King’s School Rochester is a charitable trust overseen by a Board of Governors, including members of the clergy of Rochester Cathedral. The Governors, as Trustees of the Charity, are legally responsible for the overall management and control of the School and meet at least four times a year.
If you wish to contact the Governors, please email Jo Condon, Clerk to the Governors, at jcondon@kings-rochester.co.uk or via post at Satis House, Boley Hill, Rochester, Kent ME1 1 TE.
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John served in the RAF for over 35 years in various operational and strategic roles, stationed around the world, which saw him promoted to the rank of Air Commodore and awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II. He attended King’s from 1972 to 1980 where he also met his wife, Penny, who was one of the first girls to join the School. Currently, John is an independent Aerospace Consultant and a Session Lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University. John has been the Chair of Governors at King’s School, Rochester since 2022 and also Chairs the Governance, Nominations and Strategy Committee.
Tom studied Modern History at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, before completing his Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course in London. He trained and worked as a solicitor in private practice at a City law firm for five years, mainly on mergers and acquisitions, before moving to the public sector where he is a Senior Lawyer at DEFRA (having previously spent six years at HM Treasury). Tom moved to Rochester with his wife in 2019 and they now have a young daughter. When spare time permits, Tom plays hockey for a local club. He sits on the Audit and Risk Committee and the Governance, Nominations and Strategy Committee.
Nikki has worked in investment management sector for 30 years, focusing primarily on regulation, compliance, policy and governance. She is currently Head of International Compliance at a large global investment management firm. Nikki grew up locally and was educated in Rochester, holds a Masters in Finance and is an Associate of the CFA Society UK. Nikki is active in local community theatre and was co-founder of a local musical theatre company that marks its 20-year anniversary in 2024. Nikki was appointed as a Governor at King’s School Rochester in 2024 and sits on the Risk and Audit Committee and is Lead Governor for Health and Safety.
Mark attended King’s from 1974 to 1979 and studied history at Cambridge University. He has spent most of his career in investment management, serving in senior roles at the Church Commissioners and the West Midlands Pension Fund. Mark currently is an investment committee member of a number of leading UK charities. He became a Governor of the School in June 2024 and sits on the Finance and Gneral Purposes Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee.
Paul is a Chartered Certified Accountant and Chartered Financial Planner and undertook an Executive MBA at Warwick Business School (Distinction) between 2005-2008. He has spent the last 30 years working in Banking, Insurance and Wealth Management as a Finance Director with Standard Chartered Bank, Lloyds Bank, Coop Bank, Legal & General, Metro Bank and St. James’s Place. Paul now runs his own financial advice practice locally, where he specialises in the provision of face-to-face financial advice to individuals, trustees, and businesses. Paul has been a Governor at King’s School Rochester since 2021. Outside work, he enjoys travelling, watching Crystal Palace Football Club and keeping fit.
Phil is a property and construction consultant and Director of a global design and consultancy company. He has led major, high profile construction developments in his career of close to 40 years. His roles have also seen him lead businesses and drive business transformations. Phil was born and educated in the local area and, as well as Kent, has lived and worked in Asia and the Middle East. His son is currently in the Senior School at King’s having joined in Year 7. Phil was appointed a Governor in 2024 and sits on the Estates Sub Committee. He is on the committee of a local cricket club, captains a team and is an active volunteer for a local charity aiding those homeless and in need.
Prior to Ordination, Chris trained as a General Nurse at Southampton University Hospital. He studied theology at Salisbury & Wells Theological College and was ordained in 1991 at Rochester Cathedral. He has served the diocese in a variety of roles and is currently Director of Formation and Ministry, responsible for the formation and training of clergy and lay ministers. He is a member of the Chapter and Vice Dean of Rochester Cathedral. He has served as Chair of Governors to two outstanding Church of England schools, St Peter & Paul Primary School, Leybourne and Bennett Memorial Diocesan Comprehensive School, Tunbridge Wells and more recently as a Trustee and Chair of St Augustine’s College of Theology. He joined King’s Governing Body in 2018.
Gordon studied Music at Lancaster University, and Philosophy, and then theology at Magdalene College and Ridley Hall, Cambridge before being ordained in 1995. He served his curacy at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Cambridge, and then served as Succentor of St Paul’s Cathedral between 1998-2003 before becoming Vicar of St Mary Magdalene’s, Enfield (London). Between 2008-2019 he was also Director of Post-Ordination Training in the Edmonton Area of London Diocese. Gordon’s doctorate is in hymnology and he is an Editor of Ancient and Modern (2013) and a Director of the English Hymnal Company, and has written several Lent and Advent books for the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) as well as being Editor of their ‘New Daylight’ notes. Gordon arrived in Rochester in June 2020 with wife Jessica and daughter, and Shih Tzu dogs Leo and Lexi. He is a member of the Education and Pastoral Committee and Lead Governor for Learning Support.
Currently a King’s parent, Andrew Gower is Principal and Chief Executive of Morley College London, an Institute of Adult Learning with centres in North Kensington, Chelsea and Waterloo. Whilst growing up in Peterborough, Andrew attended the King’s School and sang as a chorister and choral scholar in Peterborough Cathedral Choir. As a musician, teacher and manager, Andrew has held senior roles at Canterbury Christ Church University and East Kent Colleges Group, and sang for many years as a bass lay clerk in Canterbury Cathedral Choir. Andrew became a Governor at King’s in 2022 and chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and the Education and Pastoral Committee.
Kirsty grew up in Sydney, Australia and enjoyed the outdoor lifestyle until deciding to take a 6-month working holiday in London after finishing her studies. She undertook a number of IT project management contracts, then met her husband and settled in the UK permanently. She has worked in the Insurance industry for almost 25 years doing both project and portfolio management roles, before moving into financial and strategic planning roles. She has previously been a Trustee of a state primary school, the British Horse Society and a local care home. She is a Governor at King’s School Rochester and sits on the Finance and General Purposes Committee and the Estates Sub Committee. In between working and raising her two boys, she enjoys walking her dogs and riding her horse.
Alex Marlow is an OR and former Cathedral Chorister. Alex trained as an architect after leaving King’s and gained specialist conservation accreditation, leading projects on major historic estates including Canterbury Cathedral and the Palace of Westminster. Alex now works for the National Trust and is responsible for developing the long-term strategy for the care and development of their portfolio of buildings, old and new. He is also a Trustee of the Foord Almshouses, and if he encounters any spare time he tries to get back into a rowing boat. Alex sits on the Estates Sub Committee and is Lead Governor for Net Zero.
Matt is a partner in a private equity firm specialising in Property Investment and Development and has worked in the property and construction industry for over 30 years, focusing on London, but with experience in both the UK and European markets. He has been involved in assets such as The O2, Battersea Power Station, and The Gherkin, and across all types of properties and deal structures from balance sheet development to mezzanine lending. He was born in Rochester and attended Rochester Maths School, and studied at Birmingham City University. As an avid cyclist Matt was a founder and chairman of Club Peleton a cycling based charity that has raised over £5m for children in poverty and is a Parish Councillor in Cobham Kent.
Rosemary has been involved with the state primary education sector for 50 years. She has taught all age groups within that sector and was headteacher of two rural Church of England primary schools in Kent. As a Headteacher, she was selected to be on an exchange programme to visit elementary schools in Chicago, USA, and since retirement she has had the opportunity to monitor schools in the UAE. Currently, she is employed as a part time teacher in a large Church of England/Methodist primary school, and is a Canterbury Christ Church University Link Tutor for primary student teachers on a wide range of routes into the teaching profession. Rosemary is a member of the Education and Pastoral Committee and Lead Governor for Early Years and Boarding. She is a Steward at Rochester Cathedral.
Wayne was born in raised in Sydney, Australia. He read English and History at Sydney University before completing a teaching diploma at the same institution. He taught at Galston High School (1979-88) before taking a promotion to Ashfield Boy’s High School (1989-1995) as Head of English and History. He joined the Senior Common Room at King’s in September of 1995 and served as Head of English (1996-2017), Crick Housemaster (2005-2017) and Master i/c Cricket (2006-2015) before retiring in 2017. He is currently Chairman of Governors at Steephill Preparatory School and is a member of the Education and Pastoral Committee. Wayne also looks after the King’s School Rochester bees.
Patricia became a King’s School governor in Summer 2022. Patricia is a registered nurse, midwife, and health visitor with over 30 years’ experience working in the NHS, with 13 years’ experience working in a statutory safeguarding role. Patricia’s current role is Associate Director of Safeguarding in a London NHS Trust, delivering community services, including school nursing. Patricia was awarded a Master’s in the Legal Aspects of Medical Care (LLM with Distinction) in 2005 and an MSc in Healthcare Leadership from the University of Birmingham, along with a NHS Leadership Academy Senior Leadership Certificate in 2017.
Patricia has taken on the role of Lead Governor for Safeguarding in the school and sits on the Education and Pastoral Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee.
Markham is a King’s alumni, having attended between 1951-1961. Following a successful career as a senior manager in the retail sector, Markham founded and run a luxury hospitality business and developed a personal property portfolio. He was President of the Old Roffensian Society (the alumni organisation of King’s School Rochester) between 1994-97 and joined the School as a Governor and Committee Chair in 2000. Markham also sits on the Finance and General Purposes and the Estates Sub Committee. As a non-executive, he has been Chairman of Faversham Nadfas and is currently a Trustee for Foords Almshouses, Rochester. He was a Cathedral steward for 37 years and is currently the Archdeacon’s representative on the Friends of Rochester Cathedral Council. A committed musician, Markham has been a Church organist for over 60 years and still covers three parishes.
After university, Sue worked as a Chartered Accountant, and later as a church Pastoral Assistant, before being ordained in 2001. She has served her whole ministry in Rochester Diocese, as a parish priest in Dartford, Gravesend and Borstal, as well as for five years as the Area Dean of Gravesend Deanery. At various times she has been Chair of Governors at a primary school, and governor of a local Special Educational Needs school. She is now retired from parish ministry, and has been a part-time Residentiary Canon at Rochester Cathedral since 2018. Sue sits on the Finance and General Purposes Committee.
Philip spent his childhood in Liverpool and the Isle of Man and studied Divinity at King’s College, London. Before ordination he worked with the homeless in South London and trained as a counsellor. Ordained in 1994, he served his title in the Diocese of Canterbury and became Vicar of St. Stephen’s, Chatham in the Rochester Diocese. Appointed to Rochester Cathedral as Canon Pastor in 2005, Philip had a special responsibility for heritage and interpretation work. Having covered other roles in the Cathedral he was appointed Dean in 2016. He is a Governor and Vice Chair at King’s School Rochester and sits on the Finance and General Purposes Committee, the Governance, Nominations and Strategy Committee and the Estates Sub Committee. Philip is also a Trustee of the Sir Joseph Williamson Mathematical School, and a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent. He has close links with South India and enjoys music and gardening.
