Meet the Governors

Cedric, an ex-Deloitte Chartered Accountant, has extensive experience in education leadership, finance, investment and software development. He led a network of privately-owned nurseries in South Africa which gained international recognition for its excellence in early years education, featured in Forbes, CNN, and other leading platforms.

He is actively involved in various boards, including SOAS, University of London; London Bubble Theatre; Learning with Parents and the Watts Gallery Trust. After his early professional day at Deloitte, he subsequently gained private equity experience where he played a role in the delivery of complex and impactful projects, globally. His diverse roles extend to serving as a director on the boards of organisations such as listed Transaction Capital and South African Ballet (its Chair, for a decade).

A bi-lingual global citizen who has lived and worked on multiple continents, Cedric, a Chevening Scholar educated abroad and locally at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities, is father to daughters.

chair@daneshillschool.com

Ian began his career in the City in investment banking, and following this, moved into the education sector to teach. His roles have included housemaster, senior tutor, deputy head, and Headmaster at various schools including Millfield, Wellingborough and Llandovery College. 

Following his role as Head of Llandovery, he became CEO of Gabbitas Education, worldwide educational consultants. Since 2017, he has been executive Chair of Haileybury schools in Kazakhstan and continues to consult on various overseas projects for UK independent schools. He is also a contributor to numerous publications such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph, schools’ magazines, and the Huffington Post where he offers his views and expertise on education. 

Claudette Charles is a seasoned professional committed to nurturing inclusive and safe learning environments within the educational landscape. With over ten years of dedicated service as a safeguarding Social Worker and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Trainer, she brings a wealth of expertise in promoting diversity, fostering inclusion, and advocating for social justice.

Claudette was educated at James Allen’s Girls’ School and The London School of Economics. She also studied at Royal Holloway where she obtained a Masters in Social Work before embarking on her social work career with a learning disabilities service in West London.

Claudette enjoys watching football, is a keen Arsenal supporter and also enjoys baking.

Dan Tiller joined the Governing Body in 2022. He has a background in policing, having retired from the Metropolitan Police in 2017 after completing 30 years-service. Dan performed a variety of roles but majored on planning and running firearms operations within the UK, finishing as Specialist Firearms Training Director. He ran training programmes in the UK and overseas, including the US, Singapore, Israel and Europe as well as protection operations for VIP visits from President Obama and the Pope. He was instrumental in planning for the successful 2012 London Olympic Games and has 9 commendations for bravery, leadership and professionalism.

Dan holds a Master of Science degree in Policing, Leadership and Management.

Dan now runs a successful consultancy that provides security advice and training and is contracted to major companies as a Strategic Advisor and Project Manager, roles that have seen him work mainly in the UK, British Virgin Islands and the Middle East in recent years. He is still involved in policing as an advisor for training infrastructure.

Dan has lived locally for 40 years and has a wife and 2 grown-up children. He spends spare time with his family, walking Ozzie the dog and playing golf at his home club of Effingham.

Originating from the Swansea Valley, Gareth gained personal experience of an independent school when educated at Llandovery College.

Following an initial degree in Human Resource Management, he completed his PGCE in Primary Education at Aberystwyth University and a Masters in Educational Leadership and School Improvement at Cambridge University.

Throughout his career, he has worked in independent prep schools across the home counties. Now in his second Headship, he has been a Headmaster since 2008. Gareth is a trained ISI team and compliance inspector and an active member of IAPS, currently as District Representative for North London and a member of both the Board and Membership Committee. He is also a trustee of the IAPS charity, iTrust and a Governor of a Secondary Academy in Buckinghamshire where his daughters attend.

He is married to Lisa and has three daughters and a Sproodle called Humphrey, all of whom keep him busy.

Gareth loves watching and playing sport, enjoying rugby, football, cricket and golf when time permits. As an ardent follower of Swansea City, the Ospreys and Welsh rugby, he appreciates that life has its ups and downs.

John joined the Governing Body at the end of 2022, after a career of almost four decades as a financial analyst and manager of international research businesses, including at a rating agency, the investment bank Lehman Brothers and the corporate bond research firm CreditSights.

He was educated at Canford School in Dorset and Queens’ College, Cambridge, where a degree in Modern Languages (French and German) included a year teaching English as an assistant at a secondary school in France and developed a lifelong interest in other language studies.

John lives in Wimbledon and is married, with two adult sons. Retirement from full-time work at the end of 2019 has given him more time to enjoy travel and some long-distance walking.

Lindsay graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Biochemistry before starting her career with Dixons Stores group, focusing on marketing. Since 2000, Lindsay has owned and worked as Managing Director at Hunter-Miller, an established executive search firm specialising in the customer-facing disciplines. Clients span from FTSE 350s, PE/VC-backed enterprises and start-ups. She focuses on international multi-sector executive search, assessment, and structural intelligence and advisory services. Lindsay will support the Trust in a Governor capacity, helping set direction for Communications and Marketing. Lindsay is a mother to four children, two daughters and two sons and is a former parent at Danes Hill School.  

We are delighted to welcome Dr Matthew Bach onto the Board of Governors at Danes Hill School.

Dr Bach and his family recently relocated to England from Australia, and he currently holds the post of Assistant Headmaster and Head of Lower School at Brighton College. Matthew was a member of Victoria’s Parliament in Australia, undertaking senior roles including Shadow Attorney General, Shadow Minister for Education and Deputy Leader in the Upper House. He started his career as a teacher of History and Politics, leading to varying senior educational roles: Deputy Principal, Head of Senior School, Board member, and originally a teacher of History and Politics at Carey Baptist Grammar School.

“We are thrilled to have someone of such high calibre and who brings a wealth of diverse thinking to our School Governing body,” says Cedric Ntumba, Chair of Board of Governors at Danes Hill School.

“I am delighted to join the Governing body at such an exciting time for Danes Hill School. With my experience both as a teacher and within Government, I hope I will bring a unique perspective to the Board. I know Danes Hill is a future-facing school where children can be stretched, nurtured and supported to become the best version of themselves,” says Dr Matthew Bach.

We are delighted to welcome Samantha Price, Head of Cranleigh School onto the Board of Governors at Danes Hill School.

Samantha will be joining the Board with immediate effect and brings a wealth of educational leadership from one of the most prestigious independent schools in the country. She has been listed as one of the UK’s best Heads and a figurehead in driving forward girls’ education. She joined Cranleigh School in September, following a decade at the helm of Benenden School, during which time she delivered an ambitious programme of building and development for the school.

“Samantha’s focus on collaborative learning, future skills and excellence in co-curricular and academics complements Danes Hill’s positioning as a contemporary Prep School for modern families. We are thrilled to welcome her on board!”, says Cedric Ntumba, Chair of the Board of Governors.

“Danes Hill is a school with a rich and long relationship with Cranleigh. I am excited to be joining the Governing body and to use my experience, vision and commitment to help steer the school to continued success,” says Samantha Price.

Tim Jones was appointed as a Governor of Danes Hill School and a Trustee of the Vernon Educational Trust on 13 November 2014.

Tim has more than 30 years’ experience as a corporate lawyer with Freshfields Brockhaus Deringer in the UK and Spain, eventually becoming the London Managing Partner.  On retiring from Freshfields he joined England Rugby 2015 as their general counsel.

Tim is chair of the homelessness charity Connection at St Martins and a trustee of other charities including Safer London, St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital and the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

Tim has three sons, the youngest was a pupil at Danes Hill from 2000 to 2006.