Meet Our Governors

Dr Peter Bodkin - Chair of Governors

2026: Pembroke Education as Chair of Governors 
Pembroke Education Trading Ltd (Director) 

2016: Clifton High School Council as Chair of Education Committee 

Academic History: Botany at St Andrews University 
PhD in Freshwater Ecology 

Professional Posts: Bradfield College (Housemaster) 
Tettenhall College (Head) 
The Society of Heads (Chairman and General Secretary) 
Board of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) (Board Member) 
Board of the Independent Schools Teacher Induction Panel (IStip) (Board Member) 
RSAcademics (Senior Advisor Leadership Appointments Team) 

Peter joined Pembroke Education as Chair of Governors in September 2026. 

Peter studied Botany at St Andrews University before completing a PhD in Freshwater Ecology. His first teaching post was at Bradfield College, where he was also a Housemaster. In 1994, Peter was appointed Head of Tettenhall College, a post he held for 16 years, including a year’s service as Chair of the Society of Heads. 

After progressing Headship roles, Peter undertook several high-profile roles within the independent school sector. He became General Secretary of The Society of Heads (the Heads’ Association, which Clifton High School is a member of) and served on the Board of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and the Board of the Independent Schools Teacher Induction Panel (IStip). As General Secretary, he worked closely with Heads and Governors in independent schools across the UK, providing help and guidance across a range of matters. 

Peter also worked for 10 years as a Senior Advisor with RSAcademics on their Leadership Appointments team and has recently been Chair of the Town Council where he lives in Gloucestershire. 

Mr Jason Collard, Vice Chair

2026: Pembroke Education as Vice Chair of Governors 

2023: The Downs (Chairman) 

2018: The Downs School Enterprises Ltd 

2008: The Downs (Board of Governors) 

Professional Posts: Studio Hive Ltd (Managing Director) 
SHA Chartered Architectural Practice (Managing Director) 

Jason joined Pembroke Education as Vice Chair of Governors in September 2026. 

He joined the board of Governors of The Downs in 2007 and became the Chairman in 2023. He was made a director of Downs School Enterprises Ltd in 2018, the commercial arm of the School, which operates Bertie’s Nursery. From September 2026, Jason becomes Vice Chair of Pembroke Education.  

Jason sits on the Finance and Risk, Estates and General Purposes, Remuneration and Strategy Committees. He has been a parent of three children at The Downs School since 2004, including one child currently at Clifton High School.  

Jason is the Managing Director and owner of Studio Hive Ltd, a southwest-based property development company which was founded in 2014. Jason also founded its sister company in 2020, a Chartered Architectural Practice ‘SHA’.  

With over 35 years of Corporate Real Estate and Property Development experience, which, when coupled with his background in Architecture and Design, Jason’s passion for sustainable development and the creative arts provides a strong basis for bringing strategic thinking and vision to the school. Jason and his family live in Portishead; they enjoy travelling, outdoor pursuits and motorsport. In particular, he enjoys supporting The Downs School ‘Green Power Club’, an EV racing team. 

Jason's children completed their full preparatory education at The Downs, and his daughter is now continuing that educational journey at Clifton High School. 

Dr Richard Gliddon -  Patron

2008: Clifton High School, Patron 

Academic History: Professional Posts: QEH (Headmaster)  
Winchester College 
Clifton College 
Cheltenham Ladies College (President of the Council of Governors, Council Member) 

Richard has been Patron of Clifton High School since 2008. He has taught at Winchester College, Clifton College and was Headmaster at QEH until 2000. He has also been President of the Council of Governors and a Council Member at Cheltenham Ladies College. 

Mr Nick Davies

2026: Pembroke Education as Governor 

2024: Clifton High School Council as Governor 
Academic History: Chartered Management Institute and the Chartered College of Teaching 
MBA in Educational Leadership 
NPQH and NPQEL 

Professional Posts: Financial Planning Firm (Co-Owner) 
Regional Law Firm (Director of Investment Management, Board Member) 

Nick joined the Council in May 2024 and also sits on the Finance and Risk Committee. He brings with him expertise in financial planning and a particular specialism in investments and pensions. Nick co-owns a financial planning firm in Clifton, whose values closely align with those of Clifton High School. He enjoys working with the University of Bristol, for whom he delivers regular seminars in financial education, wellbeing and retirement. Before returning to his home city of Bristol in 2014, Nick and his family lived in Nottingham, where he was on the board of a regional law firm as Director of Investment Management. 

Voluntary work is important to Nick and is something he has always devoted time to, whether it be helping to organise the Canford Park fireworks display each year or sitting on the board of a local housing association. 

Outside work, Nick has a passion for sports – both in supporting his children on the sidelines and himself playing for a Bristol hockey club. 

Nick is a father of two current pupils in the Senior School at Clifton High School.  

Dr Jessica Jenkins

2026: Pembroke Education as Safeguarding Governor 

2020: Clifton High School Council as Safeguarding Governor 

Professional Posts: Consultant Clinical Oncologist, The Royal Marsden Hospital 
Consultant, Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre 
Senior Leadership Team, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) NHS Foundation Trust 
Oncology Lead, 100k Genomes Project 
Team Member, UHBW Digital Team 

Jessica and her family moved to Bristol in 2016 and were welcomed by Clifton High School as they joined our community. Jessica was appointed as Safeguarding Governor at the end of 2020 and sits on the Pastoral Committee. 

Jessica is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist, having trained at The Royal Marsden Hospital in London and working as a Consultant in Kent before taking up her current Consultancy post at the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre. 

Jessica has actively worked as part of the Senior Leadership Team within University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) NHS Foundation Trust, was 100K Genomes Project Oncology Lead and worked closely with the UHBW Digital Team to create and implement Electronic Patient Records. This successful project was recognised at a national level by NHS England. 

In addition to her clinical work and leadership roles, Jessica has expertise in mentoring, training and appraisal with links to The University of Bristol and The University of the West of England, teaching and examining students from across various healthcare disciplines. Jessica is involved with the coaching and interviewing of students hoping to be offered a place at Medical School. 

Jessica's key interests are safeguarding, student and staff wellbeing and positive mental health. She also encourages the innovative use of digital tools and technologies, as we prepare our pupils for life practices beyond School, providing them with skills and tools for lifelong learning and development. 

In her spare time, Jessica enjoys playing Netball within the Avon Netball League. 

Jessica’s sons remain at Clifton High School in Senior School and Sixth Form.  

Mr Tom Lloyd Jones

2026: Pembroke Education as Governor and Chair of the Finance and Risk Committee 

2017: The Downs School (Chair of Finance, Bursary Committee) 

Professional Posts: HSBC, Corporate Banker 

Tom Lloyd-Jones has been a governor of The Downs School since 2017, chairing the Finance and, in addition, the bursary committee. Tom works hard to demystify the financial aspects and communicate clearly how strategy and actions impact cash, profitability and investment in the school and is especially keen that governors with less financial literacy are communicated with in a way that helps them understand the key drivers and decisions that need to be made when coming to decisions around budgeting, audit and bank debt/cash. 

Tom has helped the Downs navigate through a change of bursar, COVID, a bank refinance and the drawing of new debt for investment. Helping ensure the school gets the most out of its relationship with the bank and auditors and has supported and appropriately challenged the school bursar. 

Tom has strong knowledge of the sector through his day job as a corporate banker, where HSBC support several of the senior schools in the Southwest and nationally in using debt to enable their investment and CAPEX strategies. 

Mrs Jane Morrison

2026: Pembroke Education as Safeguarding Governor and Co-Chair of the Pastoral Committee 

2016: Clifton High School Council as Safeguarding Governor 

Academic History: French at Leeds University MBA 

Professional Posts: Communication and Public Relations Specialist, NHS and Local Government 

Having graduated in French from Leeds University, Jane worked in the City of London before returning to university to study for an MBA. 

Jane has worked in local Government and the NHS as a Communication and Public Relations Specialist. She currently volunteers for a local Foodbank, where she coordinates and runs a programme of cookery courses for vulnerable people and assists with the Foodbank’s programme for young volunteers (Duke of Edinburgh). 

Jane is a Safeguarding Governor as well as Co-Chair of the Pastoral Sub-Committee and is actively involved in supporting the work of the Development Office. 

Jane’s daughter is a former pupil and and member of the Heads Team at Clifton High School, and her two nieces are current pupils at the School. 

Mr Toby Mullins

2026: Pembroke Education as Governor 

2023: Clifton High School Council as Governor 

Academic History: Economics at Leeds University 

MBA at London Business School 

Professional Posts: Chairman, Trustee Board of the United Westminster Grey Coat Foundation 
Executive Coach in businesses and educational sectors 
ISI Inspector (2004-2024) 
Chairman, Society of Heads  
Chairman, ISC 
Board Member, State and Independent sectors 
Head, Seaford College 
Deputy Head, Churcher's College 
Housemaster, Framlingham College 
Trustee, The Children's Trust 

Toby has recently retired after 27 years of school Headship in a wide variety of different settings. He started his career in boarding schools, was the Housemaster of a large girls’ boarding house at Framlingham College before his promotion to Deputy Head at Churcher’s College. His first Headship was at Seaford College in West Sussex. A three-year spell in the Midlands as Executive Principal running two large secondary academies, in deprived areas, was followed by three shorter spells setting up and running schools in the ‘for profit’ sector. 

He has a degree in Economics from Leeds and an MBA from London Business School, where he specialised in leadership, new venture development, managing change and project management. He is also a qualified Executive Coach and works with clients from both the business and the educational sectors. He was an ISI inspector for 20 years from 2004 and carried out both compliance and educational quality inspections. 

Toby has been both the Chairman of the Society of Heads and also of the ISC. He is an experienced board member having served on seven school governing boards, both state and independent, and is one of the trustees at The Children’s Trust, a major charity for children with acquired brain injury. He currently Chairs the Trustee Board of the United Westminster Grey Coat Foundation which runs three independent and two maintained secondary schools. 

Toby sits on both the Education and Estates and General Purposes Committees. 

Toby’s son is a former Head of History at Clifton High School.  

Mr Robert Narracott

2026: Pembroke Education as Governor and Chair of the Estates and General Purposes Committee 

2019: Clifton High School Council as Governor 

Academic History: Architecture at the University of Wales, Cardiff 

Professional Posts: NOMA Architects Ltd (Owner & Consultant) 

Raised and educated in the West Country, where Robert's father practised as an Architect, Robert gained his degrees and qualified as an Architect from the University of Wales in Cardiff. 

In 1980, Robert spent 5 years working alongside his father at his Architectural Practice in Devon. During this time, he married Siân, and they had a son, Alex. In 1985, they relocated to Bristol, where Robert founded his own Architectural Practice, and whilst this developed under his control, they then welcomed daughter Zara to their family.  She was educated at Clifton High School from 1995 to 2003.   

Robert's practice, NOMA Architects Limited, has grown to have three Directors, but since 2017, he has been gradually stepping back, and whilst he is no longer a Director, he is retained as a consultant, working part-time. Reducing his working hours has allowed him the opportunity to offer his skills on various committees where his experience is proving invaluable. In this vein, Robert joined the Clifton High School Council in 2019 and is chair of the Finance Estates and General Purposes Committee and also oversees the health and safety arrangements at Clifton High School. 

Mrs Jo Oliver

2026: Pembroke Education as Safeguarding Governor 

2022: The Downs School as Governor

Professional Posts: VWV, Employment Lawyer and Partner 

Jo is an employment lawyer and partner at VWV. She has worked with education clients for over a decade, helping schools to successfully navigate complex employment issues, meet their regulatory obligations and promote positive cultures in relation to EDI and safeguarding. Jo joined the Board of The Downs in 2022. She sits on the Pastoral and Estates and General Purposes Committees. 

Will Robertson

2026: Pembroke Education as a Governor 

2019: Clifton High School Council as Governor  

Professional Posts: Osborne Clarke (Commercial Lawyer & Partner – Digital Transformation) 

Will settled in Bristol over 20 years ago to train and pursue a career in law. He is currently a Commercial Lawyer and Partner at Osborne Clarke, specialising in Digital Transformation and works with businesses that are procuring technology and contracts of all shapes and sizes. 

Will loves the balance that Bristol provides; great for work, ideal for raising a family, plenty of fun to be found, close to his beloved coast of Cornwall and, of course, great schools like Clifton High School. 

Will joined as a Governor in 2019 and sits on the Estates and General Purposes committees, often enabling us to draw upon his legal background as he supports the School's compliance and governance programmes. Supporting young people is close to Will's heart as he is a trustee for The Wave Project, a children's charity, as well as a close supporter of the Prince's Trust. 

In his spare time, Will is a keen surfer, either as a regular visitor to The Wave in Bristol or a beach nearby. However, more recently, he tends to spend his weekend as a 'Dad Taxi'. 

Will has had three children at Clifton High School. One has now completed A Levels and left the School, while two continue to attend. All three progressed through Clifton High from the Junior School into the Senior School.

Mr Andrew Sheridan

2026: Pembroke Education as Governor and Chair of the Strategy Committee.
Pembroke Trading Enterprises Limited (Director).

2025: The Downs School Enterprises Limited (Director).

2024: The Downs School Board of Governors (Chair of the Strategic working group and a member of the Finance, Bursary and Nursery Committees)

Professional Posts: Retired Regional Managing Partner, FRP Advisory Group plc (Restructuring & Advisory Partner)
Part-time NED, Trustee and Governor roles
The Grateful Society (President elect 2027)
Barrow Gurney Parish Council (Member)
BBC (Freelance Rugby Union Commentator)

Before retiring as a Restructuring & Advisory Partner in the professions in April 2024, Andrew had over 40 years of experience in advising corporates and financial stakeholders, with a wealth of experience across all stages of the corporate lifecycle and over a diverse range of industry sectors, assisting companies, their advisers and stakeholders navigate through a range of complex situations. During that period, Andrew gained extensive experience in the Independent Schools sector. Andrew is now primarily engaged in part-time NED, Trustee and Governor roles and charity work. 

Away from the workplace, Andrew is a member of the Barrow Gurney Parish Council, and for 40 years he has enjoyed being a freelance commentator for the BBC on Rugby Union.  Andrew enjoys all sports, particularly golf, and is an active member of Bristol & Clifton Golf Club. He also enjoys travel, food and quality time with his family.   

Andrew is Chair of the Strategy Committee and also sits on the Finance & Risk and Nursery Committees.  

Andrew’s daughters are former Clifton High School pupils 

Mrs Paula Shore

2026: Pembroke Education as Governor and Chair of the Education Committee 

2023: Clifton High School Council as Governor  

Academic History: Chartered Management Institute and the Chartered College of Teaching 
MBA in Educational Leadership 
NPQH and NPQEL 

Professional Posts: Bath and Wells Multi Academy Trust (Assistant Director for Education) 
Bracknell Forest Council (School Advisor) 
Head Teacher – Internationally 
Executive Head Teacher – Primary Schools in the Bristol Area 

Before joining Bath and Wells Multi Academy Trust as an Assistant Director for Education, Paula was a school advisor in Bracknell Forest Council. Before this, she was a headteacher in 4 different counties and later an executive headteacher overseeing 5 primary schools in Bristol. During her school leadership career, she attained both the NPQH and NPQEL. 

With a passion for learning and developing opportunities, she has recently been awarded an MBA in Educational Leadership. She remains a member of the Chartered Management Institute and the Chartered College of Teaching. Having worked across several educational sectors both in England and overseas, including Children’s Centres, Universities, faith-based and community primary schools and three all-through schools, she continues to develop an understanding of how education addresses the diverse needs of its communities.     

Paula has a wealth of experience in leading and influencing change, having worked in the most deprived and diverse areas in the country, where she developed a greater understanding of effective application of pedagogy and leadership skills.  She is driven by her own moral belief that everyone is keen to learn how to achieve their best.   

Paula joined the Council of Governors at Clifton High School in December 2023 and is the Chair of the Education Committee as well as sitting on the Nursery Committee. 

Rachel Thornton

2026: Pembroke Education as Governor and Chair of the Nursery Committee 

2024: The Downs School (Estates & General Purposes Committee, Bursary, Finance and Health and aafety Committee, Commercial Enterprises Committee) 
The Downs School, Chair of the Renumeration and Nursery Committees
The Downs School Enterprises Limited, Director 

Academic History: Professional Posts: HAT Group Plc 
MITIE Group PLC, Head of Central Services 
 

A Governor at The Downs School since 2004, Rachel sits on the Estates and General Purposes (E&GP) Committee, and Chairs the Nursery Committee, where she is a Director of Downs School Enterprises Limited. Rachel also oversees the Health and Safety arrangements at The Downs, reporting into the wider E&GP Committee. Her working life has been with two PLCs, HAT Group PLC and then with MITIE Group PLC, the UK’s leading facilities management company where she was Head of Central Services responsible for a wide range of company aspects including property, insurance and transport. On leaving MITIE, she became self-employed and now manages property for a range of business and private owners.

Mrs Hilary Vaughan

2026: Pembroke Education as a Safeguarding Governor and Co-Chair of the Pastoral Committee 

2008: Clifton High School Council (Safeguarding Governor 

Academic History: Civil Engineering at the University of Exeter 

Professional Posts: Chartered Engineer – Transport Planning & Highway Engineering Specialist Company (Co-Owner and Director) 

Graduating from The University of Exeter with a First-Class Degree in Civil Engineering, she returned to Bristol and pursued an early career back within a large multidisciplinary consultancy. 

On achieving Chartered Engineering status, Hilary transitioned to a small transport planning and highway engineering specialist company, which co-owns and has acted as Director for more than 20 years. 

Hilary is married with two sons, supporting them at various school and club sporting events, including even as a rugby coach when they were very young. 

Hilary is a Safeguarding Governor and Co-Chair of the Pastoral Committee as well as a member of the Finance and Risk and Strategy Committees. She has been heavily involved in our recent School development projects, including The Walters Sixth Form Centre. In addition, Hilary is also a Trustee of the Clifton High School Foundation.  

Hilary is a former pupil, Clifton Rosarian and former Head Girl of Clifton High School, reflecting a lifelong connection to the School and its community.