Alan McPherson 

I am pleased to have been invited to become Chair of Governors for St Johns. The Governing Body will support the opening and development of the new school that I am confident will become a pillar of the community.

I became a school governor in 2015 with the intention of making a difference and giving something back to the community. I believe that effective governance adds value to school improvement and supports pupil outcomes. I have developed, through education and experience, a practical understanding of what effective governance looks like and how it can be achieved. For me, the critical requirements for a governing body are effective leadership, strategic thinking, alignment of the organisation in depth and breadth, delivery on commitments, a sense of urgency, and compassion.

I am also a member of the Independent Audit and Risk Committee for Faringdon Learning Trust.

I retired from full-time employment in 2015. I have over 40 years international HR experience primarily in energy companies and I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. I have lived in Wantage since 1993: both of my daughters attended King Alfred’s Academy before university. My other passion is allotment gardening and I am involved with a number of local gardening associations.

 Jane Tudor

I have always been involved in the nurture and education of young people, either through youth work or as an educator. Since qualifying as a secondary science teacher, teaching all sciences with Biology and Chemistry to A level, I have fulfilled several senior roles in independent senior school including Headteacher. 

Much of my experience is in curriculum development and management, with oversight of pupil progress, staff performance and development. Other roles have included examining for OCR    A Level Chemistry, a member of the Salters Chemistry Club Panel, and most recently as an inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate. In inspections, I was responsible for compliance, including boarding and safeguarding, and educational compliance and quality, mainly in the sciences and mathematics. 

Since retirement, I have helped complete our self-built Eco house, learnt to weave and enjoyed gardening, and on occasion visited some local schools to help lead assemblies. I am very excited to be joining the St John’s governing body and playing my part in establishing an excellent new school in Grove.

Sarah Shackleton

I am delighted to be a Foundation Governor at St John’s and bring a range of experience to the role.

My postgraduate training to become a GP involved long, intense hours of work within tightly knit teams. This was followed by seven years as a stay-at-home mum caring for three children. This included twice uprooting the family and adapting to life abroad – isolating and wonderful in equal measure.

On our return to the UK, I joined a local GP practice where I stayed until retirement. I loved the deep connections and continuity of relationships with patients and staff, realising anew the importance of collaborative teamwork at all levels. I also learned much about both strategic thinking and day-to-day management within an ever-changing regulatory environment.

Throughout my adult life my relationship with God through my Christian faith has been central. I believe we are all completely known, loved and valued by God – who challenges and enables us to be our truest and freest selves. I have been actively involved in St John’s Church in Grove over 25 years, and after retirement was licensed as a Lay Minister by the Oxford Diocese.

My other interests range from hill walking and sailing, to reading and learning something new – currently Ukrainian and playing the ukulele.