maintained and independent sectors, taking on various roles such as Head of Year and Head of Biology. In a volunteer capacity she has been an advocate for people with mental heath problems, a patient representative at the Royal College of Radiologists, a member of research ethics committees at Oxford University, and a member of panels working on educational matters at Oxfordshire County Council. She has two daughters, Emma and Georgina, who attended Oxford High School. She has recently completed a Diploma in Creative Writing at Oxford University.
PROFESSOR RAJESH THAKKER (Fellow of Somerville College) is the May Professor of Clinical Medicine and leads the Academic Endocrine Unit based at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at OCDEM (Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism) Churchill Hospital. His daughter attended Oxford High School. Professor Thakker has a special interest in the molecular and physiological basis of endocrine and metabolic disorders that affect calcium homeostasis. These disorders may be due to endocrine cancers due to dysfunction involving the parathyroids, renal tubular defects, or abnormalities of bone metabolism.
MRS. SALLY VAN NOORDEN – was brought up in Glasgow, attending Laurel Bank School there and then Oxford University where she studied Classics and Ancient Philosophy at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. By profession Mrs. Van Noorden is a career civil servant who worked for 20 years in the Employment Department on industrial relations and health and safety. She then went to work at the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, now the Competition Commission. She and her late husband Roger have one daughter, Helen, who attended Oxford High School until 1999 and a son, Richard, who attended Magdalen College School whose parent group they enjoyed supporting. As a parent at OHS Mrs. Van Noorden has been Treasurer of FOxHS and was also convenor of the open air swimming club. In the wider community she has been Honorary Secretary and is currently a Trustee of the Oxford Jewish Congregation.
May 2013