Governors

At Ewell Castle School, we have a dedicated team of staff and governors committed to achieving the best for your child. The Governors have a key role to play in the management of Ewell Castle School, by ensuring that the staff and Heads provide a rounded and comprehensive education for all pupils.

With a diverse range of professional and life experience, the Governors offer a solid backdrop to the educational provision at Ewell Castle. In challenging the School’s ideas and decisions, they provide vital strategic leadership and accountability, which ensures that both our financial and educational performance remain focused.

The board of Governors is central to ensuring that key decisions about the life and running of the School are in line with its overarching vision to inspire our children and young people to thrive, engaging them to excel in a creative and academic environment.

Governors

• Mr C Griffith (Chair)
• Mr A Shawyer BSc, PGCE (Vice Chair)
• Mrs C Carpenter BA, PGCE, MA
• Mr A Evans MRTPI
• Mrs P Hutchinson BEd, NPQH (Safeguarding)
• Mr C Jayaweera
• Mr A Macfarlane BEd
• Mrs S Williams-Ryan MEd, FCCT

Please see below for the Governors' profiles:

Mr Colin Griffith - Chair

Areas of responsibility: Chairman, Single Central Record, Tier 4, Finance, Strategic Planning

Initially responsible for trading and marketing of precious and base metals for Credit Suisse and Standard Bank before relocating to Dubai. Chairman of Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange and, returning to the UK, acted as a consultant internationally. Honorary member of the London Metal Exchange and currently a member of their Oversight Committee. President of Kingswood Golf and Country Club. Former pupil of Ewell Castle School and a current committee member of the Ewellians Association.

I have been lucky enough to lead an enjoyable and varied life, working alongside inspirational people and in addition my work has enabled me to have travelled extensively. I look back fondly at my time spent at Ewell Castle which primarily installed in me a "can do" and "never give up" approach to life which has served me extremely well.

Mr Antony Shawyer - Vice Chair

Areas of responsibility: Education, SEND, More Able Prep and Senior School

Head of Maths at a local prep school. Previous roles include Head of Falcons Prep School and Deputy Head at Wetherby Pre Prep and Prospect House.

Mrs Charlotte Carpenter

Areas of responsibility: General

Mrs Carpenter joined the Governing Body in September 2023. She is an experienced teacher and senior leader with a foundation in Primary Education and a specialism in MFL and English-language learning. A proud South Londoner, who began her career in her home borough of Croydon. She has also taught internationally working with students who hailed from a wide variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds; which led to her Masters in Bilingual Learners. Her time living in the US marked her move into full-time specialist education, which continued on her return to London. Charlotte has spent many years working exclusively in SEND focusing particularly on learners with autism, neuro-diversities and other language-based learning differences. She has a passion for creative, cross-curricula and a holistic approach to education that embeds equality, diversity and inclusion into the daily experience of learners.

Mr Anthony Evans

Areas of responsibility: Planning and Building Works

Retired from Epsom and Ewell Borough Council as Design and Conservation Officer. Chair of Malden & Coombe's Conservation Area Advisory Committee and Vice Chair of The Kingston Society. Parent of a former pupil.

Mrs Pamela Hutchinson

Area of responsibility: Safeguarding

Mrs Hutchinson joined the Governing Body in January 2021. She is a very experienced teacher and senior leader who has worked in a number of local independent schools, as well as serving as a Chair of Governors at the Reigate Priory School for many years. With a wealth of educational leadership experience, as well as being trained to Level 3 Safeguarding, Mrs Hutchinson brings a great deal of wisdom to the Governor Safeguarding role.

Mr Channa Jayaweera

Areas of responsibility: Finance and Risk Management

After leaving Ewell Castle I worked in the City, joining Goldman Sachs in 1995 as an analyst before being named Managing Director in 2014. I had an amazing experience living in Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing before becoming the Head of Investment Management Division (IMD) Operations in India for Goldman Sachs International. Here I was a member of the Operations Risk Committee and the Bangalore Operating Committee and Co-Sponsor of the Bangalore Talent Acquisition Initiative (TAI).

I then spent another 3 years in India, working for Deutsche Bank and became the Site Head for the Bangalore office responsible for about 5,000 employees. In 2020, I returned to London to work in Corporate Finance, currently as Managing Director of Deutsche Bank Group, and I’m enjoying being back in the UK with family and friends.

Ewell Castle was a big part of my life growing up so I was really happy to be asked to become a Governor - hopefully I will be able to make a difference!

Mr Andrew Macfarlane

Areas of responsibility: Education, Mental Health & Wellbeing

I had a great time at Ewell Castle between 1969 and 1976; I managed to gain enough A-levels to get into teacher training college in Winchester. The friendships I made have lasted and I regularly see mates I met over 50 years ago! I was lucky to be taught by a mathematics teacher who was brilliant. I had so much respect for him, his behaviour management and ability to inspire were his strengths and the mathematics results were outstanding. I went on to teach in Special Schools for 35 years and on my retirement, I vowed to put something back. Once I had met the Chair and Vice Chair of Governors and the Principal, I was on board. They have a vision and demonstrate values that I agree with. I look forward to contributing to the life of the School in my role as a Governor.

Mrs Sara Williams-Ryan

Areas of responsibility: Education, Health and Safety

Originally from Spain, Mrs Williams-Ryan completed her schooling and first degree in Switzerland. After university, she moved to the UK and began teaching in the state sector before moving to the independent sector as Head of Modern Foreign Languages. She completed her PGCE and MA in Education prior to taking on responsibility for pastoral care as well as languages. Mrs Williams-Ryan has experience as a school Governor in the state and independent schools and will take up her second headship in North London in April 2025.  She brings a wealth of educational experience and is the designated Governor with oversight for Health and Safety.

Registered office of proprietor (Governing Body): Ewell Castle School, Church Street, Ewell, Surrey, KT17 2AW

Telephone: 020 8393 1413

To write to the Chair of Governors please email governors@ewellcastle.co.uk