Governors
Our governing body ensures Westminster City School delivers a good quality education. Together with our Headteacher, who is responsible for day-to-day management, they set our School's aims and policies.
The Governing Body of Westminster City School meets at least once each term, while sub-committees meet more frequently. In the academic year 2021-22, our sub-committees included: Admissions; Discipline; Marketing and Partnerships; Quality of Education; Strategy and Resources. Governor attendance is updated annually to coincide with the adoption of the annual financial statements (usually November each year).
The Academy Trust has five members, who have oversight of the governance. They ensure the Trust's charitable objectives are being met and they hold the Board of Governors to account. The activities of the school are overseen by its Boards of Governors as detailed below.
Academy Trust Members
- Mrs S Lowson MSc RSCN RGN DMS
- Mr T J Mullins MBA BA
- Mrs M Richards MA
- Mr W Wells MA MBA
- A Ioana MCIPD
The School's Articles of Association and the Funding Agreement, found below, are its primary governing documents.
The governors are also trustees for the Academy Trust and Director of the charitable company for the purpose of company law.
The key roles of our governors are:
- To ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- To hold our Headteacher to account for the educational performance of our School and our pupils/students, and the performance management of staff
- To oversee the financial performance of our School and ensure money is well spent
Our governors also carry out other important duties, which include:
- Determining how our budget is spent
- The appointing and dismissing of staff
- Hearing appeals and grievances
- Forming policy on our curriculum and collective worship
- Setting standards for students' behaviour and discipline
- Making sure school buildings are welcoming and safe
- Setting and monitoring our School's aims and policies
Higher Paid Employees
As disclosed in the financial statements for Westminster City School, only one employee received remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2022-23. This remuneration falls into the band £120,000 to £125,000.
Our governors
Mr William Wells MA MBA, (Chair) Foundation Governor - appointed by the Trustees
William Wells is Executive Vice-Chairman, Central & South-Eastern Europe, at Rothschild & Co. He has over 30 years’ experience of advising companies, governments, state-owned entities, regulators and charities on strategy, financing and related environment/social/governance (“ESG”) matters.
Brought up equi-distant between Westminster City School and Grey Coat Hospital, William has an MA in Modern History from Oxford University and a MBA from London Business School. After leaving university, he joined the British Army serving at home and abroad in the Royal Green Jackets (now The Rifles).
William has held a number of board appointments in the private, public and charitable sectors – including in education. He is currently a Council Member and Trustee of the National Army Museum in Chelsea and Chairman of the National Army Museum Foundation. He is married with three grown-up children and lives in north London.
Appointed: 16 October 2020
Office expires: 15 October 2023
Register of interests: Senior Adviser of Rothschild & Co Limited; Director and Trustee of The National Army Museum, Trustee of UWGCF; Trustee of Westminster City School Trading Limited; Trustee of The Westminster City School General Charitable Trust; Director of Rothschild and Co Greece; Director of Wayland Capital Limited
Mrs Helen Brooks BD, Foundation Governor - appointed by the Trustees
Helen Brooks first became a parent governor at Westminster City School when her three sons were pupils here. It has been her privilege to serve as a governor since then.
Helen has worked at the Department for Education for most of her career, until her recent retirement. Her work has included widening participation in higher education and 14-19 vocational policy. Her most recent post was on national SEN policy.
Helen lives with her husband in south London. She is active in her local church, and enjoys being a “hands on” granny. When she is not busy with everything else, Helen enjoys choral singing.
Appointed: July 1999
Office expires: 9 July 2027
Register of interests: Sits on Westminster Technical Fund in her role as Westminster City School governor
Mr Tom Fitzgerald, Foundation Governor - appointed by the Trustees
Tom Fitzgerald is a private equity investor focusing on traditional buyouts and growth equity investing in small-to-mid-cap sized companies across Northern European markets. Prior to this, Tom worked in various mergers & acquisitions and strategic advisory roles at Morgan Stanley and Evercore investment banks.
After leaving Westminster City School, he read Mathematics with Economics at University College London. Thereafter he completed a Graduate Diploma in Law and was called to the Bar at The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn. His further education concluded with a Master’s in Law, Criminal Justice Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Tom has held a number of board appointments in private and charitable sectors – including serving as Treasurer on the Board of Trustees at Carney’s Community. In a former life, Tom was a light heavyweight boxer representing Fitzroy Lodge Boxing Club, Lambeth. He is married with three young sons and lives in West London.
Appointed: 01 June 2022
Office expires: 04 May 2026
Register of interests: Employee of Ventiga Capital Partners; Member Board of Directors at Skymetrix; Member Board of Directors at Field Marketing (UK) Holdings, Trustee of Carney's Community Charity
Sir Charles Hoare Bt BA MSc (Joint Vice Chair), Foundation Governor - appointed by the Trustees
Sir Charles Hoare was educated in Westminster, at Pimlico School, and read History at Durham University before doing a Masters at the London School of Economics.
Charles has worked in the voluntary sector for the past 20 years, with a focus on international social policy.
He is married to Eleanor with three school age children and lives in North London.
Appointed: July 2018
Office expires: 11 July 2022
Register of interests: Consultant of White Gate Partnerships; Governor at London Christian School
Ms Su Park, Foundation Governor - appointed by the Trustees
Su Park joined Polar Capital, a specialist investment management firm, in June 2011 and is now a Managing Director in the international sales team with primary responsibility for clients in France and the Benelux regions. Su has also been instrumental in promoting Diversity & Inclusion initiatives at Polar and is chair of the Polar Capital Aspire Scheme which is a bursary programme supporting students at Westminster City School’s sixth form college for further university education.
Prior to joining Polar Capital, Su spent over 13 years at Lehman Brothers and, post its acquisition, Nomura International. She started her career in New York in emerging markets fixed income sales-trading before moving to London in 2001 to work in capital introductions within prime brokerage.
Su has a dual Economics/French BA from UC Berkeley and a dual Finance/Accounting MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.
She lives with her partner and their one teenage son in West London.
Appointed: 29 August 2024
Office expires:
Register of interests: Employee of Polar Capital
Ms Temi Olusola BA MSc CIPD, Foundation Governor - appointed by the Trustees
Temi Olusola works in human resources and heads up the HR Department at Westminster Abbey. She is passionate about HR and people, especially the mentoring of young people.
Temi first graduated with a joint degree in European Business and Business Economics, then completed her Masters in Human Resource Management and Consultancy. She has experience of retail and telecommunications but much of her experience has been in the charity sector, working with Age UK and the Department of Education.
Temi is married with three young daughters and is heavily involved in the leadership of her local church. She was appointed as a governor of Westminster City School in November 2019 and has previously been a governor at St Mary’s Primary School in Greenwich.
Appointed: November 2019
Office expires: 10 December 2023
Register of interests: Employee of Westminster Abbey
Mr Ugbana Oyet, Foundation Governor - appointed by the Trustees
Ugbana Oyet is the Serjeant at Arms at the House of Commons.
Prior to Ugbana's current role, he worked as an engineer in the construction industry for about 20 years. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the IET.
He has been a governor at Westminster City School since 2019 and has more than a decade’s experience as governor in a number of previous schools.
In his spare time, Ugbana plays basketball with his sons and also sings in the choir at St Mary’s Undercroft, the chapel within the Palace of Westminster.
He is married to Claire and has four children and one grandchild.
Appointed: 26 November 2019
Office expires: 25 November 2023
Register of interests: Serjeant-at-Arms at the House of Commons
Mr Peter Broughton MTheol (Headteacher), Non-Foundation Governor
Peter Broughton joined Westminster City School in 2018 as Headteacher. He has worked in education for over 20 years, having previously been employed at schools in London and Japan.
Peter was born in Surrey and attended The Royal Grammar School in Guildford before reading Theology at the University of St Andrews. He now lives in south London with his wife and two sons.
Peter is a keen football fan and regularly attends matches at Crystal Palace Football Club with his boys. He enjoys playing golf, walking and countryside adventures, and actively encourages boys in such character building pursuits.
Appointed: January 2018
Office expires: Ex officio member
Register of interests: Employee of Westminster City School
Miss Paula Adams BA Hons, PGCE (Elected Staff Governor), Non-Foundation Governor
Paula Adams joined Westminster City School in September 2018, as a Business and Computer Science teacher and is now a Subject Leader, Business.
Paula is a dedicated GCSE and A Level teacher with significant experience working with children aged 14-18 and varying abilities within independent and comprehensive secondary schools and sixth form environments.
She was born in the heart of London, and worked in the Civil Service and on the board for entrepreneurship for an East London Borough. Additionally, Paula is an active member at her church and she has a passion for providing and supporting social enterprises in various local communities as well as addressing the issues that the homeless face on a daily basis.
Paula lives with her family in South London and enjoys mentoring young people.
Appointed: September 2022
Office expires:
Register of interests: Employee of Westminster City School
Ms Emma Wild (Elected Parent Governor), Non-Foundation Governor
Emma is Managing Director of a UK based manufacturing facility, with an extensive background in governance, safety, health, environment, and quality.
She lives in London with her three children, and has a deep understanding of the needs of busy working parents in ensuring the welfare of their children in their academic setting and understand the challenges other parents and children with additional needs can face on a day to day basis.
As a parent of a child with additional needs attending Westminster City School, Emma is passionate about students being in an environment and education that is both inclusive and excellent. Secondary schooling is pivotal in influencing students personal outlook and providing a launch pad to achieving their professional aspirations.
Emma is honoured to be on the governing board at Westminster City School, to support the school in achieving its aims.
Appointed: June 2023
Office expires: 11 June 2027
Register of interests: MW Polymer Products Ltd, since October 2000 as Managing Director
Ms Sandrine Sauvel MA LLM MBA, Co-opted Governor
Sandrine Sauvel is a French national, who has been living and working in London for 23 years and is married to an Englishman. She has been a partner in one of the major international law firms, Norton Rose Fulbright, for over 13 years.
Sandrine has direct first-hand experience of the English, French and US education systems, having studied in France and the USA, and having had three children go through the English system. As a teenager, she went to the French Lycee in South Kensington.
As her own children are now older, Sandrine is keen to make a contribution to the next generation of school children.
Appointed: December 2019
Office expires: 10 December 2023
Register of interests: Maintel Europe Limited, General Counsel, since March 2023
Mr Ram Venkat, Co-opted Governor
Ram Venkat is passionate about energy, environment and social causes. While his professional life is geared towards ensuring easy access to clean and reliable energy in under-developed countries, his personal goal is to contribute to the education of children.
Appointed: December 2019
Office expires: 10 December 2023
Register of interests: Employee of Schneider Electric
Ms Kate Gooding BEd (Hons) MA NPQH, Co-Opted Governor
Kate graduated from Brighton Polytechnic in 1988 with a Bachelor of Education (Hons) and returned to Kings Cross to begin her career as a primary school teacher. She has worked as a teacher and senior leader in Inner London schools for over 30 years.
The schools Kate worked in had large numbers of children who had English as an Additional Language. This led her to further develop her practice by studying for an MA in Language, Ethnicity and Education at Kings College London. While working as a deputy head, she gained her National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).
Kate's most recent post was as head teacher at Virginia Primary School in Tower Hamlets. She took the school to outstanding in 2016 and was highly commended by OFSTED for her approach to equalities and inclusion. The school has recently retained its outstanding grade under the new framework.
During her headship, Kate created strong professional partnerships with schools in the local authority and engaged in a range of collaborative projects to improve outcomes for pupils.
Appointed: 10 February 2022
Office expires: 09 February 2026
Register of interests: Employee of Barking and Dagenham School Improvement Partnership
Ms Barbara Mugoya BSc Hons Biochemistry, APM (Elected Parent Governor), Non-Foundation Governor
Barbara is a parent of a child who attends Westminster City School with over 20 years’ experience working for His Majesty’s Government in various departments; Education (Strategic Finance), Ofsted (Further Education colleges), Work and Pensions (Skills for Work), Border Force (Digital Services at the Border), Home Office (Ministerial Private Office) and currently at HMRC – UK Imports and Exports Customs Declarations Service.
Barbara is keen to support the school and the team of dedicated staff who work so hard to keep the school running smoothly.
Appointed: 26 June 2023
Office expires: 25 June 2027
Register of interests:
Ms Cynthia Owusu (Elected Parent Governor), Non-Foundation Governor
Cynthia is a parent of a child who attends Westminster City School in Year 13. She is hardworking and determined to give all parents a voice when it comes to the wellbeing of young people. The school is a community and it unites us together as one because we all have a common goal of wanting to make the school a greater place for our children.
Cynthia is a senior care assistant who works with her local community and also volunteers on a regular basis.
Appointed: 12 September 2023
Office expires: 14 December 2026
Register of interests: Parent to Y13 student, Nema Home Care Ltd - employee and Royal Voluntary Service – volunteer.
