To contact the school Governors please email

William Ellis School is a foundation school and a voluntary aided school within the local education authority of the London Borough of Camden.

This means that the charitable Birkbeck and William Ellis School Trust owns a long lease on the land and appoints a majority of the governors – the 'foundation governors'. The Governing Body establishes and approves the School Development Plan, the annual budget and internal polices regarding pastoral matters. It also ensures that our policies meet central and local authority requirements.

The Governing Body monitors the implementation of our policies through the committee structure set out below and conducts appeals, senior staff appointments and serious disciplinary decisions.

The law regarding school governance recommends that the maximum size of a governing body is 20 people. Our governors have approved this proposal and will manage the School on the following basis: 

• 10 foundation governors appointed by the Trust, four of whom shall at the time of their appointment be eligible for election or appointment as parent governors.
• 1 foundation governor appointed by Birkbeck College
• 4 staff governors, including the Headteacher
• 3 parent governors (Parents will be notified when a vacancy exists, and the School will organise an election. The appointment is for a four-year term.)
• 2 governors nominated by the local authority
• Sub-committees deal with admissions, appointments. appeals, staff pay and curriculum complaints 

Chair of Governors: Mr Vernon King

Vice Chairs: Mr Nicholas Blake QC (P) and Ms Fiona Millar (P)

Parent Governors: Mr Nicholas Blake QC (P), Mr Daniel Landin (P) (OE) and Dr Fiona Macintosh  (P)

Foundation Governors: Mr Richard Ault (P), Mr Richard Bull (P), Mr Jonathan Buckeridge (P), Mari Balibrea (Nominated by Birbeck College), Mr Derek John (P), Mr Omar Harmon  (P), His Honour Judge Ian Karsten QC (OE), Mr Vernon King, Ms Fiona Millar (P), Neil Aberdeen  (P) and Conor Gearty   (P)

LEA Governors: Mr David Queen, Mr Hugh Long and addtional LEA Governor Mr Alan Chesters

Staff Governors: Mr Malcolm Rose, Acting Headteacher, Mr Horace Parry  and Ms Fiona McWilliam

(P) parent of former or current student; (OE) old boy of the School

The Governing Body has two permanent committees:

• Resources: Chair - Mr Alan Chesters, Vice Chair - Mr Richard Ault 
• School Improvement: Chair - Ms Fiona Millar,  Vice Chair - Mr Jonathan Buckeridge

Individual governors hold portfolios: