The Board of Governors are the trustees of the charity (290286) and the directors of the company (01844327). The Board of Governors is legally responsible for the overall management and control of the school. Much of the work of the Board is carried out by nine sub-committees:
The Chair of Governors is Ms Clementine Vaughan. She can be contacted via the Clerk to the Governors at the address below.
Any individual who wishes to express an interest in joining the Board should write to the Chair of the Nominations Committee, c/o the Clerk to the Governors at the address below.
The Clerk to the Governors
St Mary’s School Ascot
St Mary’s Road
Ascot
SL5 9JF
All governors are unpaid volunteers.
Member of Development Committee
Member of F&GP Committee
Melissa Bethell (formerly Wong) joined the Board in 2025 and is a current parent. Melissa is a non-executive Director at Tesco plc (where she chairs Remuneration), Diageo plc and Exor NV. She is also a Senior Advisor to Atairos Europe, a private investment fund. Formerly, Melissa was a partner at Bain Capital, a private equity firm.
Chair of Education Committee
Chair of Disciplinary Committee
Chris Beirne joined the Board in December 2019. Prior to his retirement, Chris was Headmaster & Chief Executive of Beaulieu Convent School on Jersey, where he lives with his wife, Sarah. Their daughter Katharine is a former pupil of St Mary’s, having left in 2019.
Governor with responsibility for Safeguarding
Chair of Safeguarding Committee
Member of Education Committee
Annie Casey (formerly Lee) joined the Board in November 2020 after recently retiring from her role as Head of Garden House School, a London prep school. She brings a wealth of education experience through her career working in co-ed, single sex, day, boarding and prep schools.
Chair of F&GP Committee
Member of Bursary Committee
Member of Nominations Committee
Alice Clementi (formerly Stein) is an Ascot Alumna and joined the Board in May 2021. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant and banking executive with a broad range of leadership experience in the financial services industry. Alice is currently working as a freelance consultant and also runs a charity she co-founded, Charterpath, to inspire more finance professionals into volunteering.
Member of F&GP Committee
Member of Salaries Committee
Sam Coutinhho joined the Board in December 2024. She is a qualified accountant specialising in finance, governance, strategy and risk. She has worked with independent schools and charities for almost 30 years and accepted her first governor role in 2005. Sam is a practising catholic and is engaged in the life of her local parish.
Chair of Bursary Committee
Susannah Meadway joined the Board in July 2021. She is a Barrister having been in practice in Lincoln’s Inn since 1989. Her daughter Callista McLaughlin is a St Mary’s Alumna, as are her four nieces and her goddaughter.
Chair of Property and Health & Safety Committee
Member of F&GP Committee
Angus Neil joined the Board in May 2023. He is a Chartered Architect (Retired) who, before his retirement as Managing Partner of Edgington Spink & Hyne, worked with the school on many projects, including the Orchard Centre, The Rose Theatre and the Mary Breen Courtyard.
Member of F&GP Committee
Simon Nicholls joined the Board in September 2025. His daughter, Clarissa, attended the school, leaving in 2020. Simon is a partner and Co-Head of Corporate and M&A at Slaughter and May.
Chair of Salaries Committee
Gillian van Maaren joined the Board in September 2023. She is a commercial HR professional, non-executive Director and Executive Coach, having spent the last decade in financial services, most recently as a Partner at Ruffer LLP.
Member of F&GP Committee
Member of Nominations Committee
Member of Development Committee
James Weaver joined the Board in May 2022. He is Managing Director of private wealth management at Goldman Sachs International in London. James has two daughters, both of whom are Alumna of St Mary’s – Alice, who left in 2021, and Rose, who left in 2023.
