I’ve officially given up resisting! The Christmas season is clearly in full swing, and despite my best efforts to hold back the excitement, I’ve had to concede – Christmas 2025 has well and truly begun! I’m not sure how convincing my resistance ever was, though, as my love for this time of year is hardly a secret. In truth, I’m delighted. This is, without question, the most magical season in a school.
As we move into the Christmas season, a time so deeply connected with the spirit of giving, I found myself reflecting, especially after last night’s Governors’ meeting, on the many ways people choose to give. Giving isn’t always about physical gifts; often, the most meaningful thing we can offer is our time.
Our school’s Governors do exactly that. They volunteer their time and energy to work alongside us, to challenge, advise, and support the school in the best interests of our pupils. Our Governing Body plays a vital role in shaping the strategic direction of the school and ensuring we continue to deliver an exceptional educational experience for every child.
Each Governor brings unique expertise, insight, and personal motivation to their role, helping to guide and strengthen the school across all areas of its work. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated and passionate team who give so generously their time, skills, and care, helping to make our school the wonderful place it is.
Meet Our Governing Body – Supporting Excellence at Banstead Prep
Here’s a brief introduction to some of our Governors and the areas they contribute to:
- Mark Boxall – Chair of Governors With a background in operational leadership and financial management in the tech sector, Mark brings strategic oversight and business acumen to his role, helping ensure strong governance and accountability.
- Richard Alton – Compliance Currently at Epsom College, Richard’s senior leadership experience in education and his understanding of regulatory frameworks make him well-suited to oversee compliance, ensuring the school meets all statutory and policy obligations.
- Andy Davies – Marketing Andy’s entrepreneurial background and leadership in tech consultancy, combined with his active role as a parent at the school, support his contributions to the school’s marketing and community outreach.
- Manu Gupta – Finance Manu’s extensive experience as a CFO and advisor in finance and transformation enables him to guide the school’s financial planning and strategic development.
- Ceri Jones – Education As Headmaster of Caterham School and founder of a university access foundation, Ceri brings a wealth of educational leadership and innovation to support curriculum development and academic excellence.
- Dr Daryl Maisey – Safeguarding and Early Years Previous Associate Professor and Senior Manager at Kingston University, with a research focus in safeguarding and early years education, Daryl’s academic and professional expertise strengthens our safeguarding policies and early years provision.
- Noble Matthews – Estates and Health & Safety Noble’s background in chemical engineering and leadership in R&D at Johnson & Johnson supports his role in overseeing the school’s physical environment and ensuring health and safety standards are met.
- Prof. Jeremy Monsen – SEN As Head of Educational Psychology and a university lecturer, Jeremy’s work bridges theory and practice to promote inclusive, resilient learning environments.
- Gwun Olley – Communications A current parent and Director at Deloitte, Gwun brings both professional insight and a parent’s perspective to her role, helping ensure clear, effective communication across the school community.
- Fiona Robertson – Governance and Charity Links Fiona’s role at ITV in governance and charity programmes supports our commitment to transparency and community engagement.
- Ali Raja – Risk With senior leadership experience in schools, Ali’s understanding of operational and strategic risk helps the school proactively manage challenges and maintain a safe, effective learning environment.
As part of United Learning, Banstead Prep benefits from a robust governance framework that promotes high standards, collaboration, and accountability across all schools in the group. You can learn more about United Learning’s approach to governance here.
To read more about our Governors and their individual roles, please visit our Governance page.
This week has also seen a huge amount of effort and energy given by our BPSA as the children enjoyed Disco week. These events are loved by the children (and staff) and the time and effort that goes into them is greatly appreciated. I continue to be amazed at the support our school receives from parents, it is very special and makes the most incredible difference. I have toured six families this week, many of whom were part of our open day and all of whom commented on how amazing it was to be able to meet parents during the event and hear how passionate they were about BPS. Thank you!
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.
Mr C
