Downe House - Independent Girls Boarding School

The Governors act as the trustees of the School in respect of its status as a charity. They also provide strategic guidance on the running of the School and are the court of last appeal on issues such as the exclusion of a pupil or employees' grievances. Crucially, they are responsible for appointing the Headmistress and Bursars.

At present, the Board of Governors consists of thirteen members with a wide range of knowledge and experience. Most of them are either current parents, former parents or past pupils, but some have no previous connection with the School and therefore provide an even broader perspective. They are all volunteers who receive no remuneration and gain no pecuniary advantage from their position, but without them the School could not function either legally or practically.

The current Governors are:

The Finance & Administration Bursar, Mr C (Colin) Kauntze-Cockburn FCCA acts as Clerk to the Governors

The Chairman of Governor's postal address is:

Farrer's
66 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London
WC2A 3LH

The full Board meets four times a year and there is a smaller Nominations Panel that is called together once a year to consider candidates for election as Governors. Committees (Finance and General Purposes (F&GP) and Education) and the Buildings Sub-Committee also meet four times a year in advance of Board meetings. In addition, Governors meet at least once a year to fulfil their statutory obligations as directors and trustees of the School's various subsidiary bodies.

Corporate Structure

Downe House School, which has been a registered charity (1015059) since 1992, is the primary operating arm and umbrella body for the organisation as a whole. It has two main subsidiaries: the Downe House Trust (registered charity 309091 since 1964), which owns the land on which the School is built and also acts as the main recipient for Appeal funds; and a trading arm, Downe House School Services Ltd.

Downe House School is also incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee (2645228), and is therefore registered with both the Charity Commission and Companies House.