Falcons Pre-Prep > About Us > Governors

Governors

The school is part of Alpha Plus Group Limited, which owns and manages more than 20 schools and colleges in England.  The majority of the schools are in London.  Head office is 50 Queen Anne Street, London W1G 8HJ.

Board of Governors

The group has a Board of Governors, a Management Board and a Senior Management Team, that carry out the corporate governance responsibilities required of the Proprietor.  The current governors are:

Sir John Ritblat – Chairman of Governors
Graham Able – Deputy Chairman
Mark Hanley-Browne – CEO
Jim Bowden – CFO
Mark Sample – Director of Finance
Richard Jones – Director of Property
Paul Brereton – Director of HR
Tim Haynes – Director of Senior Schools
Liz Francis – Director of Governance and Standards
Rossella Proscia – Director of Marketing and International Sales
Russell Seaman – Director of IT
Alexandra Samara – Director of Early Years
John Withers – Director of Middle Years

 

The Chief Executive and Directors are also governors.

Directors

The Alpha Plus directors carry out, along with the Board, corporate governance responsibilities.  A range of specialist financial management, HR, Health and Safety and legal support services are provided at the Group’s Head Office.  Other Head Office responsibilities include the completion of associated statutory safeguarding and compliance requirements, monitoring standards, budget management, premises, health and safety, pupil welfare and wellbeing.  The current directors are:

Mark Hanley-Browne – CEO
Jim Bowden – CFO
Mark Sample – Director of Finance
Richard Jones – Director of Property
Paul Brereton – Director of HR
Tim Haynes – Director of Senior Schools
Liz Francis – Director of Governance and Standards
Rossella Proscia – Director of Marketing and International Sales
Russell Seaman – Director of IT
Alexandra Samara – Director of Early Years
John Withers – Director of Middle Years

Alpha Plus Council

The Group benefits from a Council which advises on the educational direction of the Group. Council members offer a wide range of experience and include a current parent. The Council meets termly, reviews all educational and business aspects of the schools and colleges, and it’s advice is noted by the Board. The CEO and representatives from the other Executive Directors and attend Council meetings.

The CEO ensures that the Council is regularly updated on all appropriate school and college matters including standards, budget management, premises, health and safety, safeguarding, pupil welfare and wellbeing. Council members also receive a detailed annual report of pupil achievement and progress and this is discussed at their respective meetings.

The Members of the Council are:

Sir John Ritblat – Chairman of the Council
Graham Able
Dame Rosalind Savill, DBE, FBA, FSA
Virginia Kairis
Julia Yorke
Kirsty Anderson
Neil Watts
Matthew Collins

For the avoidance of doubt, the Members of the Council (other than the Chairman and Graham Able) do not have any Governance responsibilities for any of the Group’s schools and colleges.

Sir John Ritblat

Chairman

FRICS, Hon FRIBA, Hon D.LItt, Hon D.Sc (Economics) CCMIc

sir-john-ritblat

Sir John Ritblat is the Honorary President of The British Land Company PLC, Chairman of Delancey’s Real Estate Advisory Board, and Chairman of the Alpha Plus Group. He is a philanthropist with a keen interest in education, young people and The Arts. He has many educational interests and his varied experience as a School Governor…

Graham Able

Deputy Chairman

graham-able

Graham was Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Plus from 2009-2014. Prior to that, he spent 40 years teaching in independent schools, the last 21 as a Headmaster in London. He retired from the Mastership of Dulwich College in August 2009. He is a former Chairman of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference and was President of…

Mark Hanley-Browne

CEO

Mark graduated with a degree in Natural Sciences from Oxford University before going to Cambridge University to study for his PGCE. He is an educationalist, having taught at Sevenoaks School in Kent, Charterhouse School in Surrey and Highgate School in North London before becoming Head of Emanuel School in South London. He held this post…

Jim Bowden

CFO

Jim Bowden read Mathematical Sciences at Oxford University and holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Warwick Business School. Jim qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young where as senior manager, he led the audits of large businesses and was involved in mergers and acquisitions in the property and hospitality sectors. Subsequently…

Paul Brereton

Director of HR

Paul-Brereton

Paul joins Alpha Plus Group from his previous role as Head of HR and Safeguarding at Ark Schools Group. He holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Kingston University and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors. Paul has over twenty years Human Resource, change management and commercial…

Liz Francis

Director of Education

liz-francis

Liz started her career in education as a teacher. She has also worked for a number of government agencies, including the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Training and Development Agency for schools, where she was Deputy Director for Strategy, Standards and Qualifications. She has also been a senior education adviser for Suffolk County Council…

Richard Jones

Director of Property

rich-jones

Richard, a Chartered Surveyor, has over 25 years’ experience in the field of specialist asset, development and estate management.  Having worked for a private practice he then joined the Board of a number of private property companies and also spent time with a firm of chartered accountants running a banking workout unit.   He joined Alpha…

Alexandra Samara

Director of Early Years

Alexandra is passionate about early years education and how it can shape children’s dispositions and attitudes towards future learning. She has studied Child Development and Leadership & Management, as well as holding a BA in English Language and Literature. She was a qualified Ofsted inspector and an assessor and mentor for the Early Years Teaching…

Mark Sample

Director of Finance

mark-sample

Mark is a graduate of Imperial College London where he studied Mining Geology. He then qualified as a Chartered Accountant at BDO Stoy Hayward in 1989. He subsequently accumulated 22 years of experience in the Chartered Surveying industry and was Group Finance Director at Colliers International UK plc from 2008 to 2012. He lives in…