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Management of the Foundation

The Foundation is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. The directors of the company are the Trustees, who have overall responsibility for the Foundation and are guardians of the Foundation's ethos.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall management of the Foundation including setting the aims of the schools and working to improve standards, maintaining the Catholic ethos of the Foundation, deciding on the use of its budget, choosing senior staff, looking after the site and buildings, developing a framework of policies within which it functions, dealing with personnel issues and settling disputes.

The Company Registration number is 4177718 and the Charity Registration number is 1087124.

 
 

Day to day management of the Foundation is delegated to the following executives, who report to the Governors and to the various sub-committees relevant to their individual responsibilities:

  • Foundation Principal - Ed Hester

  • Headmaster of Princethorpe College - Grove du Toit

  • Headmaster of Crackley Hall - Robert Duigan

  • Headmaster of Crescent School - Joe Thackway 

  • Foundation Bursar - Eddie Tolcher

These executives attend all Trustees' meetings and certain other sub-committee meetings.

 
 

There are regular meetings of the Foundation’s senior executives, which comprise the Foundation Principal, the Heads, the Foundation Bursar, the Deputy Heads and Assistant Heads.

The Chair of Trustees may be contacted by writing to Mrs Liz Griffin, Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby, CV23 9PX

Princethorpe Foundation Strategic Plan

In my new role as Foundation Principal one of my key aims has been to produce this Strategic Plan to underpin the success of all our schools. Through this document, I am delighted to take you “behind the scenes” and give you an insight into our approach.

The Plan aims to ensure that, as a business, we remain strong as we face the various challenges ahead and that we continue to put educational quality and value for money at the top of our agenda.

Ed Hester - Foundation Principal

Click here to read the Plan

 
 

Interested in becoming a Trustee at The Princethorpe Foundation?

Our articles of association allow for a minimum of ten and a maximum of eighteen Trustees at any one time. Our Trustees will normally serve up to three terms of three years and we aim for an even distribution of retirement dates to allow the continued appropriate governance of all our schools.

Our Trustees are keen that we have a wide range of expertise, experience and backgrounds within the governing body.

Core skills which are covered include:
Education, Business Expertise, Law, Human Resources, Governance, Finance, Property

If you are interested in knowing more about the requirements of being a Trustee please email our Foundation Bursar, Eddie Tolcher, mentioning your experience and why you may want to consider joining our Governing Body.

"In their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire, parents commented positively on the strength of their children’s learning and how this reflected the commitment of the teaching and the direction provided by the school’s leaders and trustees."

Princethorpe college ISI Inspection 2022
 

"Pupils’ deep respect for the diversity that surrounds them both at school and within their local communities is a fundamental aspect of the strong and supportive school culture promulgated by school leaders and trustees."

Crescent School ISI Inspection 2021
 

"The governors, known as the trustees, are highly committed to the school, to upholding its ethos and to its on-going development."

Princethorpe College Isi Inspection 2014
 
 

membership of the board of trustees

Membership of the Board of Trustees is between nine and eighteen persons. The Trustees are the directors of the company. They have overall responsibility for the Foundation and are guardians of the Foundation's ethos.  

Trustees are appointed for an initial term of three years and are eligible for re-appointment. The maximum term for a Trustee (with the exception of the Chair of Trustees) is twelve years.

The Trustees meet as a Governing Body each term and have an Annual General Meeting in December. They undertake the management of the Foundation through a structure of sub-committees. Every Trustee will serve on at least one sub-committee.

 
 
Committees

The committee Chair is appointed by the Governing Body, the committee then elects its Deputy Chair.

The following committees are currently in place:

  • Education & Staffing: all matters relating to the curriculum, the quality of learning and teaching and monitoring of the schools' improvement plans as well as all matters relating to staff.

  • Estates: ensures that the Foundation complies with Health and Safety Legislation and deals with matters relating to estates and grounds including future building developments.

  • Finance: deals with all finance and budgetary matters.

  • Governance: reviews the governance of the Foundation.

  • ICT: concerns the Foundation's strategic use of ICT, particularly in terms of teaching and learning.

  • Marketing, Admissions and Development: is a forum for discussion and communication between trustees and staff and promotes the Foundation and its schools. It also supports the school's culture of philanthropy and fundraising initiatives for bursaries and capital projects.

 
 
 
 

membership of the committees

Foundation Principal - Ed Hester, Headmaster of Princethorpe College - Grove du Toit, Headmaster of Crackley Hall - Robert Duigan, Headmaster of Crescent School - Joe Thackway and Foundation Bursar - Eddie Tolcher attend all Trustees' meetings and certain other sub-committee meetings.

Education  Estates
Helen Knight (Chair) Charlie Jenkinson (Chair)
Liz Griffin (Deputy Chair) Bernard Warner (Deputy Chair)
Barbara Forster Richard Harcourt
Sally Rosser John Fisher
 
Beth Sharpe - Deputy Head – Pastoral Alex Darkes - Foundation Assistant Head -  Development

Duncan Cottrill - Deputy Head at Crackley Hall

Rob Heath - Director of Estates

Michael Spencer - Deputy Head – Academic  Neil McCollin - Assistant Head Co-Curricular and Teacher of PE and Games
Alan Webb - Assistant Head, Head of Pre-Prep at Crescent School  
 
Finance Governance
John Fisher (Chair)  
Richard Harcourt (Deputy Chair) Liz Griffin
Rowland Johnson Richard Harcourt
  Robert Lee
   
Claire Alcock - Head of Finance   
 
IT Marketing, Admissions and Development
Rowland Johnson (Chair) Bernard Warner (Chair)
Charlie Jenkinson (Deputy Chair) Charlie Jenkinson (Deputy Chair)
Liz Griffin Liz Griffin
  Rowland Johnson
 

Robert Lee

   
Andy Compton - Foundation Assistant Head - Director of Digital Strategy Melanie Butler - Foundation Assistant Head - Marketing, Admissions and Communications and OPs Secretary
  Jo Flowers - Foundation Marketing and Communications Executive
  Steve Kowal - Development Director
 
Staffing & Remuneration   
Liz Griffin (Chair)  
Richard Harcourt (Deputy Chair)  
Barbara Forster  
Sally Rosser