Leadership Team and Governing Body

Chris Wheeler joined Monkton as Principal in January 2016. He previously served as Principal and CEO at Hillcrest International Schools in Kenya, Headmaster at St Christopher's, Hove, and has variously been Deputy Head, Housemaster (day and boarding) and Head of English. He completed his MBA in Education Leadership in 2022 with distinction specialising in system development and change leadership. He is currently Chair of The Institute of Boarding (TIOB) and a member of the HMC Finance and Risk Committee. He has previously served as Vice Chair of HMC, Chair of HMC South West Division and as a member of the HMC Inspection Sub Committee.

Chris continues to teach English and Drama and is passionate about innovative and inspirational education whether seeking effective ways to improve assessment, making the implicit more explicit, using technology to enhance classroom practice, developing ever stronger ways to take a proactive approach to pastoral care or forging international links to ensure pupils have a genuinely global outlook. Chris leads on various partnership projects including supporting Royal Springboard and the Boarding Schools Partnership, the foundation of the Bath Schools’ Voices and Bath Student Parliament. 

In addition to his work at HMC, he is an ISI Team Inspector. He has previously served as a Trustee of both the Palladian Academy Trust and the Lywood Colley Academy Trust, a member of the Court of the University of Bath, an examiner at GCSE and A-level for both English and Literature and often speaks at churches and chapels across the country. When not doing any of these things, he likes to take to the hills with his paraglider, or head to the Alps to snowboard; in quieter moments he walks his dogs or reads a good book.

He is married to Georgie and has three children at Monkton.

Catherine joined Monkton as Head of Pre-Prep in September 2016 having returned to the UK from the Middle East. Following a school restructure Catherine became Head of Prep in May 2020.

During her time overseas she held both Primary and Secondary school posts, alongside serving the Syrian and Iraqi refugee community in Jordan with her husband Simon.

Prior to spending time abroad, she was Deputy Head at a Church of England school in Surrey and also served in a variety of other leadership roles. Catherine has two grown-up daughters.

James Goodman joined Monkton in 2014 as a Maths teacher. He and his wife, Mairion, have been houseparents of Clarendon House since 2015. In 2017 he also became Director of Digital Learning prior to being appointed as Vice Principal in 2019. James has worked as a teacher in both the state and private sector in Bristol as well as working abroad. He created a Maths department from the ground up in a new secondary school, alongside supporting Maths teachers from across the Local Authority.

Throughout this time he has been an advocate for using technology where it adds value to teaching and learning. He is also passionate about helping ensure each family has a really positive experience of Monkton as they move through the different stages of their Monkton journey.  He has helped manage the merger with All Hallows Prep School steering the various areas of integration required for a successful partnership. He has three children who all started in Monkton Prep School and have thoroughly enjoyed their Monkton journey so far. He enjoys coaching and playing hockey and will play any sport he has the opportunity to do.

Jane joined Monkton as Head of Finance in June 2022 and was appointed as Director of Finance in May 2023 and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) She has spent most of her career in the Education industry in Australia and the UK, both in higher education and independent and state schools. She grew up in Bath and returned in 2012 after spending 7 years in Australia. 

Jane has two children, one of whom is at Monkton, and enjoys a game of tennis, walking and reading in her spare time.

Laura joined Monkton as Director of People in January 2019.  Her previous HR roles were in a variety of organisations including the Research Councils UK, Amazon and the World Trade Group. In addition she is a governor at Combe Down Primary school, serves as a trustee for the Wansdyke Play Association and is a member of the HR committee of the Palladian Academy Trust. 

She lives in Combe Down, is married to Mark and they have 2 daughters. As a family they love to go walking and enjoy watching Bath rugby.

Ewan joined the Monkton Governing Board in March 2022 and took on the role of Chair of Governors from 1st September 2022. He is currently a Professor of Law in the University of Leiden, an Emeritus Professor of Law in the University of Oxford and a barrister in practice in London. 

He spent a number of years in senior positions in the University of Oxford, where he was a Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Registrar.  He continues to serve on a number of boards, mostly linked to universities or to Christian ministry.

Ewan and his wife have recently moved to Cheltenham where they are members of a local church. He enjoys spending time with his family and grandchildren.

A governor since 2016, Simon’s first experience was some thirty years ago when he came to speak at a Sunday chapel Service while leading the Lymington Holiday Camps. He was struck then and continues to be so today, by the warm and friendly atmosphere that the school has and its unashamed commitment to its Christian heritage. He has served in Christian leadership for most of his working life in the UK and in the USA both in the church and in large parachurch organisations.

Ordained in the Episcopal Church (USA), he is licensed in the Anglican Diocese of Bath and Wells. Currently he serves as interim Rector of Indian Hill Church, Cincinnati. When not serving in the US, he and his wife Lucy who are both dual citizens, live on a small farm close to Monkton together with their Donkey Dillon, and numerous other furry friends.

A governor of Monkton since 2017 and an experienced teacher and school leader Charles is currently on sabbatical after having served as the Headmaster at Francis Holland School in London for seven years and before taking up the Executive Headship at Solihull School in the West Midlands in January 2023. He has previously been the Deputy Head at City of London School and in his earlier career, he worked in state comprehensive schools, both co-educational and single-sex. 

He lives between Surrey and Birmingham with his wife, two children and their little white dog.

As a family, they attend Knowle Parish Church. He holds an MA from King’s College, London and an MSc from Jesus College, Oxford.

Libby joined the governing body in July 2018. She is an Employment Lawyer by profession and currently works as a Professional Support Lawyer. 

When not practising law, Libby spends time looking after a household of three busy teenagers. In the time left available, Libby loves participating in a wide variety of sporting activities.

Alex joined the Monkton Board in March 2019. He qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and has worked in commercial and employment law since then.

A governor since November 2014, Julian has a background in international business working mainly in the payments sector. His particular area of expertise has been in the setting up and development of new businesses in different countries.

He has recently retired and is enjoying more time for family including young grandchildren, sailing and walking.

Julian is particularly interested in the potential for commercial enterprise to support charitable activities and is a Non-Executive Director of a Christian not for profit company providing logistics to assist with disaster relief in Southern Africa, self-funded by regional commercial transport activities in the tourism, medical and utilities sectors. 

Alastair joined the Monkton Board in March 2019. His background is in senior roles in Schools. Most recently he was the Headmaster at Ballard School, New Milton, until his retirement in 2018.

Prior to that he was Principal at Hebron School,  India, catering primarily for “Christian worker” children in Asia, the Gulf and Africa. Alastair has also been Deputy Head at Dean Close, Cheltenham, and a Housemaster and Head of History at Glenalmond College, Perth. He is currently General Secretary of TISCA, the independent schools Christian alliance.

In addition to teaching History and RS, Alastair has coached games, principally hockey. He is also a keen golfer. He is married to Rosalyn, who previously taught at Clarendon and Haynes Park, and they have three married children and six grandchildren. Rosalyn and Alastair attend church in the Redditch area. Alastair first came to faith at a Crusader camp in Studland Bay, Dorset, when he was 13 years old. He was born overseas and lived in West Africa for 18 years, attending boarding schools in Scotland throughout that time. 

David is an OM (85) and joined the Board in November 2016. Having qualified as a Chartered Surveyor, he has worked for a French bank in their property division for just under 25 years.

He has recently left the corporate world to set up his own property consultancy business working in both the residential and charitable sectors.
 
David is married with two teenage children and lives in North London. He is an active member of St Helen’s Bishopsgate. 

Ed has been a Governor since 2017, is an Old Monktonian (1990-95), and the son and sibling of Old Monktonians. Since leaving the Senior School he has studied history at St. John's College, Durham, theology at Oak Hill College, North London, and worked for churches in Durham, London and Bristol.

He is currently the Pastor of Emmanuel City Centre - an Anglican church plant in the centre of Bristol.

Ed serves as an elected lay member of the General Synod of the Church of England and is on the Pastoral Advisory Group recently set up by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. He is a regular speaker and writer on issues of gender, identity, sexuality and inclusion.

Mervyn has been a governor since the end of 2018. He has many years of experience on governing bodies, having been chairman of governors at Little Thurrock Primary School, Thurrock and Basildon FE College and Barfield Preparatory School. 
Mervyn’s interest in Monkton Combe started about 10 years ago when he began attending Stewards Trust House Parties. This was cemented when his son attended Sixth Form from 2016 – 2018. In Mervyn’s words ‘Monkton was simply the best thing that ever happened to my son’. 

Mervyn is the Founder President of CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide), a Christian advocacy organisation campaigning for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) around the world.  

He also chairs the UK FoRB Forum, a network of Civil Society organisations working for religious freedom. He advises the Foreign Secretary on FoRB issues, as a member of his Human Rights Advisory Group, and is a member of the International Religious Freedom and Belief Alliance Panel of Experts.

Mervyn was appointed a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in HM The Queen’s 2019 New Year’s Honours List for services to Human Rights and Freedom of Religion or Belief.  

Mervyn lives on the Hampshire/Surrey border, is married to Wendy and they have two children and one grandchild. 

Margaret joined the Governing Body in November 2019 after recently returning to live in Bath. Prior to this move, she worked as Deputy Head Academic at St Faith's Cambridge. During her time as a teacher, she developed extensive material on curriculum and policy matters, publishing articles on various aspects of teaching.

Her book ‘A Good Education’ (Routledge, 2018) introduces a new model of learning based on Christian values, with the aim of enriching the educational experience of every child.

Margaret now works as a freelance educational consultant, and is Patron of the Gold Scholarship Programme at the University of Bath. She is a member of St Nicholas’ Bathampton where her involvement includes looking after the music.   

Stephen has been a Governor at Monkton since early 2016.  He is currently CEO at Mission without Borders International, a mission seeking to reach people for Christ and assist in relieving poverty in some of the poorest countries in Central & Eastern Europe.

Prior to this position, having qualified as a UK Chartered Accountant, he was a partner with KPMG for more than 20 years providing audit and advisory services to clients in Central Europe.  He is also an Audit Committee member on a retail bank operating in several countries in Europe. 

He is married to Catherine and they have 2 adult children. He attends Witney Community Church, and is part of the leadership team.