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Governors
The work of each of the five Harpur Trust Schools is directed and monitored by its own Committee of Governors, who are jointly responsible to the Trustees for the good management of the school they direct. The Committee normally meets once a term, at the school, to receive reports from the Headmistress and the Bursar, and to deal with other items of business which may arise.
Three sub-committees covering the separate areas of Finance & Premises, Curriculum, and Marketing & Communication meet termly.
The overriding concern of our School Governors is to ensure that the highest possible educational standards are achieved at Dame Alice within what is, by tradition, a relatively modest annual school budget. It is the Governors who make recommendations to the Trustees about proposed major capital programmes and, if our aims are to be realised, it is to Governors that we must look for on-going encouragement and support.
As at Autumn 2007, Dame Alice Harpur School's Governors are as follows:
Mrs Duvessa Danes
Chairman of Govenors and nominated by New College Oxford
Duvessa is one of the School Governors appointed by The Bedford Charity (The Harpur Trust); she was nominated as a trustee by her alma mater, New College, Oxford, though she lives locally. She is also a member of the Trust's Grants Committee and serves on Bedford Modern School Committee. Her background is in teaching, and her husband, Simon, is a deputy head.
Duvessa decided to take a break from her career when their first son was born eight years ago, and she thoroughly enjoys being a full-time mother to David, John and Hannah. She still keeps her hand in by running a preschool music group called "The Frogs' Chorus", which is great fun, and she also volunteers at a local parent/toddler group. Her interests include music and drama, though it is a little difficult to indulge these much outside the home while the children are so young. She takes vicarious pleasure in the achievements of all the talented girls at Dame Alice!
Mr Chris Hiatt
Deputy Chairman and Nominated by Parents
Chris Hiatt, aged 52, is married with three children. His eldest son is currently studying at University and he has two daughters who both attended Dame Alice; one is now at University and the youngest is in the Sixth Form. His connections with the school date back to 1994. He is the Parent-Nominated Governor, and Deputy Chairman of the School Committee of Governors.
He is a Chartered Surveyor, currently working for Jones Lang LaSalle, an International Property Consultancy, dealing with major commercial developments in the UK and Europe. His current workload includes major urban regeneration projects such as Stratford City and Greenwich Peninsula (The Dome) both of which are associated with the 2012 Olympics.
As former board member of the British Council of Offices he is passionate about the built environment and is particularly focussed on all matters of sustainability. Besides being the Deputy Chairman of the Dame Alice School Committee, he is a full Trustee of the Harpur Trust.
His interests include classic cars, gardening and golf.
Mr David Brownridge
Harpur Trust Governor
David was a pupil at BMS from 55-64, gained an LL.B (Hons) from UCL in 1967, and CIPFA Membership 1972. His working life was spent in the NHS mainly as Director of Finance, but he was also involved in IT, Information, Logistics, Estates and General Management. He retired in 1996. He has been aTrust Governor since 1987, initially as Staff-Nominated Governor for BMS. He was Chairman of Governors at BMS from 1999 to 2006, a Governor/Director at Pilgrims since 2003and Deputy Chair of Trust since 2003.
A big cricket enthusiast, David now umpires more frequently than he plays. He enjoys overseas travel, when it can be fitted in among Trust and other voluntary organisation commitments.
Mrs Jean McCardle
Nominated by Staff
Jean is the Staff Nominated Governor at Dame Alice appointed in 2007.
Jean retired from Dame Alice in 2006 following almost two decades of service at the school as follows:
1987-2006 Taught Mathematics at DAHS
1989-2001 Assistant Examinations' Officer
2001-2006 Examinations' Officer
Jean said at her retirement that she was grateful to have worked with a group of such intelligent people who entertained her, informed her, caused her to question her assumptions and offered her friendship. She would be honoured to act as Trustee, Governor of the School and as a conduit between the staff and the Headmistress and Bursar as well as representing the wider world of the Harpur Trust.
Mr John Mingay
Representative of the County Council
John is both a County and Borough Councillor. He currently teaches pupils who have been expelled from school for Luton Borough Council. This follows a 26 year career in state schools and a three year period, following his retirement, when he taught in 30 Middle Schools in Bedfordshire as a supply teacher. He obtained his degree at the Open University and is at present a Governor of four local schools.
John is also the Deputy President of Bedford Rowing Club and Hon. Secretary of four of the major events held on the river at Bedford. In Berlin in 1976 he won the World Rowing Championships Gold medal and followed this with further wins in Amsterdam in 1977 and Nottingham in 1979, all at Veteran level.
John is married with three daughters, and became a grandfather in October 2006!
Mr Rae Levene
HT Governor
Rae came to the Trust via co-option to the Grants Committee. In 2003 he was then elected as a Co-opted Governor and subsequently deputy chairman of Grants. He joined to the Dame Alice School Committee in 2003 and is a member of the Finance and Property sub-committee.
His day job is as Managing Partner of Park Woodfine Heald Mellows LLP, Solicitors in the town and specialises in Charity and Health, especially mental health and learning disability.
In his spare time he is actively involved with local theatre as a trustee of and director at the Place, the local community theatre.
He has been a trustee of a number of local charities over recent years but these have reduced considerably as his Trust and business commitments have increased.
Professor William Stephens
HT Governor
William Stephens has been the Cranfield University nominated Trustee to the Bedford Charity since 2001. He is currently Chairman of the Charity’s Grants Committee and has previously sat on Bedford Modern and Bedford School governing bodies. He is married with four children (between 20 and 26 years old) who have all been to Harpur Trust Schools.
William is currently Change Programme Director at Cranfield University and was previously Head of the Institute of Water and Environment based at Silsoe. His research allowed him to travel extensively, particularly to the tea growing areas of East Africa. His interest in working overseas stems from being brought up in Malawi, where he subsequently worked and where his two older sons were born. William maintains some of these links as a Member of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.
When not in meetings, William enjoys bird watching, sailing and photography.
Mrs Jayne Beard
Co-opted Governor
Born in Bedford and educated at The Convent of the Holy Ghost Schoool in Bedford
Married - two sons - both educated within the Harpur Trust. Seven year old grandson starting at BMS in September making the fourth generation of our family at this school.
Started own property based company in 1984- Director of six property based companies employing approximately 40 full time staff.
Managing director of one of the largest property management companies in the county. Trustee of Bedford Hospitals Charity - Chairman of the local branch for Cancer Research UK
Mrs Tina Beddoes
Chair of the Finance & Premises Sub Committee and Co-opted Governor
Following her years as a pupil at DAHS (1977 - 1982), Tina went to Leicester University and then became a Chartered Accountant, subsequently choosing to specialise in tax. She is employed now part time as a tax specialist in Bedford. She is the mother of two girls, both of whom are currently enjoying Pilgrims.
Mr David Evans
Co-opted Governor
Educated at Bedford Modern, David spent the majority of his working life at Texas Instruments, initially as an Electronics Engineer and later in international and general management. Until retirement, as Chief Executive of Business Link Northamptonshire, he was the face of Government provided support to businesses in the county. David's daughter is a previous pupil of Dame Alice, from Junior School to the Sixth Form, and his son attended BMS. A resident of Pavenham near Bedford, his interests are sailing and the collecting of vintage tin plate model railway.
Mrs Rosie Gutteridge
Co-opted Governor
Born in Lahore, Rosie spent much of her early childhood living in the North West Frontier of Pakistan.
A qualified journalist, she is a former Women's Editor of a daily provincial newspaper and has since worked freelance. She currently runs her own interior design company.
Rosie has been a magistrate since 1979, and is a former Chairman of the Bedford and Mid-Bedfordshire Bench. She is also a magistrate member of the Bedfordshire Police Authority. Her charity commitments include chairmanship of the Volunteers Council of the British Red Cross (Cambridgeshire).
Rosie is married to Peter, a lawyer, and has a son, Sam, who is a teacher, and a daughter Alice, also a lawyer. Her interests include Fine Arts, watercolour painting, tennis and bridge.
Miss Janet Lawley
Co-opted Governor and Chairman of the Curriculum Sub-Committee
Formerly Head of Bury Grammar School (Girls), a Greater Manchester GSA school, Janet is currently an Educational Consultant and a Fellow of the 21st Century Learning Initiative.
A scholar of the University of Bristol, with a BA (Hons) in Geography and a Certificate of Education with distinction from Oxford University, Janet's career began in the state sector, included an independent school and then a Sixth Form College where she was Vice Principal before becoming a Head.
Janet's connection with DAHS began in the 1990s when she worked with the Head and the Chair of Governors as a consultant.
In semi-retirement she continues to be fascinated and frequently surprised by human capacity to learn and is determined to do all she can to create better learning environments as a researcher, a consultant and as a school Governor.
Dr Helen Sismey-Durrant
Co-opted Governor
Dr Helen Sismey-Durrant JP qualified as a dental surgeon at Sheffield University and then completed her Masters and PhD at the Royal London Hospital, University of London. Her early career was based in academic Dentistry and as a specialist in Oral Medicine. Later she worked in private specialist practice.
Since 2003 she has run a property management business. She is currently Chairman of the charity Alcohol Services for the Community, on the Board of the Probation Service and works as a volunteer at Cornerstone drop-in.
Helen is also a magistrate on the Bedford Bench where she is a Chairman and specialises in youth justice. She is married with two teenage boys. Helen's interests include walking, horticulture and antique restoration.