Staff and Governors

Roseanne was educated at The Ursuline in Ilford before reading English and Law at New Hall, Cambridge. Following graduation she worked as a political researcher and as a teacher before she pursued a career in law. Roseanne is now a Head of Strategy at Sharpe Pritchard LLP. She advises the Government on major infrastructure and is a senior commercial negotiator for the public sector. Current projects include some of the UK’s biggest infra projects including heritage buildings, power, energy and rail. Roseanne has two sons, both of whom are Old Chigwellians, and is also a Trustee and ex-officio Chair of Kids Inspire.

B.Sc, C.Eng, F.I.E.T, F.B.C.S, C.I.T.P

David Morriss graduated in Electrical Engineering from Manchester University in 1964. After a short period with London Transport he joined IBM UK, where he held several senior management appointments and directorships in the UK and internationally. After retiring as a director of IBM UK Holdings Ltd. in 1997, he has subsequently pursued a career as a director, trustee and consultant in the corporate, public and not- for-profit sectors. He was Chairman of Waterfields Ltd., Kingston Call Centres Ltd, and Chairman of Concurrent Technology Ltd. He is Vice-Chair of Governors at Chigwell School and was a trustee of AbilityNet. He has been Master of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists and President of the British Computer Society and the Chartered Institute for IT. He has held several public appointments, including General Commissioner for Income Tax.

B.A., M.B.A.

Susie is a corporate finance professional with senior level experience, mainly in the financial services sector. Currently Susie is CFO and Company Secretary of BACB plc, a UK regulated bank which specialises in facilitating trade flows between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Previously, Susie was a managing director at Credit Suisse and held several roles including global chief operating officer and head of new business responsible for new products and new markets. Susie left Credit Suisse in 2012 to co-found a business focusing on the delivery of innovative financial services products in the healthcare area. She has a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A., and is a qualified accountant.

All four of her children have attended Chigwell School. Susie has also held other non-executive positions in the education area, including as an NED of Young Enterprise (London). Until recently, she was also a member of the Board of SOAS, University of London.​

B.Sc., F.C.I.I.

Simon attended Sherborne School in Dorset and studied Modern Languages (German and French) at the University of Surrey graduating in 1983, both of which he is proud to maintain.

His entire professional career has been spent underwriting in the London insurance market, initially in the company market, Royal Sun Alliance, Munich Re and Eagle Star Re, and latterly at Lloyd’s. He is currently a senior manager at Brit Global Speciality where he has worked for the last 20 years.

He is also Chair of Governors at the Ursuline prep. School, Ilford.

Both of his children studied at Chigwell.

A.C.A

Emma Brett qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales, while working for the accountancy practice H W Fisher. She subsequently moved to Smith & Williamson, working there for fifteen years progressing to director level in the Assurance and Business Services department. Her specialist areas include external and internal audit, due diligence, reporting accountant for listings, business plan validation as well as investigative and special assignments. Her clients included a wide range of charitable entities including independent schools. She also played an active role in the training of students, and served as Chair of the training committee.

Emma has always lived locally to Chigwell School. She attended school at West Hatch High School in Chigwell before going to study accountancy at London Metropolitan University. Emma is also Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee of a local housing association.

MBE. B.A., M.Sc. (Econ)

John worked in both independent and state primary schools for over forty-five years. For thirty years he was a Headteacher of three schools in East London, opening two new schools and was seconded to the Education Department of Waltham Forest as Manager of Curriculum Support Services. This gave him further broader experience. Following retirement, John organised educational conferences as well as acting as an interim Headteacher to improve failing schools.

He then became an education consultant, Professional University Tutor and a schools’ training adviser, teaching Post Graduate Certificate trainees and Graduate Teacher Programme students.

John studied at Westminster College, Oxford, and London University, achieving B.A. and M.Sc. degrees.

The Queen awarded John an MBE in October 1994 for Services to Education. His direct connection to Chigwell School is through his son, who was educated here.

B.A., M.A.

Chris became Rector of Loughton in October 2015, having moved down from Great Grimsby where he had been an Assistant Curate in Grimsby Minster. His ministerial training took place at the College of the Resurrection in Mirfield, West Yorkshire.

Prior to ordination Chris had worked as a social worker, mainly in residential units and Children’s homes. He worked with young people who exhibited severe emotional and behavioural difficulties related to attachment disorders. He therefore takes a keen interest in the emotional wellbeing of pupils. He also served as both a staff Governor at a Residential Special School and as Chair of Governors at Community Primary School in Hampshire. Chris lives locally in the Rectory next to the Church of St John the Baptist, Loughton.

B.Sc., M.B.A C.Mgr F.C.M.I. Chartered M.C.S.I.

Nick Garnish has held a number of senior City appointments. Currently he is the Head of Treasury, Europe, Asia & Australia at CIBC, based in London. Previously he was the Global COO for Collateral and Liquidity Management at LCH Clearnet and was Managing Director, Treasurer and Global Head of Foreign Exchange at Jefferies International. Nick studied Applied Economics and holds an MBA with Distinction. He is a Chartered Manager and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, as well as a member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.

Nick is a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Bakers and the Worshipful Company of International Bankers, where he is a member of the Court of Assistants. He was a Governor at Churchfields Junior School in Redbridge for ten years.

Nick is an Old Chigwellian, and Past President of the Old Chigwellians’ Association, as well as a trustee of Old Chigwellian Lodge Benevolent Fund. Both of his daughters have studied at Chigwell.

B.Sc., CertEd.

A specialist in teaching maths and physical education, Jenny Gwinn retired as Head of Chigwell Junior School in 2010. Previously she taught at Wycombe Abbey before moving to Wellingborough School as Deputy Head.

Jenny gained her teaching qualification at Bedford College of Physical Education, and her degree in maths and education at the Open University. Jenny has been strongly involved in community work, notably for Northants County Council Adoption Panel, as coordinator for Parent to Parent Information on Adoption Service and her Parochial Church Council. She gained many sporting accolades playing lacrosse for England as well as U21 badminton and junior tennis for Berkshire.

Currently she serves on admission and exclusion school appeal panels for the London Borough of Havering. She is also Chairman of the Havering-atte-Bower Conservation Society and undertakes voluntary work for St Francis Hospice. She has addressed the Child and Adolescent Learning Disability Psychiatric Network’s Conference on Adoption and Fostering Challenges and Opportunities.

As a Director of Higgins Group PLC, Martin is particularly interested in residential property development, having worked for the company for over thirty years. As a Governor of West Hatch High School for sixteen years, Martin served as Chair of the Admissions Committee.

Martin was a member of the capital fundraising committee for the new Drama Centre at Chigwell School. Granted the Freedom of the City of London in 1986, Martin is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers.

His charitable interests include supporting Jubilee Lodge, Chigwell, which provides respite care, together with fundraising for Community Services Volunteers (CSV). Martin’s interests include antiques, cooking, travelling and watching sport. Two of his children attended Chigwell School.

B.Sc P.G.C.E.

Melody has worked in both day and boarding Schools for over twenty years having read Natural Sciences at Durham University and then completing her P.G.C.E. at Manchester University. She started her teaching career as a physics teacher at Dover College and then moved on to Wellington College in Berkshire where she became Head of Physics. She was Head of Lower School and then Head of Lower Sixth and Admissions at Magdalen College School, Oxford, and is currently the Second Master at St Albans School.

B.A. (Hons)

Isobel is a marketing professional with over twenty years’ experience in the media sector, specifically publishing, exhibitions, conferences & training. Having worked for Informa plc since 1991 in various marketing roles, Isobel is currently responsible for creating and implementing key strategic initiatives focused around increasing customer engagement and developing compelling value propositions to drive revenue and growth. Her key specialisms include strategic business development, database and direct marketing, systems creation and implementation, training, customer profiling and segmentation, digital marketing, brand development, communication and analysis.

Isobel was educated at King’s College London and has a B.A. (Hons) in French & German. Both her children have been pupils at Chigwell School.

M.A., L.L.B.

Meera Ragha read Theology and Management Studies at St John’s College, Cambridge. She trained at Clifford Chance in London and Singapore, and qualified as a solicitor with the firm. She specialises in Financial Regulation law. Meera is an Old Chigwellian.

B.A., M.A., M.B.A.

Purnima is an Operations & Human Resources professional with Director level experience, mainly in the digital media and IT consultancy sectors. Currently Purnima is Operations & People Director (Shareholder Owner) at an IT professional services company which specialises in providing IT consultancy through their own academy, where they train graduates over a 12 week period and then place them in the private and public sector as consultants. Previously, Purnima was an Operations & HR director at a digital media company specialising in offering consultancy to digitally transform businesses and use big data to make metric driven business decisions. At the beginning of her career, Purnima started her own business in Ice Cubes in India and sold it for a profit to help her come to England for her second masters.

Purnima has a B.A. & M.A. in Economics; she won a Scholarship from the Varkey Group (now Gems Education) to study an MBA in London. During her M.B.A., Purnima specialised in Finance and Organisational Behaviour, which she passed with cum laude. She has recently become an Alumni of Wharton after completing an Executive Programme in HR Data Analytics. All three of her daughters attend Chigwell School and previously served as Chair of the FOC for three years.