Governance

Chair of Trustees: Stuart Secker  
Email: clerk@blenheim.surrey.sch.uk

Vice-Chairs of Trustees: Kate Herbert

Blenheim High School operates a governance structure with three standing committees:  

  • Education, Colleagues & Community (ECC) - Chair: Janet Leigh
  • Finance, Audit & Risk (FAR) - Chair: Faye Thorp

Link Trustees:

   

Safeguarding / Child Protection

Bill Donnelly

SEND

Maxine Howells

Careers

Markos Papadopoulos

Wellbeing

Mark O’Connell; Christian McBride

Trustee induction and personal development

Vice-Chair / Clerk

Blenheim High School Trustees / Governors

Name of Trustee / Governor

Type of Governor

Term of Office 

Start date

End date

Anthony

Bodell

Member Appointed / Headteacher

18.04.2017

21.06.2025

James Coote Co-opted 24.03.2023

23.03.2027

Bill

Donnelly 

Member Appointed 29.11.2021 28.11.2025
Kate

Herbert 

Member Appointed 17.09.2021 16.09.2025
Maxine

Howells

Co-opted 10.03.2023 09.03.2027
Janet Leigh Member appointed 11.11.2022

10.11.2026

Rob Mayo Co-opted 15.11.2022

14.11.2026

Christian McBride

Co-opted

30.11.2022 29.11.2026
Karen McGuigan Co-opted 10.03.2023 09.03.2027

Mark

O'Connell Parent Governor 26.01.2021 25.01.2025

Markos

Papadopoulos

Parent Governor

26.01.2021

25.01.2025

Stuart

Secker

Co-opted

09.12.2020

09.12.2024

Faye Thorp Member Appointed 07.10.2021 06.10.2025

Administrative Support for the Board:

   

TBC

 

Company Secretary

 

 

TBC   Clerk to the Trustees    

Trustees who have left in the past 12 months:

   
Amalia Pateman Member Appointed 18.09.2019 17.09.2023
Dave Stevenson Member Appointed 24.03.2021 31.08.2023
Sandra Balkwill Member Appointed 17.03.2016 31.12.2023

Governors can be contacted through the Clerk of Governors via the school on 01372 745 333 or by email, clerk@blenheim.surrey.sch.uk

Members of the Blenheim High School Academy Trust

As a not-for-profit organisation, the school does not have shareholders.  This level of accountability is fulfilled by the Trust’s Members.

Our Members are:

Vanessa Hackett

Claire Hadcocks

Jean Inwood

Sheila Morrison

James Porter

Members who have left in the past 12 months:

Amelia Pateman

Agendas, Minutes and Board Papers

Agendas, Minutes and Papers for Board Meetings can be made available for inspection at the school or can be emailed on request. Please note that certain documents are classified as confidential and these cannot be released.

Please also note that papers are not automatically available in paper format to minimise our impact on the environment but may be made available in printed form on request. 

Please contact the Clerk to Trustees to make the appropriate arrangements.

Email: clerk@blenheim.surrey.sch.uk

Trustees Register of Business Interests

View full Register of Business Interests

Further documentation can be found below under downloads.

Governor Profiles

Governor Profiles

Mr A.A. Bodell 

Headteacher and Member Appointed Trustee

I am proud to be Headteacher at Blenheim High School and have been in post since 2017. Blenheim is my fifth school. The previous four were all co-educational comprehensive schools; three in Surrey and one in Wokingham. 

During my teaching career I have held many positions including teacher of Physical Education, teacher of Science, Head of Year, Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator, Head of Department, Head of Sixth Form, Deputy Head (Curriculum) and Headteacher. 

I am supported in my role as Headteacher by a fantastic Leadership team, all of whom I have appointed. The team is large and has expertise that covers all areas of school life ensuring that well-informed and timely decisions are made and that, where necessary, expedient action is taken. I am optimistic about the future of Blenheim and am relishing the opportunity to continue to develop the academy.

Bill Donnelly 

Member Appointed Trustee

Following a salaried career in HR with two global companies, I developed my own international management consultancy which included creating links between UK and Chinese school leadership staff and pupils.  As one of the original Investor in People assessors I enjoyed the privilege of assessing the Department of Education for the first time, and many schools and national and local government agencies.  More recently, I have established a local not-for-profit CIC company to provide business experience, skills development and employability training for unemployed young adults.  I live locally and my children were all educated at local state schools, as now do my grandchildren including one at Blenheim.  I look forward to helping the school grow even further in performance and breadth of education for ALL of its pupils. 

Kate Herbert

Member Appointed Trustee

I was pleased to join the Blenheim Governing Body in September 2021. I have twenty years’ experience in local government, having had roles in district and unitary councils focusing on effective governance and scrutiny; strategic business planning and policy development;  equalities, diversity and inclusion; partnership working; and organisational transformation and improvement. I currently work for the Local Government Association, the national membership body for local authorities, as the Principal Adviser for councils in London.

I live in Ewell. I have two daughters and my eldest daughter attends Blenheim.

I sit on the Education, Colleagues & Community Committee (ECC), and the Audit & Risk Committee. 

Mark O’Connell

Parent Trustee

I joined the Blenheim Trustee Board in January 2021 as a Parent Trustee.

I have worked in the Insurance world now for over 30 years, serving on various Boards and I hope to bring this experience to governance at Blenheim.

It is undoubtedly an exciting time to be part of the Blenheim team as we strive to maintain the excellent standard of education available to the pupils.

I have a daughter currently at the school and I sit on the Education, Colleagues and Curriculum Committee.

Stuart Secker

Chair of Governors

I have been a Trustee at Blenheim since December 2020 and chaired the Board since February 2023.

I’m a Chartered Accountant and a partner at a large accountancy firm, with over 25 years of experience advising clients in the financial services industry.  I also have experience in leading people and strategy with a strong focus on risk management and controls.  Outside of work, I have been a charity Trustee since 2016 and before joining Blenheim I was a Trustee for 11 years at an infant school in Bookham.

I am passionate about the importance of a quality education in giving life opportunities to all; that this is the basis of a successful society; and I believe that effective governance is a vital part of supporting schools to deliver that.

Faye Thorp

Member Appointed Trustee

I work in Financial Services specialising in Compliance and Governance and since my children have started school I have teamed my professional experience and my passion for outstanding education by being a school Trustee.

I have held school governance roles including as a Chair in a Primary setting since 2014 and joined the Blenheim Trustee board in 2021. 

I am a parent to three children and I have a keen interest in SEN and I am very passionate about the drive to ensure that every individual reaches their full potential.

Markos Papadopoulos

Parent Trustee

I am a professional, multilingual Senior Board level officer with over 30 years of experience, holder of a Masters degree in Economics (MBA) and a BA degree in Business Administration and Economics, and a holder of the Galileo Masterclass certificate in Finance and Management of renewable energies in Construction and building. 

I have extensive experience in international negotiations, managing large programmes, coordinating the teams involved and the stakeholders, planning and organising, staffing, and managing programme budgets. 

I am a problem solver with a strong commercial and finance background having led businesses through transition and transformation. A natural leader who will lead by example and who has set, directed and implemented new strategies and visions.

Rob Mayo

Co-opted Trustee

I was formally appointed to the Blenheim Board in November 2022 as a Co-opted Trustee. I was previously Chair of Governors at another secondary school in Epsom. I have two daughters, one is studying Media Studies at Cardiff University and the other is in 6th Form at another Epsom school.  

I have worked primarily in the Aerospace sector for 35 years following an Engineering degree at City University, London. Following stints with various airlines, helicopter operators and maintenance organisations I have been a consultant to the sector since 2015. My wife and I have established several businesses of our own and we currently own a Pre-School which she runs. 

As a successful graduate of the state education system, I am passionate about that non-selective pathway for all. I am motivated to support and inspire pupils, staff, parents and my fellow Trustees to provide the best possible outcomes for all.

Karen McGuigan 

Co-opted Trustee

I was delighted to be appointed as a Trustee of Blenheim High School in February 2023.  I am an education consultant with a passion for maths and a desire to ensure that education is inclusive, accessible, and enjoyed by all.  

I have a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College and over 20 years’ worth of operational and management experience across a number of industry sectors.  In 2019, I set up my own company to create and deliver a maths programme for students with additional learning needs.  I am also a Trustee of ‘Learn and Thrive’ - a charity that uses digital tools to educate and empower students with Down syndrome.  

I am the parent of three boys, the eldest of whom is at Blenheim.  

Maxine Howells 

Co-opted Trustee

I was pleased to join Blenheim as a trustee in 2023. I have been in the education sector for the last 13 years across both state and independent schools. I originally trained as a Physical Education teacher before developing a huge passion for special educational needs and retrained in this area. I have been a Housemistress in two large boarding schools as well as SENCO/Head of Academic Support. I currently work at Epsom College as Head of Academic support and a member of the academic leadership team. 

I live in Epsom having moved from Sussex four years ago. 

I am looking forward to sharing my expertise and supporting the school and all of its pupils. 

I currently sit on the Education, Colleagues and Community committee and am link SEND trustee. 

Academy status

Financials

Our latest annual accounts along with our latest School Improvement Plan can be downloaded below.

Annual Accounts 2023

Annual Accounts 2022

Annual Accounts 2021

Annual Accounts 2020

 

School Improvement Plan 2023-2024

School Improvement Plan 2022-2023

School Improvement Plan 2021-2022

 

Pupil Premium Information

 


Employees receiving benefits over £100,000 2019-2022

Benefits Band 2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022 2022/2023

£100k - £110k

0 1 1 1
£110k - £120k 0 0 0 0
£120k - £130k 0 0 0 0
£130k - £140k 1 1 0 0
£140k - £150k 0 0 1 0
£150k - £160k 0 0 0 1

The benefits include salary, employers pension contributions, other taxable benefits, and termination payments

There was no union time in 2020/21.

Downloads

Silver School Mental Health Award