Governance

LGB Chair

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

Mrs Kate Richards
Chair of Governors
c/o Ashford School
East Hill
Ashford
TN24 8PB

Meet Our Governors

Kate Richards
Chair

Founding director of Enrich Education Consultancy, Kate Richards, has extensive experience of both the state and the independent sectors in a variety of roles and, most recently, as Chief Inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate, where she was responsible for the end-to-end inspection process. Her broad remit included strategic planning for excellence and innovation, for maintaining the quality of inspection and the inspector workforce, for providing evidence-based insight to develop practice, and for representing the professional expertise of ISI at national and international level.

As Chief Inspector, school improvement advisor, associate vice principal and teacher, Kate has had a wide range of roles and experiences in leading, developing and supporting children, adults and organisations. Currently she offers bespoke consultancy, working with charitable trusts, MATs, individual schools and governing bodies on whole school improvement and particularly on governance and leadership. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Teaching, is on the Prince’s Trust Safeguarding Advisory Board, is a member of the International Task Force for Child Protection, is a member of the review team for the national Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and is a Chair of Governors in the independent sector.

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.

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).

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.

Caroline Court

Caroline attended Ashford School 1996-2003 before moving on to the University of Reading to study Real Estate.

Caroline is a qualified commercial Chartered Surveyor (MRICS) specialising in corporate real estate and workplace services. She is currently in house as Head of Workplace Experience at the Swedish technology firm Ericsson responsible for bettering the performance of individuals and the business through the work set up and policies. She was named Corenet Global Young Surveyor of the Year (2019). After working in London she moved to Hong Kong in 2013, holding a variety of roles whilst enjoying the travel opportunities of living in Asia and exposure to working across a multi-culture environment. She relocated to the UK in 2024.

Continuing from her Ashford days Caroline still plays hockey, also trying to find time for hiking, travel across Europe, and helping at the local peony farm. She and her husband now live in Surrey.

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