Governing Body
How we are governed
As part of the Eltham College Family of Schools, Blackheath Prep is governed by the Eltham College Board of Governors. The role of the Governing Board is to determine the aims and overall conduct of the school, and to formulate and review the school’s strategic plans. While the day to day running of the school is delegated to the Head, supported by other members of the school’s Senior Leadership Team, ultimate responsibility for strategy, finances and policies lies with the Governing Board.
The governors undertake their role on a voluntary basis and bring a wide variety of expertise to various school management forums. From professional backgrounds in education, health services, finance, property, law and general business, all of our governors are deeply committed to the continuing success and welfare of our school.
Chair of Governors
Peter Doyle
Governor since 2017; Estates and Safety Committee, Member of the Finance Committee
Until 2018 Peter’s role was as CFO, and subsequently Head of the Family Office at The Grosvenor Estate. Prior to that, Peter had worked for KPMG, including 16 years as a partner in the London office, and latterly as Head of Financial Services. He has also worked in government, as a Finance Director and as a non-executive Board member. He is now non-executive Chair of a financial services business and sits on the Advisory Board of an entrepreneurial property group.
In the not-for-profit world, he has served on several Boards, including Peabody, Medair (an emergency relief charity), and also the Advisory Board of the Judge Institute at Cambridge. Presently, Peter is Treasurer and Vice-Chair of Council at Wycliffe Hall Oxford. He is also a Trustee of the Grosvenor Pension Funds. Following seven years at Eltham, Peter read economics at Queens’ College, Cambridge and has also studied at INSEAD. He is married to Margaret and is a father to a son and daughter, and has 5 grandchildren.
Blackheath Prep Sub-committee
A sub-committee of the Eltham College Board of Governors has specific oversight of Blackheath Prep, with a particular focus on the educational and pastoral success of the School. The four Governors sitting on the sub-committee are Tim Meunier (Chair), Sarah Turner, Marc Melia and Dan Hudson.
Mr Tim Meunier
Governor from 1 September 2023; Chair of the Blackheath Prep Committee, and former Governor of the Blackheath Prep Governing Body prior to the merger with Eltham College.
Prior to joining the Eltham College Board of Governors, Tim had been a Governor of Blackheath Prep since 2021. Tim taught at Clifton College before becoming Head of Chemistry and Housemaster at Felsted School, and then Head of Science at the Dragon School, Oxford. Following a return to Clifton, first as Director of Studies and later as Senior Deputy Head, he was Headmaster of Colet Court (St Paul’s Preparatory School) from 2007 to 2016. In the summer of 2020, he retired from his position as Head of Geneva English School, where he had established a new secondary school on the foundations of an existing primary.
Sarah Turner
Governor since 2022
Sarah both works as a researcher, and as a governance expert. As a researcher, she focuses upon socio-technical cyber security and the adoption of digital technologies. She has consulted on the use of digital technologies in peacekeeping and mediation for the United Nations, researched on the impacts that schools have on data protection for children for the 5Rights Foundation, and on the societal impacts of ransomware for the UK Government, amongst others. With a background in financial services, she also currently leads the risk and controls function within a technology group in a major financial services institution, having spent a decade working on and managing operational regulatory compliance functions within various institutions. Sarah has voluntary board and governance experience, being both Chair of the board and a volunteer at the Breastfeeding Network (a national infant feeding charity); she was previously a governor of a state school in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Sarah has an MA in Literae Humaniores from Oxford University. She has an LLB, an MBA from the Open University and an MPA in Digital Technologies and Public Policy from UCL. She has recently completed a PhD in Computer Science at the University of Kent.
Marc Melia
Governor from 1 September 2023, and former Governor of the Blackheath Prep Governing Body prior to the merger with Eltham College; Blackheath Prep Committee and Estates & Safety Committee.
Prior to joining the Eltham College Board of Governors, Marc had been a Governor of Blackheath Prep since 2021. Marc is Head of Legal (Europe) in Pantheon Ventures (UK) LLP’s Legal & Compliance Team. Prior to joining Pantheon, he worked within the London office of Paul Hastings (Europe) LLP, in the Corporate (Investment Funds) team. Marc holds a BSc (Hons) in Natural Sciences from Durham University and a LLB (Hons) from Nottingham Law School. Marc is admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales.
Dan Hudson
Governor from 1 September 2023; and former Governor of the Blackheath Prep Governing Body prior to the merger with Eltham College; Blackheath Prep Committee & Finance Committee
Prior to joining the Eltham College Board of Governors, Dan had been a Governor of Blackheath Prep since 2021. He is a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee. Dan is a City solicitor with 20 years of experience in the law. He lives locally and has two daughters, with the younger daughter still at Blackheath Prep.
Nominated Safeguarding Governor, Blackheath Prep
Frances Brown
Frances has worked in press offices and media relations departments spanning organisations such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, PKF Accountants, Bradford Council and Westminster Abbey. She currently volunteers for the global charity Right To Play, an organisation that protects, educates and empowers children to rise above adversity using play. She sits on the organising committee for events that raise money to fund programmes in 15 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North America.
Contact the Governors
Peter Doyle
Chair of Governors
Eltham College
Grove Park Road
SE9 4QF
Telephone 020 8857 7360
Or by email to the Clerk to Governing Body at row@eltham-college.org.uk