The School Governing Board

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: Mrs Catherine Dilnot MA, ACA
Lady Krebs MA DPhil CertEd
Mr John Smith, JP FRICS FCIArb
Mrs Jean Flemming
Mr Malcolm Sadler
Mrs Sally Van Noorden BA BLitt
Mrs Louise Ansdell

Back Row (left to right)
Lady Krebs, Mrs Sally Van Noorden, Mrs Catherine Dilnot (Vice Chairman), Mrs Jean Flemming

Middle Row (left to right)
Miss Felicity Lusk (Headmistress), Mr John Smith, Mr Malcolm Sadler, Mrs Louise Ansdell

Front Row (left to right)
Mrs Margaret Shannon (Chairman)

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 CATHERINE DILNOT (Vice Chairman) – is a chartered accountant and senior lecturer in accounting and finance at Oxford Brookes University. She is particularly interested in the charitable sector, and is a trustee of various charities, including Oxford Youth Choirs and a nationwide health information charity. She has a degree in physics from St Hugh's College, Oxford.

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.

MRS JEAN FLEMMING – Involved with Oxford High School ever since her daughter was a pupil there, Mrs. Flemming was Chairman of the then parent/teachers' association and until recently ran the Tennis Club which she started many years ago. Trained as a teacher of young children and taught children with Special Educational Needs, she is now involved in Museum Education at the Pitt Rivers Museum. Member of Friends' Council at the Ashmolean Museum.

LADY (KATHARINE) KREBS – Katharine Krebs 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.

MR MALCOLM SADLER – Brought up and educated in Gloucestershire, Mr. Sadler read Natural Sciences at Cambridge fully expecting to train for a career as a research chemist. After two years at the laboratory bench he decided this was not the career for him and qualified as a Solicitor in 1975, practising first in London and subsequently in Oxford. He has a particular interest in the enterprise movement, assisting new and growing companies and their owners. Mr. Sadler, married to a professional musician and himself a keen amateur clarinettist, has a great love of music and has always enjoyed performing in orchestras or chamber ensembles.

MR JOHN SMITH JP FRICS FCIArb – Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Appointed Justice of the Peace 1981 sitting on the Oxford Division Magistrates, past Chairman of the Oxford and Bench. Former Chairman of the Greycotes Educational Trust for 8 years prior to the merger of the school with Oxford High School GDST. Retired founder member of the Sobell House Hospital Charity, having served for 31 years. Other interests include house and garden, wildlife and conservation, photography, cars and motor sport and bearded collies. Married with two married sons and three grandchildren.

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 is Honorary Secretary and a Trustee of the Oxford Jewish Congregation.

May 2010