Board of Trustees
About the Board of Trustees
The Board of Governors for St George’s is known as the ‘Board of Trustees’. The Board is responsible for setting the overall policy for the School, determining its strategic direction and maintaining its financial strength. Together with the Headmaster and academic staff, the Board determines the course in which the school operates, thus ensuring that pupils can achieve their full potential.
We are fortunate at St George’s to enjoy the support of a dedicated and talented Board of Trustees, led by our Chair of Trustees Sir Robert Dowling.
You can read more about the individuals who make up our Board of Trustees below. The Board meets regularly throughout the year, and we are grateful to them for all the time and energy they give to St George’s.
Chair of Trustees
Sir Dowling is a pioneering Head Teacher and Chairman with over 40 years experience in the educational sector. For over 25 years, he has been actively involved in the governance of schools and is currently the Chair of Governors at George Dixon Academy, a Director of Nishkam Schools Trust and the education governor consultant to a new free school with 1,000 primary and secondary pupils. He is renowned for rescuing struggling schools and leading them onto outstanding success and in 2002 received a knighthood for services to special needs education having founded Selly Oak Special School. Until recently, Sir Robert was the Head Teacher for St George’s School, where he served for two years.
Vice Chairman of the Board
Barry Kicks retired in 2000 from a career in the Gas Industry. He is a Chartered Engineer, and spent his early years in Oxford, before moving to the South Coast. In 1989 he moved to the West Midlands in a senior engineering position, before being appointed by British Gas as General Manager for Birmingham, having responsibility for all Engineering, Servicing, Sales, Gas Showrooms, and Administration. After a period as Regional Customer Accounting Manager, he directed several national change projects, before becoming National Metering Manager. After retirement, he worked as a Management Consultant on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Barry has a vast experience of school governance spanning over 20 years at Selly Oak Trust School and George Dixon School. The Board of Trustees at St George's have benefitted from his comprehensive knowledge since he joined the school as a trustee.
Board Member
Elspeth is a geographer with degrees from London and Edinburgh (research into the Ice Age). She was a Consultant Geomorphologist in the aggregate industry and led undergraduate classes in Edinburgh University. Then she taught in comprehensive, selective and independent schools across the Midlands eventually becoming Head of King Edward VI Handsworth School in Birmingham when all four Ofsted inspections were rated ‘outstanding’. In 1980 Elspeth was awarded a prestigious Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship for leading an expedition to Iceland. She was elected Vice President of the Royal Geographical Society and was a member of the Council of Aston University. In 1998 she was awarded an OBE for Services to Education and ten years later an Honorary D Sc. She was appointed Deputy to the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands. She has been a Governor of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust and currently is a lay committee member of three major medical research projects focussing on immune system diseases and Covid.
Board Member
Suzanne Boyd is an Independent Chartered Educational Psychologist, her first degree was Psychology, studied at University College, London. Suzanne later studied at Walsall College, gaining a PGCE, following which she taught for 4 years in a Local Education Authority (LEA) School. From 1984 to 1985 Suzanne studied at Birmingham University, successfully completing a Masters degree in Educational Psychology. From 1985 to 1993 Suzanne worked as an Education Psychologist for two different Local Educational Authorities. Between 1993 and 1994 Suzanne worked as an Educational Psychologist/Senior Teacher at Selly Oak Trust school, a school for children with learning difficulties. From 1994 to 1997 Suzanne worked as an educational psychologist for Solihull LEA. Since 1997 Suzanne has worked independently in schools and colleges, currently working by video link, assessing children, students and adults.
Board Member
Len Lee is the IT manager at George Dixon Academy with over 17 years’ experience working in the IT industry managing computer systems and software, overseeing equipment purchasing and installation, and maintaining computer networks and connectivity. Prior to working in schools, he worked as a Support Analyst for AT&T; for over two years providing technical support for its global employees.
Board Member
Mr Sharif grew up in and around Birmingham, he is a successful businessman and mentor. He started his working life in the debt recovery world. In 2014 he branched into business finance with the aim of helping small local businesses obtain funding when financial bodies initially declined support. His company is now a national firm who are passionate about helping smaller micro businesses grow and develop.
