Governors of Alpha Plus

Sir John Ritblat (Chairman)

Sir John is the Honorary President of The British Land Company PLC which he built up from a small venture of a mere £6 million to be one of the largest property companies in the UK and a constituent of the FTSE 100.  He is also Chairman of Colliers CRE, now incorporating Conrad Ritblat & Co, which he had founded.

He has many educational interests.  He is Chairman of the London Business School and Deputy Chairman of the Royal Academy of Music. His varied experience as a school governor included the Deputy Chairmanship of the Hall School in Hampstead and as a governor of Dulwich College, where he remains a consultant to the Governing Body. He is Vice President of the Royal Institution having previously served on its Council.

Recreational activities in which he is engaged are reflected in his being Honorary President of the British Ski and Snowboard Federation and Vice President of the Tennis & Racquets Association.  He is Chairman of the Trustees of The Wallace Collection. 

Averil Burgess OBE

After holding teaching appointments in both the maintained and the independent sectors, Averil served as headmistress for 18 years at South Hampstead High School, a member of the Girls' Day School Trust.

Among numerous other appointments, she has been President of the Girls' Schools Association, Chairman of the Independent Schools Accreditation, Review and Consultancy Service, which later became the Independent Schools Inspectorate, and a member of the National Commission on Education.  Currently she is a member of the Advisory Panel on Public Appointments (DCMS).

Kay Goswell

Kay graduated with an LLM (Tax) from King's College London.  After qualifying as a solicitor she specialised in tax and corporate law, becoming a tax partner at one City law firm before becoming Head of Tax at another. She has two children, one of whom is currently a pupil at an Alpha Plus school.

Dr Arthur Hearnden OBE

Arthur's teaching career included schools in England, France, Germany and Northern Ireland, as well as a Lectureship at London University Institute of Education.  Among many educational appointments, he served as General Secretary of the Independent Schools Council 1985-97 and as President of the Independent Schools Association 1997-2002, besides being a member of the Funding Agency for Schools.

He has been or is a governor of seven independent schools, and was Chairman of The Hall School Hampstead until last year.His wide experience has extended to include membership of the Press Complaints Commission, and Chairmanship of Youth for Britain, Worldwide Volunteering and Millwood Educational Trust.  He is the author of a number of books, including Red Robert, a biography of Eton Headmaster Sir Robert Birley.

Julia Yorke

Julia has spent her career teaching, in both the maintained and the independent sectors, culminating in her appointment as Head of the Junior School at The Hall School Hampstead (1977-1998).  For 20 years she was a member of the Selection Committee for the Mercers' Company Educational Trust, and was also a Governor of St Paul's Cathedral School.  She specialised in music, and for many years sang with the Chorus of the London Symphony Orchestra.  She has recently been a Governor of the Royal Academy of Music and is currently Chairman of St Mary Magdalene's C of E Primary School in Paddington.