James Caddy: Chair of Governors
James is a former parent with three of his five children having attended Clifton High School. As a governor for the past twelve years, he brings a wealth of commercial and educational experience to the School. James first joined the Council of Governors in 2010 and was appointed as Chair in 2016. Additionally, he sits on the Nominations and Governance Committee and Chairs the Finance and General Purposes Committee and has served as a Governor at various Schools in Bristol which we, invariably, benefit from as a School.
James arrived in Bristol in 1984 to study Physics at Bristol University and susequently began his career at Rolls Royce in 1987. He proceeded into the Tech Industry and has continued to evolve in a variety of professional career roles.
He is a keen skier and sailor and enjoys making music, primarily with his family these days.
The Chair of Governors can be contacted by email or by post. Emails should be sent to the Clerk to the Council of Governors ncridland@cliftonhigh.co.uk. Letters should be sent to the School address marked for the attention of Mr James Caddy.
Will Robertson
Will settled in Bristol over 20 years ago to train and pursue a career in law. He is currently a Commercial Lawyer and Partner at Osborne Clarke specialising in Digital Transformation and works with businesses who are procuring technology and contracts of all shapes and sizes.
Will loves the balance that Bristol provides; great for work, ideal for raising a family, plenty of fun to be found, close to his beloved coast of Cornwall and, of course, great schools like Clifton High School.
With three children attending Clifton High School, they have all risen the ranks from Junior to Senior School so Will is a regular at the School gates as well as in Governor meetings.
Will joined as a Governor in 2019 and sits on a number of our School committees, often enabling us to draw upon his legal background as he supports the School's compliance and governance programmes. Supporting young people is close to Will's heart as he is a trustee for The Wave Project, a children's charity as well as a close supporter of the Prince's Trust.
In his spare time Will is a keen surfer, either as a regular visitor to The Wave in Bristol or a beach nearby. However, more recently he tends to spend his weekend as a 'Dad Taxi'.
Patron, Dr Richard Gliddon
Dr Gliddon has been Patron of Clifton High School since 2008. He has taught at Winchester College, Clifton College and was Headmaster at QEH until 2000. He has also been President of the Council of Governors and a Council Member at Cheltenham Ladies College.
Robert Narracott
Raised and educated in the West Country, where Robert's father practiced as an Architect, Robert gained his degrees and qualified as an Architect from the University of Wales in Cardiff.
In 1980, Robert spent 5 years working alongside his father at his Architectural Practice in Devon. During this time, he married Siân and they had a son, Alex. In 1985, they relocated to Bristol where Robert founded his own Architectural Practice and whilst this developed under his control, they then welcomed daughter Zara to their family. She was educated at Clifton High School from 1995 to 2003.
Robert's practice, NOMA Architects Limited has grown to have three Directors but since 2017, he has been gradually stepping back and whilst he is no longer a Director, he is retained as a consultant, working part-time. Reducing his working hours has allowed him the opportunity to offer his skills on various committees where his experience is proving invaluable. In this vein Robert joined the Clifton High School Council in 2019 and sits on the Finance and General Purposes Committee.
Peter Bodkin
Peter studied Botany at St Andrews University before completing a PhD in Freshwater Ecology. His first teaching post was at Bradfield College where he was also a Housemaster. In 1994, Peter was appointed Head of Tettenhall College, a post he held for 16 years, including a year’s service as Chairman of The Society of Heads.
After progressing away from Headship roles, Peter undertook a number of high-profile roles continuing within the education sector. He became the General Secretary of The Society of Heads (the Head’s Association which Clifton High School is a member of) and served on the Board of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and the Board of the Independent Schools Teacher Induction Panel (IStip). As General Secretary, he worked closely with Heads and Governors providing help and guidance across a range of matters. Currently, he is a Senior Advisor with RSAcademics on their Leadership Appointments team and he is a mentor to new Heads.
Peter joined the Council at Clifton High School in 2016 and is the Chair of the Education Committee.
Lise Seager: Vice President of Council
Lise is a former Clifton High School pupil and a valued Rosarian. On leaving School, she qualified as a Solicitor, progressing to being appointed as Partner in a regional Law firm.
Lise has also completed an MBA and MSc, combining her work in the Legal Practice with helping individuals and organisations through mediation, executive coaching and consultancy.
Lise has been a Clifton High School Governor for many years acting also as the Vice President of Council and sitting on the Nominations and Governance Committee, Finance and General Purposes Committee and is a Trustee of the Clifton High School Foundation.
Hilary Vaughan
Hilary is a former pupil and Head Girl of Clifton High School. Graduating from The University of Exeter with a First Class Degree in Civil Engineering, she returned to Bristol and pursued an early career back within a large multidisciplinary consultancy.
On achieving Chartered Engineering status, Hilary moved transitioned to a small transport planning and highway engineering specialist company, which co-owns and has acted as a Director for more than 20 years.
Hilary is married with two sons, supporting them at various school and club sporting events, including even as a rugby coach when they were very young.
Hilary is a Safeguarding Governor and Co-Chair of the Pastoral Committee as well as a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee. She has been heavily involved in our recent School development projects including The Walters Sixth Form Centre. In addition, Hilary also a Trustee of the Clifton High School Foundation.
Jessica Jenkins
Jessica and her family moved to Bristol in 2016 and were welcomed by Clifton High School as they joined our community. Jessica was appointed a Parent Governor at the end of 2020.
Jessica is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist; having trained at The Royal Marsden Hospital in London and working as a Consultant in Kent before taking up her current Consultancy post at the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre.
Jessica has actively worked as part of the Senior Leadership Team within University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) NHS Foundation Trust, was 100K Genomes Project Oncology Lead and worked closely with the UHBW Digital Team to create and implement Electronic Patient Records. This successful project was recognised at a national level by NHS England.
In addition to her clinical work and leadership roles, Jessica has expertise in mentoring, training and appraisal with links to The University of Bristol and The University of the West of England, teaching and examining students from across various healthcare disciplines. Jessica is involved with the coaching and interviewing of students hoping to be offered a place at Medical School.
Jessica's key interests are safeguarding, student and staff wellbeing and positive mental health. She also encourages the innovative use of digital tools and technologies, as we prepare our pupils for life practices beyond School, providing them with skills and tools for lifelong learning and development.
In her spare time, Jessica enjoys playing Netball within the Avon Netball League.
Jane Morrison
Having graduated in French from Leeds University, Jane worked in the City of London before returning to University to study for an MBA.
Jane has worked in local Government and the NHS as a Communication and Public Relations Specialist. She currently volunteers for a local Foodbank where she coordinates and runs a programme of cookery courses for vulnerable people and assists with the Foodbank’s programme for young volunteers (Duke of Edinburgh).
Jane’s daughter is a former pupil at Clifton High School and her two nieces are current pupils. Jane is our Safeguarding Governor as well as Co-Chair of the Pastoral Sub-Committee and is actively involved in supporting the work of the Development Office.
Helen Sutton
Helen was born and raised in Bristol with over 50 years connection to Clifton High School as an alumni, parent, as well as daughter to Cynthia Glover who taught singing at the School for over ten years.
On leaving Clifton High School, Helen studied singing at the Royal College of Music in London, after which time she pursued a professional singing career alongside her role as Singing Teacher at The Sylvia Young Theatre School and Class Music Teacher at Marion Richardson Primary School in East London.
Moving away from a performing and teaching career, Helen discovered her talents lay in music business and administration which led to her establishing and building upon a successful freelance career as a high-level Business Administrator, Executive Assistant and Project Manager in fields as diverse as the Not-for-Profit Sector, Organisational Psychology and the Defence Industry.
Helen returned to Bristol in 2005 with her husband, Charles, who is Vicar of All Saints Church on Pembroke Road in Clifton, and their son, Isaac, who is studying Theatre and Film at Bristol University.
More recently, Helen has focused on voluntary work at All Saints Church, specifically developing connections within the local community, supporting their elderly, lonely or isolated members. Central to this is the establishment of ‘Friends Together’, a successful dementia friendly Café, which welcomes the public but particularly those with dementia, their friends, family and carers.
Helen joined the Council of Governors at Clifton High School in December 2022 and is delighted to be continuing her connection with the School into the future.
Paula Shore
Before joining Bath and Wells Multi Academy Trust as an Assistant Director for Education, Paula was a school advisor in Bracknell Forest Council. Prior to this she was a headteacher in 4 different counties and later an executive headteacher overseeing 5 primary schools in Bristol. During her school leadership career, she attained both the NPQH and NPQEL.
With a passion for learning and developing opportunities, she has recently been awarded an MBA in Educational Leadership . She remains a member of the Chartered Management Institute and Chartered College of Teaching. Having worked across several educational sectors both in England and overseas, including Children’s Centres, Universities, faith-based and community primary schools and three all through schools, she continues to develop an understanding of how education addresses the diverse needs of its communities.
Paula has a wealth of experience in leading and influencing change, having worked in the most deprived or diverse areas in the country where she developed a greater understanding of effective application of pedagogy and leadership skills. She is driven by her own moral belief that everyone is keen to learn how to achieve their best.
Paula joined the Council of Governors at Clifton High School in December 2023 and also sits on the Education Committee.
Nick Davies
Nick joined Council in May 2024 and also sits on the Finance and General Purposes Committee. A father of two current pupils at Clifton High School, he brings with him expertise in financial planning and a particular specialism in investments and pensions. Nick co-owns a financial planning firm in Clifton, whose values closely align with those of Clifton High School. He enjoys working with the University of Bristol, for whom he delivers regular seminars in financial education, wellbeing and retirement. Prior to returning to his home city of Bristol in 2014, Nick and his family lived in Nottingham, where he was on the board of a regional law firm as Director of Investment Management.
Voluntary work is important to Nick and is something he has always devoted time to whether it be helping to organise the Canford Park fireworks display each year or sitting on the board of a local housing association.
Outside work, Nick has a passion for sports – both in supporting his children on the sidelines and himself playing for a Bristol hockey club.
Ben McGinn
Ben joined Council in May 2024 and also sits on the Finance and General Purposes Committee. He is a Chief Financial Officer with over 20 years’ experience and is currently serving at The Brandon Trust in Bristol.
Prior to this role, Ben had a career in managing private equity backed businesses. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with ICAEW and has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Bristol.
Ben's expertise includes leadership, strategy, raising finance, financial and risk management, with a strong emphasis on improving operational efficiency and maintaining financial stability.
