Governance

LGB Chair

The Chair of our LGB is Deborah Geering. To write to our Chair of Governors, please use the address below:

Mrs Deborah Geering
Chair of Governors
c/o Ashford School
East Hill
Ashford
TN24 8PB

Meet Our Governors

Deborah Geering
LLB
Chair

Deborah Geering (nee Farrant) is a Kent girl and a former Ashford School pupil. She started at Ashford aged 9 and went all the way through, eventually becoming Head Girl. She went on to UEA to study law and now lives with her husband and two young boys in Petham. Deborah is currently working for a global US company, Henry Schein, as legal counsel for the UK and Ireland. Prior to this, Deborah spent 11 years working at Kent law firm Furley Page LLP as a partner specialising in commercial dispute resolution and in particular dealing with contracts, partnership and shareholder disputes. She is highly rated in Chambers and Partners and is listed as a ‘Rising Star’ in the UK Legal 500. She is an experienced negotiator and enjoys working internationally in her current position. In her spare time Deborah is a keen skier, enjoys personal fitness and spending time with her husband and children.

Jon Rimmer
MRICS FAAV

Born in Liverpool and educated at Wrekin in Shropshire, Jon and his wife Lydia moved to Kent in 1999. They now live near Ashford with their three children.

Jon is a qualified rural Chartered Surveyor and Valuer and is Chairman at Hobbs Parker. He is also a Director of HP Technology, a Director of Kendall Richardson and is a board Director of Ashford Cattle Market Company.

Having been brought up on a farm in Lancashire, he is a keen countryman. His small amount of spare time is taken up watching and supporting his children in their various sporting activities.

Yetunde Areeson

Yetunde Areeson was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. With a first degree in Economics and previous roles in banking and media, she retrained as a social worker in 2009 and has held various safeguarding roles and responsibilities within local authorities and other independent organisations. She brings this expertise to the governor role. Yetunde lives in Kent with her husband and 2 daughters who have attended Ashford School since nursery. Yetunde enjoys reading, watching sports, crafts and the theatre.

Jules Davies Marriott

Jules Davies Marriott spent 11 years at Ashford School before heading off to study Classics at Warwick University. Inspired by her time as a Commanding Officer and Wing Staff Officer in the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, Jules is a passionate advocate for developing young people and creating the leaders of tomorrow.

Jules works at an executive level alongside world-renowned entrepreneurs in the entertainment, creative and non-profit industries, translating their innovative visions into tangible, operational strategies. Jules specialises in identifying organisational shortfalls and assembling the multidisciplinary teams required to solve issues, create value, maximise growth and improve performance.

Jules lives with her husband in Essex and spends most of her free time trying to keep up with her dynamic 6-year-old daughter!

Warwick Fletcher

BAcct/BBus(IS) CA

Warwick Fletcher is a Chartered Accountant and has 20 years’ experience working within public practice, listed and privately-backed environments in finance and strategy roles. He completed his schooling in Australia, where besides developing an abiding love of numbers, he spent much of his time competing in “sports” ranging from rugby and cricket to the school choir and band.

Warwick lives in Linton with his wife and three daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys BBQing (and living out other Australian cliches).

Paul Freemont
BSc PhD FRSB:

Paul Freemont lives in Appledore with his wife Liz and they have a son and daughter. Paul is a Professor at Imperial College London and is Head of the Structural Biology research section in the Department of Medicine. He also co-directs the UK national translation and commercialization centre for Synthetic Biology and holds a number of external appointments related to research funding and policy. Paul is an elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and Royal Society of Medicine. He brings to the School expertise in higher education and research. Paul also enjoys mountain walking and outdoor activities.

Archdeacon Darren Miller

Darren Miller took up his post as Archdeacon of Ashford in 2018, having previously served as a parish priest and Area Dean in Birmingham and Southwark dioceses. Throughout his career he has been involved in education, serving as a governor in schools in his parishes from 1995, including eight years as chair of governors of a large primary school. Darren was a member of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education and now serves on the Canterbury Diocesan Board of Education. He is a member of two secondary academy trusts in Kent.

Darren lives with his family near Ashford where he enjoys walking when not keeping up with Kent Cricket, American football, or his children’s latest endeavours.

Stephanie Morris
LLB

Stephanie Morris was born and raised in the Middle East, first coming to England to complete her secondary education in Surrey. She then went on to Exeter University where she studied Law, and subsequently completed her Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in London. She enjoyed a lengthy career as a family lawyer at Mishcon de Reya in London, specialising in all aspects of family law with a particular emphasis on complex, multi-jurisdictional financial remedy cases for high net worth individuals. She stepped away from Law after her second child was born, and is now starting work in the Private Client/Investment Management world. Stephanie has two children at the Prep School. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, keeping fit and exploring the beautiful Kent countryside!

Nicola Ratchford

Nicola Ratchford lives in Kent and has two children attending Ashford School. She is Head of Marketing and Communications for AIG in the UK and is an experienced marketer and strategic communications consultant. A natural story-teller, she advises organisations on how to both promote, and protect, their reputation. Nicola started her career as a journalist writing for Bloomberg News. She graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

United Learning Church Schools Trust

Dr Rosalind Given-Wilson (Chair)
Dame Yasmin Bevan
Mr Jon Coles
Mrs Angela Crowe
Mr Michael George
Sir Antony Greener
Mrs Linda Heaver
Mr Mike Litchfield
Mr David Robinson
Mr Nigel Robson
Mrs Sara Squire

Independent Schools’ Chair at United Learning, Dr Rosalind Given-Wilson, can be contacted care of the United Learning central office on (+44) 01832 864 444 or by email.

Fiona Boulton, Interim Director of Independent Schools: enquiries@unitedlearning.co.uk

The operation of the School is delegated to the Headmaster, Mr Michael Hall, and his senior colleagues.

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Ashford Prep School
Great Chart, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3DJ
+44 (0)1233 620493
The Stables Nursery: +44 (0)1233 656865
Ashford Senior School
East Hill, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8PB
+44 (0)1233 625171
Bridge Nursery: +44 (0)1233 636450