A Warm Welcome by the College Council

Firstly, the Clifton College is a charity. The College is governed by the Council and comprises three schools known as the Upper School, the Preparatory School, and Butcombe, the Pre-Preparatory School.

The Members of Council are elected (at the Annual General Meeting of the College) on the basis of nominations received based on the Council’s specifications concerning eligibility, personal competence, specialist skills and local availability and also on the advice of the Head of College. One third of the members of the Council and the Treasurer must retire each year but may stand for re-election. New Council members are introduced to the workings of the College and its schools, including Council Policy and Procedures, at an induction and training workshop specially organised for them by the Head and Bursar.

Council delegates the day to day running of the College to the College Executive Committee (CEC), consisting of the Head of College, who is also Head Master of the Upper School, the Head of the Preparatory School and the Head of Butcombe and the Bursar. However, Council also appoints committees, including an audit and finance committee, from its members with particular responsibilities for assisting the CEC with the management of College affairs.

Council Members

Mr Andrew Thornhill QC

President of the College

QC 1985. Dob 4.8.43. OC. Scholar Corpus Christi, Oxford. Middle Temple. Called to Bar 1969. Head of Pump Court Chambers since 1991. Various Tax Planning publications. Retired Member of Council and Chairman of Clifton College 1994-2010. Appointed President of the College in December 2011.

Mr Tim S Ross

Chairman of Council

Committees: All committees

Sevenoaks School and read law at Hertford College, Oxford. Worked as solicitor in City of London and as a Company Legal Adviser, before attending London Business School and moving into general management. Director of George Wimpey plc 1991 to 1996. Currently Chairman of May Gurney Integrated Services plc and Hargreaves Services, Deputy Chairman of Connaught plc and a Director of Ennstone plc and Lavendon Group plc. Member of Council at Bristol University. Appointed Governor 1996 and Council Member 2000, Clifton College Development Trustee, Chairman from 2010.

Mr Phillip Howell-Richardson

Vice-Chairman of Council
Chairman of Nominations Committee

Committee: Audit, Finance and General Purposes

BA. OC. Mediator and Consultant in ADR with SJ Berwin LLP. Qualified Solicitor in 1975. Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, member of the Executive Advisory Board of CPR, New York; mediator with the ICC, Paris; member of the Court of Appeal mediation advisory committee and its mediation scheme. Hon. Chairman of ADR Net. Appointed Governor and co-opted to Council in June 2001.

Mrs Alison Streatfeild-James

Vice-Chairman of Council

Committees: Education; Audit, Finance and General Purposes

MA Jurisprudence 1985. St Catherine’s College, Oxford. Called to the bar 1987. Barrister and Mediator at 4 Pump Court, London, practicing in Civil and Commercial law. Parent with four children at Clifton College. Has served as Trustee and Director of Campaign to protect Rural England, on Bath Preservation Society, and local Parish Council. Governor of Clifton College from 2006, Council Member from 2007.

Dr C K (Sam) Beale

Chairman of CCSL

Committees: Preparatory GPC – Chair

PhD, MBA, FRAeS. Chartered Engineer and Senior Executive Rolls Royce Group plc. Previously a parent.

Mr Hugh Harper

Committees: Clifton College Development Trust

OC (WiH), Sixth Form Scholar and Praepostor; BA (Hons) Chemistry & Choral Scholar; Worcester College, Oxford (1986-1990); Adviser to Rt Hon. John Patten (1988-1992); Vice President, Citibank, NA (1990-1998); Partner, Financial Services, McKinsey & Co. Inc (1999-), Freeman of City of London; Trustee, Royal Institution of Great Britain, (2011 -) Member of Council (2011 -). Trustee, Clifton College Development Trust (2011 - ). Appointed Governor in 2009. Member of Council from 2011.

Mr Chris Hunt

OC (NT) Dob. 7.10.54. Cambridge scholar who worked as a television director and producer for the BBC and ITV until 1988, when he founded Iambic Media Limited, a production company he still owns and runs. He has won over 50 international awards for his programmes, including Baftas and 4 Emmys. In 1999 he also floated the television company DCD Media plc, of which he was CEO until he moved on in 2008 to start up the performing arts platform Classical TV, classicaltv.com. In 2010 he also became a partner in Park Place LLP and Limelight Media LLP, two private equity-backed bodies which manage assets and investments in the media, one corollary of which is that he now provides more funding to British films than the UK Film Council and Channel Four combined. In 2011 he promoted and produced the Michael Jackson Tribute Concert, the biggest ever in the UK for several years. He is a Board Member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and President of the IMZ, the UNESCO-affiliated international association of broadcasters and producers of performing arts and music. He has two daughters, both of whom were at Clifton College plus a young son whose education has yet to be mapped out. Appointed Governor in 2010. Member of Council from November 2011.

Mrs Carol Lear

Chairman of Education Committee

BA (Hons). University of London (Classics). Recently retired Headmistress of Redland High School. Formerly Teacher of Classics at Cheltenham Ladies' College and Red Maids' School. Inspector of GSA Schools until 2002. Member of several local Societies. Appointed Governor and co-opted to Council November 2003.

Mr David Maggs

Committees: Preparatory GPC – Chair

OC. Management consultant with MONITOR. Praepostor and Captain of unbeaten XV in 1991. Exeter University.

Mrs Dinah Moore

Committees: Chairman of the Nominations Committees

BA (Hons) Bristol University in Philosophy (with English Literature). Solicitor. Treasurer Hereford Cathedral 2000/2001 and Lay Member of Chapter. Member of the Council of Bristol University and trustee and member of the Council of Water Aid. Manages small arable farm. Appointed Governor and co-opted to Council November 2003.

Brigadier Richard Morris

Richard Morris, BA Exeter University. Professional soldier for over 30 years. Commissioned from RMA Sandhurst into the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards he has a wide ranging military career with tours of duty in Germany, England, Northern Ireland, the US and Canada including command of his Regiment and subsequently a Brigade. He is now retired from the Army and is Treasurer (Chief Executive) to the Merchant Venturers. A member of the SMV Education Committee and involved in the creation of Merchants' Academy, Withywood and Colston Girl's School Academy. A Governor of both schools and also Gay Elms Primary School and Colston's. Married to Tricia, a qualified solicitor, he has two sons and a daughter. Appointed a Governor in 2011. Appointed member of Council 2011.

Mr Richard Morgan

MA. Educ. Sherborne College, Caius College Cambridge. York University. Formerly Headmaster of Cheltenham College 1978-90. Warden of Radley College 1991-2000. JP. Glos 1978-90. Member of Adv. Council, Understanding British Industry 1977-79. Appointed Governor and Council Member 2000.

Mr Chris Pople

Chairman of Audit, Finance and General Purposes Committee

Committees: OC Representative

ACA, ATII. OC. Parent of four Cliftonians/OC's. Chairman of a private equity group of funds. Member of the Board of Governors of Bristol Zoo. Appointed Governor 2007. Co-opted to Council as OC Representative March 2007.

Mr Christopher W Smith

Treasurer

Committees: Audit, Finance and General Purposes Committee

FCA. OC. Partner in firm advising growing businesses, in many cases acting as part-time Director. Member of Bishops Council, Diocese of Bristol. Vice-Chairman of Diocesan Finance Committee. Member of Bristol Cathedral Finance Advisory Committee. Two sons attended Clifton. Appointed Governor and co-opted to Council June 2003. Appointed Treasurer, November 2003.