HMC Board
Dr Philip Britton MBE
Chair
Dr Philip Britton MBE
Chair
Philip Britton is the Head of Foundation at Bolton School, a school for some 2,400 pupils from nursery to Sixth Form, with a Boys’ Division, Girls’ Division and Primary Division structure. He took on this newly developed overarching role in 2021 having been Head of the Boys’ Division at Bolton since 2008. He was brought up on Tyneside and was educated at Blaydon Comprehensive School, took a first in physics at Oxford and did teacher training at Cambridge, winning the Charles Fox prize. He worked as physics teacher, Head of Physics and Deputy Head (Academic) at Leeds Grammar School. Between 2005 and 2008 he worked between Leeds Girls’ High School and Leeds Grammar School as the two merged into the Grammar School at Leeds. Philip has been very much involved in the Institute of Physics over the years, chairing their Yorkshire Branch, the Education Committee and being a trustee and the national Vice President for Education for four years from 2012-16. In 2010 he was awarded an MBE for services to physics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics where he remains much involved in physics education, encouraging teachers to inspire the next generation of physicists. Philip was a member of the HMC Communications Committee from 2012 to 2024 and has been the Chair for many years, as well as serving a term as Secretary and Chair of the North West Division. He is very much committed to the purpose of HMC as a mutually supportive group of colleagues with common aims as well as a means for providing a public voice to issues that our sector cares about. The capacity and expertise for communication within HMC and communications from HMC to the wider world has been transformed in the last decade.
Philip is very much committed to articulating the moral purpose of our schools and their place in the educational landscape, so often based on our very real sense of place in our localities more than the national debates. We know the positive difference we make to our pupils and the impact we have on the areas around our schools. He is passionate about schools being inclusive, promoting social mobility, fundraising and bursary support: to that end he has been a trustee of the Institute of Development Professionals in Education since 2018 and Chair of Trustees from 2021 to 2024.
Aside from this he volunteers time as a Governor: from 2012-2019 he was a Governor at Stockport Grammar school, chairing the education Committee and from 2022 has been a Governor at the Grammar School at Leeds, where he is Chair of the Foundation Committee and a member of the Education Committee. He also volunteers time to the Scout movement, of which he has been a member from childhood and is currently the Assistant Group Scout Leader for the school group.
Jaideep Barot
Vice Chair
Jaideep Barot
Vice Chair
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 was HMC’s representative on ASCL Council (2022-2024), 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 St Paul’s School in London, the Manchester Grammar 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. Away from education, Jaideep is a microlight pilot, a PADI divemaster, a keen but – according to him – 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.
Dr Anne Cotton
Chair Elect
Dr Anne Cotton
Chair Elect
Dr Anne Cotton has been Head at King’s College School, Wimbledon since 2022. Anne studied Classics at Oxford, where she returned for her postgraduate study after a spell working in London. Her doctoral research focused on learning in Plato’s dialogues, and her book, Platonic Dialogue and the Education of the Reader, was published by Oxford University Press in 2014. She also holds an MA in Education.
After discovering her love of teaching through volunteering in her local primary school, Anne began her teaching career in the maintained sector, before moving to Magdalen College School in Oxford, where she held both pastoral and academic responsibilities and became Deputy Head. She joined The Portsmouth Grammar School as Head in 2018, and took up her post at King’s College School Wimbledon in 2022 as the school’s first permanent female Head.
A strong advocate for partnership working, Anne has been involved in community engagement initiatives throughout her career, and served as a member of HMC’s newly formed Public Benefit and Partnerships Committee. She was director of Oxford Festival of the Arts for a number of years, working alongside cultural organisations and businesses as well as launching a partnerships programme with local schools, before becoming Chair of Ports Fest, Portsmouth’s annual festival celebrating young people and the arts. At Magdalen College School, she led the school’s community engagement programme, and in is a strong supporter of King’s collaborative work with around 50 local schools as part of the Wimbledon partnership, including a recent partnership with Harris Academy Wimbledon. A member of the board of the King’s group of international school, Anne has a keen interest in the educational value of international partnership work.
Married to a musician, Anne has two school-age children, and enjoys enthusiastic family music-making and cooking.
Amber Waite
Treasurer
Amber Waite
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.
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.
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.
Keith Meltcalfe
Director
Keith Meltcalfe
Director
Keith has been Headmaster of Malvern College since April 2019, where he has oversight of the Malvern College family, with schools in the UK and overseas, and keenly promotes his passion for making the most of the environment and succeeding inside and outside the classroom across the group.
He was educated at Monmouth School and read Geography at Downing College, Cambridge. Following a brief period working for Christians in Sport in Oxford, he completed his PGCE and started teaching at Harrow School in 2000. After 19 years at Harrow, working his way through a number of roles: Head of Department, House Master, 1st XI Football coach, Master i/c Rackets etc. he joined the Senior Management Team and became the senior Deputy Head Master in 2016.
He is a Governor of an HMC school in the southwest of England and of a state academy school in Malvern. Outside of work, he is involved in a local church, remains a keen sportsman – single figure handicap golfer and ‘good for age’ Park Runner - and loves the outdoors. He is married to Clare, and has three children who are working their way through their respective education pathways.
Geoffrey Stanford
Director
Geoffrey Stanford
Director
Geoffrey is Head of the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle. During his time at the RGS, amongst other things, he has overseen the development of a partnership programme that runs more than 70 projects in over 100 schools, working with more than 10,000 children each year and focussing on areas of most disadvantage. He is also a Trustee of the Laidlaw Schools Trust, a multi academy trust in the North East, and a member of the Advisory Board for Schools North East which represents over 1100 schools. Geoffrey has previously served as a Governor of the Dragon School in Oxford and the Downs School near Newbury. Following four years’ service in the army back in the last century, he is still a CCF adult volunteer and sits on the North East Reserve Forces Cadet and Youth Advisory Board. Geoffrey was a member of HMC’s Universities Committee and continues to serve on HMC’s Public Benefit and Partnerships Committee. In school, Geoffrey still teaches a class for the Extended Project Qualification each year though, despite his Classics degree from Oxford, Geoffrey has mostly taught Economics. This follows his MBA at INSEAD in France and experience as a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group as well as four years in the Investment Banking Division of Citigroup. Geoffrey started teaching at Millfield School before becoming a Boarding Housemaster and Head of Economics and Business at Pangbourne College. He then served as Deputy Head (Co-curriculum) at Sevenoaks School and became Headmaster of Fettes College before moving to Newcastle in 2019. Geoffrey is married to Susanna and they have two sons. In his spare time, Geoffrey enjoys playing the French Horn, kayaking and running in the hills or on the beach with his flatcoated retrievers.
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.
Dr Simon Hyde
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Simon Hyde
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Simon Hyde became HMC’s General Secretary (CEO) in September 2020 following nine years as Head of the King’s School in Macclesfield. Much of Dr Hyde’s career has involved transformational change, not least his leadership of the King’s School’s 2020 vision to relocate the split-site diamond school in one of the country’s largest school improvement projects.
At HMC, Dr Hyde’s tenure has seen root and branch reform of the association’s governance as well as significant structural changes such as the introduction of an education team, the creation of HMC networks for senior leaders, new committees (including Pastoral and Safeguarding and for Public Benefit), a corporate partnership programme and substantial investment in member support. The international division has almost doubled in size and new membership categories have been introduced reflecting the changing nature of HMC’s schools.
The association’s 2030 strategy will build further on these achievements whilst continuing to modernise HMC and improve its offer to Heads and schools. The General Secretary’s vision is for a global community of heads embedded in an association for schools committed to children and young people from all backgrounds.
Dr Hyde read history at Christ Church, Oxford before completing a doctorate on mid-nineteenth-century Prussia. He serves on a number of educational boards including the Independent Schools Council.
Chris Silver
Chief Financial and Operations Officer
Chris Silver
Chief Financial and Operations Officer
Chris joined HMC in September 2021. He is a CIMA qualified accountant, with a varied experience in the building materials, warehouse automation and health and social care sectors. Most recently, he was Head of Financial Management at Oundle School. Chris studied Economics at the University of Aberdeen and later attained a Masters in Financial Economics from the University of Nottingham. Outside of work, Chris trains in jiu jitsu and also enjoys taking part in triathlons. Chris represents HMC on the Board of the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) and is also a non-executive Director of Scottish Target Shooting.
