HMC Board
Sue Woodroofe
Chair
Sue Woodroofe
Chair
Sue has been Principal of The Grammar School at Leeds since April 2016, having been Principal of the British School of Brussels for five years prior to that.
Sue always wanted to teach and, after graduating from Liverpool in English, she studied for her PGCE at Durham, with the NPQH from the IoE and MEd from Buckingham following later.
She began her career in the North East, the place of her birth, at Westfield School in Newcastle. She was then approached to join the founding staff at Emmanuel College in Gateshead, one of eight City Technology Colleges established by the government in the late 1980s, where she set up the library and was second in the English department before becoming Head of Year. From there, Sue moved to Sutton Grammar School for Boys where she became Head of Key Stage Three, moving to The Holy Trinity CE School as Deputy Head Pastoral in 1998. The family move to Brussels saw Sue appointed to The British School of Brussels, first as a Deputy Head Academic, before moving to Vice Principal and Head of Senior School and then, in 2011, to Principal.
Sue is an experienced school governor, involved in several Leeds partnership projects and has served in various roles in the churches she has attended. She was also involved in national politics in her youth and still maintains an (unhealthy?) interest. More edifying - she is an avid reader and loves the theatre, from the toughest dramas to grand opera. She is married to Martin, has two adult children and is also a doting grandma.
Melvyn Roffe
Vice Chair
Melvyn Roffe
Vice Chair
Melvyn has been Principal of George Watson’s College in Edinburgh since August 2014.
Melvyn graduated in English from the University of York and trained to be a teacher at the University of Durham. He began his career in Northamptonshire, teaching at Oundle School and enjoying a short and not massively successful political career which culminated in being elected Mayor of Oundle in 1993. He also served very briefly as an election observer for the Council of Europe before moving to Monmouth School as Head of English and being promoted as Director of Studies there in 1997. In 2001 he transferred into the state sector as Headmaster of Old Swinford Hospital in Stourbridge, serving for six years and subsequently moving to Norfolk as Principal of Wymondham College.
Melvyn was a member of the National Executive of the Boarding Schools’ Association (2004-2010) and was Chair of the Association in 2008-09. He has undertaken a number of governance roles in schools, academies and the FE sector. He has served as a Director of the Scottish Council for Independent Schools (SCIS) and of Connect - the Scottish Parent Teacher Council. He is currently a member of the Council of School Leaders Scotland. Melvyn is a Burgess of the City of Edinburgh and also an Honorary Life Fellow of the College of Optometrists, a distinction awarded in recognition of his service to the profession as a Lay Member of College Council.
Melvyn is married to Catherine Stratford and they have two adult children. Melvyn retains a personal interest in politics as well as cultural pursuits and vintage transport. His articles on educational and related themes are published from time to time in the TES Scotland and elsewhere.
Jaideep Barot
Chair Elect
Jaideep Barot
Chair Elect
Jaideep Barot has been Headmaster of Bristol Grammar School since September 2018. Prior to this he was Deputy Head (Academic) at Marlborough College (2014-2018), Head of Science at The Godolphin & Latymer School (2008-2013), and Head of Physics at Westminster School, where he started his teaching career (in 1998), after a spell in the city with Goldman Sachs.
As a beneficiary of financial assistance to join the Manchester Grammar School as a boy, Jaideep is a passionate advocate of widening access to the life-enhancing opportunities provided by excellent schooling. He was one of the small group of independent and state-sector Heads that set up the Bristol Education Partnership – a cross-city initiative of what is now 17 schools, universities and the city council, working together to improve educational outcomes for pupils across the city.
Jaideep was Chair of HMC’s South West Division in 2021-22, and has been their representative on the HMC Communications Committee since 2019. He is currently HMC’s representative on ASCL Council, and he was elected onto the selection committee to nominate ASCL Council’s candidate to succeed Geoff Barton as General Secretary.
Jaideep is an inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate, a governor on the boards of the Manchester Grammar School, Sandroyd School and Bishop Cotton School in India. Since March 2023, he has been a Member for the Futura Learning Partnership, a sizeable MAT spanning Bristol and the South West, for whom he was previously a Trustee. He will be HMC Chair in the academic year 2024-25.
Away from education, Jaideep is a microlight pilot, a PADI divemaster, a keen but very mediocre musician and sportsman, and a long-suffering Liverpool fan. He is married to Kerry, and they have two school-aged children, both boys.
Amber Waite
Interim Treasurer
Amber Waite
Interim Treasurer
Head at St Albans High School (STAHS) since 2019, Amber was educated in Texas and, after earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Geological Sciences from Texas A&M University and Rutgers University, embarked on a ten-year career in engineering and research as a biogeochemical oceanographer. After many happy years at sea, working everywhere from the Gulf of Mexico to the Lau Basin in the South Pacific, Amber decided it was time for a change and re-trained as a teacher. She taught for three years in the US, before moving to the UK and undertaking a third career in the Civil Service working for Defra. Whilst she enjoyed the policy and communications work she did at Defra, she missed the fun and satisfaction of working with young people, and returned to teaching. She has taught at Headington School, Abingdon School and Ashford School, and was Deputy Head Pastoral at St Dunstan’s College before taking up her role at STAHS.
Amber is a long-suffering supporter of Oxford United and has, over fifteen years, been slowly converted by her husband to support Wolves. She enjoys playing clarinet, and what she lacks in skill and musicality, she makes up for in enthusiasm and volume. Amber is a governor at an independent girls’ school in Hampshire, and prior to taking up the post as HMC Interim Treasurer, sat on the HMC Finance, Audit, and Risk Committee. She is married to Tim (also a biogeochemical oceanographer-turned-teacher) and has a teenage son who shares none of his parents’ enthusiasm for geoscience but does a good job of feigning interest when they point out rock formations on holiday.
Geoff Thompson MBE
Director
Geoff Thompson MBE
Director
PROF. GEOFF THOMPSON MBE, FRSA, DL, QP JM
Geoff Thompson has a 40-year track record in the social and human development of young people and communities. As a former five times world karate champion, sports administrator and politician, he has realised a unique range of skill sets that have seen him advise, develop and deliver social and human project and programme initiatives globally. Geoff has also undertaken a number of public and private sector appointments developing and contributing to equality, diversity and inclusion at all levels of society.
He is the Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter, a UK-based international charity and United Nations NGO that uses the ethics of sport, arts, cultural and digital activities to tackle the problems of educational non-attainment, health inequality, anti-social behaviour and crime in some of the most troubled areas around the world. Geoff is also a Board Member of the London Legacy Development Corporation, an Advisory Board Member of the Muhammad Ali International Committee and was Chair of the Board of Governors at the University of East London for two years. Geoff is Chair of the Operational Board of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Chair of the London Youth Games and was Deputy Chair of the highly successful Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Arun Kanwar
Director
Arun Kanwar
Director
Arun Kanwar is the Managing Partner of Cairneagle, a global award-winning strategy consulting firm which specializes in the education sector. He has over 20 years of experience in consulting and in industry, and works with clients across various segments such as independent schools, early years, skills and education services. He joined Cairneagle in 2015 and took over the leadership role in 2022. He has held previous roles at L.E.K. Consulting, PwC and Bright Horizons (where he led the UK corporate development function). He is passionate about delivering value and impact for his clients and for the education community. Arun has an MChem in Chemistry from the University of Oxford.
Lisa Kerr
Director
Lisa Kerr
Director
Lisa is Principal of Gordonstoun, one of the world’s leading boarding schools, renowned for its commitment to character education.
Since her appointment in 2017, Lisa has led a strong development programme at Gordonstoun, which sees it building new classrooms, developing internationally, and growing its reputation and student numbers. She has particularly focused on increasing Gordonstoun’s impact and reputation as the world leader in character education, including launching ‘The Lifelong Benefits of Out of Classroom Learning Experiences’ in 2018, using research commissioned from Edinburgh University to shape educational thinking. Lisa is an ardent believer in a holistic approach to education and the importance of Getting it Right for Every Child; knowing that what drives one child to success may differ for another child. Raising academic attainment, whilst ensuring young people maintain a healthy balance of exposure to arts, sports and cerebral activities, is of key importance to her.
Lisa has been both Secretary and Chair of HMC Scottish Division and plays an active role in developing policy and practice in the sector. She is an Associate Assessor for Education Scotland. In August 2024 she will take up the post of Principal at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh, the UK’s largest single-campus independent school.
Lisa studied at the City of Edinburgh Music School and went on to gain a BA(Hons) in Music at the University of York. Prior to joining Gordonstoun, Lisa’s career spanned commercial media, transport, health, technology and the arts. She also held a significant non-executive portfolio including seven years as Vice Chair of Scottish Opera, serving as a member of the UK & Ireland Regulatory Board of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and several broadcast regulatory bodies, and fifteen years as a School Governor. She is a Deputy Lieutenant of Moray.
Sally-Anne Huang
Director
Sally-Anne Huang
Director
Sally-Anne Huang was educated at Bolton School prior to reading Classics and English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She also has an MSc in Educational Leadership and Management and a Masters degree in Children’s Literature, which is a personal passion of hers. Sally-Anne is High Master of St Paul’s School and experienced in governance of both boarding and prep schools. Previously she was Headmistress of James Allen’s Girls’ School, and Kent College, Pembury, where she was also chair of the Methodist Independent Schools heads’ group for two years. Prior to becoming an HMC Board Member, Sally-Anne was an elected officer from 2018 – 2022, serving as Chair during the academic year 2020/21. Her previous appointments have included Housemistress at Sevenoaks School, where she taught the International Baccalaureate, and Deputy Head at Roedean. Her professional interests include the importance of cultural diversity within schools, the power of performing arts in pupil experience, and character education within boys’ schools. Married to Alexis, Sally-Anne has two adult sons and two dogs; her interests include young adult fiction, playing the saxophone and watching rugby.
George Hartley
Director
George Hartley
Director
Headmaster at The King's School, Chester since 2017, George was previously Principal of Elizabeth College, Guernsey from 2009 to 2017 and before that worked at Berkhamsted School, Highgate School, Queen’s College, Taunton and Eton College. George was educated at Cranbrook School, a state grammar school in Kent, and St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where he read Geography. He also has a MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College and is an ILM Level 7 Executive Coach. George currently chairs the HMC Membership Committee and has carried out many HMC accreditation visits at schools across the UK. He is also a trustee of the local Platform for Life charity and is a governor at Rudheath Senior Academy, Northwich.
Married to Merewyn, he has two children. George is a long-suffering fan of Preston North End FC and dearly hopes that at some point during his lifetime they will reach the Premier League. His other interests include rugby, cricket, mountaineering, poetry, singing and wine. George is also a keen cook, having worked in restaurants as a young man, and knocks up a pretty mean paella.
Mark Leppard MBE
Director
Mark Leppard MBE
Director
Mark Leppard MBE is the Headmaster of The British School Al Khubairat (BSAK), the Embassy School of the UAE, and has held this role since 2015. Before joining BSAK he was the Principal of Doha College, Qatar for 9 years and in 2015 was awarded an MBE for services to education. He holds a Bachelor of Education and an M.Ed in Educational Leadership. His passion and focus is on team building, in terms of motivation, personnel and structure, ensuring that the students benefit from these developments. He has a lifelong passion for learning, and ensures that the student is at the heart of all decisions that are made. Holistic education is fundamental to Mark's philosophy and he believes that learning should not be restricted just to the formal classroom.
Mark has a track record of success, having led schools through 7 'Outstanding' school inspections and accreditations. He is a lead inspector and has inspected a variety of schools around the globe.
He has experience of developing and delivering an agreed vision, as well as leading schools through a rebranding process.His astute financial experience has led not-for-profit organisations to very healthy financial positions. He has worked closely on whole school building projects of various sizes, including a complete new campus project, a successful opening of a satellite Primary School campus and most recently a state-of- the-art Science and Innovation Centre.
Mark is a member of HMC, sitting on their Safeguarding Committee, currently Chairman of BSME and Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers. He also sits on a number of advisory boards. He regularly talks at conferences on topics including Successful Governance, Leadership Journeys and Wellbeing.
Mark is a passionate sportsman who has represented the Arabian Gulf at rugby. He is an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan and plays golf, looking to reach a single figure handicap. He is very happily married to Paulette and has three children, Max who works for Deloitte, Murray a Mathematics teacher and Millie at university.
