King Edward’s School is proud to have a team of dedicated and experienced Governors and Senior Leadership Team members.
Governing Body
Chair of Governors
Mrs Olivera Raraty
Mrs Olivera Raraty
Chair of Governors
Olivera Raraty is an enthusiastic educationalist who has enjoyed a full-time career in education, spanning 37 years. Olivera is a former Headmistress at Malvern St James Girls’ School, a leading girls’ day and boarding school (3-18) in Worcestershire. She is currently GSA Representative on the IDPE Steering Group and is a passionate advocate for the transformative effects of quality education on a pupil’s future life chances.
Very recently, Olivera was a Member of GSA Council, Chair and Secretary for the GSA Midlands Region of Heads, and a member of the GSA Membership and Accreditation Committee and the Future of Assessment Working Party.
Prior to that she was Senior Deputy Head at Notting Hill and Ealing High School, GDST, (4-18) and whilst there served on the ISC SEND Committee for several years. She is a History and Politics specialist and started her teaching career in London and went on to be Head of History and Politics at Wycombe Abbey School where she joined the Senior Academic Leadership Team. She has a keen interest in the expressive arts.
Olivera now enjoys a ‘portfolio career’ working as an education consultant supporting schools’ development work, mentoring senior leaders, as an ISI Inspector, and as governor and trustee of two educational charities.
Vice Chair of Governors
Mrs Amanda Smith
Mrs Amanda Smith
Vice Chair of Governors
Amanda Smith came to read Law at the University of Birmingham and never left! She qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PwC with experience in the Audit & Assurance Practice and Corporate Finance followed by a career at FTSE 100 Compass Group Plc.
Amanda is the Vice Chair of Governors at an Outstanding maintained primary school in her home town of Sutton Coldfield, where she also Chairs the Finance and Resource Committee, and sits on both Teaching & Learning and Staffing.
Together with her husband she is also a supporter of the Assisted Places scheme. Outside interests include being a keen theatre supporter, being a patron of the Birmingham Hippodrome, Royal Shakespeare Company and Town Hall Symphony Hall locally as well as the Old Vic.
Dr Simon Bird
Dr Simon Bird
Educated at Hurstpierpoint College in West Sussex and after a GAP year which involved working abroad and backpacking through North America and Mexico obtained a History degree and PGCE at Sussex University. This was followed by a DipEd and MA from Oxford and an EdD from Warwick. Held a Territorial Army Commission for a decade. Taught in Grammar Schools and the Independent sector and has coached Rugby, Hockey and Cricket as well as playing Club level Hockey and Cricket. Deputy Head at King Henry VIII School for 5 years, Headmaster at King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar for 11 years and now Headmaster at King Edward VI Five Ways School.
Mrs Katherine Coates
Mrs Katherine Coates
Katherine Coates was a pupil at King Edward VI High School for Girls from 1970 to 1977 and went on to study Jurisprudence at Somerville College, Oxford. She joined Clifford Chance LLP in 1981 where she has spent her entire legal career, becoming a partner in 1990, head of the financial institutions practice in London and of the global insurance practice. She also sat on the firm’s Partnership Council for several years and chaired its audit and risk committee. She advised on a wide range of transactional, regulatory and governance matters for insurers and other financial institutions.
Following her retirement from the partnership in 2021, she remains as a consultant to the firm and has established a portfolio of non-executive director roles. These include chair of risk at Talbot Underwriting Limited, part of the AIG group, chair of risk at Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited, part of the Munich Re group, non-executive director at Phoenix Re Bermuda and non-executive director at UK Endorsement Board (a government arm’s length body responsible for endorsing IFRS for use in the UK). Katherine is also a member of the Council at Imperial College London and sits on its audit and risk committee. She mentors a number of senior employees in commercial and not-for-profit organisations.
She is married to Andrew, a professor in space physics at UCL, and has twin daughters.
Ms Erica Conway FCA
Ms Erica Conway FCA
Erica Conway has been a member of the Independent Schools Governing Body since August 2024. She has been a volunteer, board member, audit committee member and chair of a number of education related and mental health charities since she was a teenager. She has been involved with the King Edward VI Foundation since 2011, initially as a governor of King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, becoming chair of the local governing body soon after. She supported the creation of the King Edward VI Academy Trust and was part of its initial board.
In her day job, Erica is the Chief Financial Officer of the University of Birmingham, a member of its executive board and a director of a number of the group’s subsidiary companies.
Prior to 2010 she worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers across the UK providing audit and advisory services to a variety of client types.
Mr Nandan Gautam
Mr Nandan Gautam
Mrs Chris Hosty
Mrs Chris Hosty
Chris Hosty was educated at KEHS Edgbaston before obtaining a degree in Mathematics from York University. After completing her PGCE at Nottingham University, Chris taught in Bristol and at Edgbaston High School. Chris joined the Maths department at KEHS in September 1987 and retired in July 2018. She was appointed to the ISGB in March 2020.
Mr Barnaby Lenon
Mr Barnaby Lenon
Barnaby Lenon taught at Eton for 12 years, was Deputy Head of Highgate School, Headmaster of Trinity School Croydon and Head of Harrow (12 years). He has been a Governor of 22 schools.
Barnaby is Chair of Governors and joint founder of the London Academy of Excellence school in Newham, East London, one of the most successful state schools in England. He is Professor of Education at the University of Buckingham, Chair of the Independent Schools’ Council, a Trustee of the Yellow Submarine charity, and a consultant to the Robertson Foundation which sponsors schools in New York and South Africa (amongst other things). He is a member of the Ofqual standards advisory group.
He has recently published two books, Much Promise: successful schools in England and Other People’s Children: what happens to the academically least successful 50%?
Mr Ian Metcalfe OBE
Mr Ian Metcalfe OBE
Ian Metcalfe, a qualified solicitor, retired as managing partner of international law firm Wragge & Co in 2014 after eight years in post. Prior to managing the business, Ian was a corporate partner at the firm for 14 years, acting for several substantial public and private companies and private equity houses on a wide range of transactions.
Ian now pursues a “portfolio” career, with a range of non-executive appointments, combining his interests in sport and business. Ian is Chair of Commonwealth Games England and a non-executive director of the global waste management and environmental services group TRRG Holdings Ltd, a joint venture between the Dutch Terberg Group and the Spanish Ros Roca Group.
In the public company world, Ian is the senior independent Non-executive Director and Chairman of Remco at Mercia Technologies plc and a Non-executive Director and Chairman of Remco of Arena Events Group plc.
A double rugby blue, Ian represents Cambridge University RUFC on the Council of the Rugby Football Union, having previously served nine years on the Board of the RFU, chaired the Professional Game Board and sat on the Board of ER 2015 Limited, the organising body for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Ms Gayatri Sehdev
Ms Gayatri Sehdev
Gayatri Sehdev is an alumna of King Edward VI High School for Girls. She studied Law at Downing College, Cambridge and completed her MBA (graduating as a Palmer Scholar) at The Wharton School, Philadelphia.
Gayatri currently works for Refinitiv, a Blackstone-backed financial services business, where she is both Assistant General Counsel and Company Secretary. Prior to serving on the ISGB, Gayatri served as a board observer for CARIE (a charity in Philadelphia that advocates for the rights of the elderly) and a governor of a federation of schools in London.
Prof Hywel Thomas
Prof Hywel Thomas
Hywel Thomas is Chair of the Foundation Board. He is Emeritus Professor of the Economics of Education, University of Birmingham and was the Director of the Centre for Research in Medical and Dental Education at the University. He was Head of the School of Education for 10 years, from 1993-2003.
His research and writing included studies on resource management in schools (DFE/OECD), the school workforce (DfES), smoking prevention strategies (EU), the career paths of graduates (HEFCE), designing a curriculum for training medical general practitioners (RCGP) and evaluating selection processes for medical speciality training (DH).
Hywel has undertaken work for The World Bank, UNESCO, the British Council and the Department for International Development (DfID). He has been Education Adviser to the British Council and specialist adviser to the OECD.
Correspondence address
The Chair of Governors may be contacted in writing at the following address:
The Chair of Governors
The Schools of King Edward the Sixth in Birmingham
Foundation Office
Edgbaston Park Road
Birmingham
B15 2UD
KES Senior Leadership Team
Chief Master & Principal, KES & KEHS
Mrs Kirsty von Malaisé
Mrs Kirsty von Malaisé
Chief Master & Principal, KES & KEHS
Mrs von Malaisé has been Chief Master & Principal of King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls since September 2024, having first joined KEHS as Principal in 2020. Educated at music school, conservatoire and the University of Cambridge, where she read English, Mrs von Malaisé was a BBC Young Musician of the Year prizewinner. She began her teaching career in London state schools, before becoming Deputy Head at Putney High School.
As Headmistress of Norwich High School, she led the school to be named ‘Independent Girls’ School of the Year’. The recipient of a transformational bursary for her own education, she is committed to ensuring that our Assisted Places scheme remains strong. Her interests include music, history, and mountain-walking.
Director of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, KES & KEHS
Mr Martin Lea
Mr Martin Lea
Director of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, KES & KEHS
Mr Lea is the Director of KE Independent Schools Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, a role which covers both King Edward VI High School for Girls and King Edward’s School. He began his career at King Edward VI Five Ways as a Teacher of Chemistry and Information Technology.
Before joining KEHS in 2015 as Vice Principal (Academic), he was Assistant Headteacher at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School.
He is committed to outdoor pursuits and often helps with Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award and has led overseas trips to Morocco and Brazil. In his spare time, you will find him walking or climbing.
Deputy Head (Pastoral), KES
Dr Daniel Kennedy
Dr Daniel Kennedy
Deputy Head (Pastoral), KES
Dr Kennedy holds a joint honours degree in English and Philosophy. He completed his postgraduate work at University College Cork and earned his PGCE at the University of Warwick. He has worked across a range of schools in both the maintained and independent sectors, serving in various roles, including Teacher of English, Senior Head of House, Head of English and in several Extended Leadership positions.
Dr Kennedy is Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at King Edward’s School, where he continues to contribute his expertise in education. In addition to his work in education, he enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Deputy Head (Co-curricular), KES
Mr Matthew Bartlett
Mr Matthew Bartlett
Deputy Head (Co-curricular), KES
Mr Bartlett is the Deputy Head (Co-curricular) at King Edward’s School. He has been at the school for many years, originally starting as an English Teacher before becoming Director of Drama, in which he oversaw a ten-fold increase in the number of students studying for GCSE and IB exams and brought such shows as “Cabaret”, “Much Ado About Nothing” and a devised “Wuthering Heights” to the Ruddock Hall in collaboration with King Edward VI High School for Girls.
Before joining KES, he taught English at Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall, where he was also Head of Drama and Head of Year, and Whitgift School.
Deputy Head (Community), KES & KEHS
Mr Andy Duncombe
Mr Andy Duncombe
Deputy Head (Community), KES & KEHS
Mr Duncombe is Deputy Head (Community) across both King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls.
He is involved in different roles across the two schools, and some across both, including various staff roles and coordinating the House systems. He has in recent years enjoyed helping re-establish the Houses at KEHS, and implemented a new approach to Service education.
He has taught at KEHS since 2010, having begun his career ‘across the drive’ at KES in the late 1990s. His wider interests include travel, theatre visits, playing cricket and watching rugby.
Deputy Head, KES & KEHS
Mr Henry Coverdale
Mr Henry Coverdale
Deputy Head, KES & KEHS
Mr Coverdale is Deputy Head across both King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls, a role which includes maintaining momentum on digital developments, as well as focusing on the broad pupil pathway from prospective pupil to departing Sixth Former, engaging with all the relevant stakeholders along the way.
He first joined King Edward’s School in 2009 as a teacher of Economics and Business Management. He led the department’s introduction of the IB Diploma in both subjects during a seven-year tenure as Head of Department.
During his time at KES, Mr Coverdale has coached rugby and cricket, as well as preparing nationally placed teams for Bank of England Economics competitions. He previously held Deputy Head roles at King Edward’s overseeing the Upper School and leading on digital and data strategies.
Director of Strategic Projects, KES & KEHS
Ms Deborah McMillan
Ms Deborah McMillan
Director of Strategic Projects, KES & KEHS
Miss McMillan is the Director of Strategic Projects across King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls, a position she has held since September 2024.
She has had a variety of roles during her time at KES including Deputy Chief Master, Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Head of Shells. Chemistry teaching continues to be a part of school life that she enjoys, as is going on the school ski trip.
Deputy Director of Sixth Forms, KES & KEHS
Mrs Joanna Whitehead
Mrs Joanna Whitehead
Deputy Director of Sixth Forms, KES & KEHS
Mrs Whitehead is the Deputy Director of the KE Independent Schools Sixth Forms, a role which covers King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls.
She is committed to supporting Sixth Form students both in their pastoral welfare and academic studies, alongside many co-curricular and enrichment opportunities that develop their character, so they are well placed to flourish as tomorrow’s leaders.
Bursar (Finance and Estates), KES & KEHS
Mrs Zoe Robinson
Mrs Zoe Robinson
Bursar (Finance and Estates), KES & KEHS
Mrs Robinson is Bursar (Finance and Estates) at King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls. She previously worked at King Edward Sheldon Heath Academy (KESH) as Director of Finance and Resources for 7 years and before that worked at KPMG as a Senior Manager in Risk Management, following time in audit.
Among her career highlights have been co-ordinating the construction of a complete new build school on the KESH site which involved liaising with school staff, architects, the construction company and decant specialists, and implementing a new finance system when KESH moved from local authority control to financial independence. Mrs Robinson is a Chartered Accountant (ACA) and spends her spare time on the golf course pursuing this newly found hobby, following many years playing hockey.
Bursar (Operations), KES & KEHS
Mrs Jenny Butterworth
Mrs Jenny Butterworth
Bursar (Operations), KES & KEHS
Mrs Butterworth is Bursar (Operations) at King Edward VI High School for Girls and King Edward’s School. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA) who previously trained and worked with KPMG for 14 years. Her work there involved leading on a variety of local and international clients in both the areas of audit and transactional service work.
Prior to her role across both schools, Mrs Butterworth was Assistant Bursar at KEHS, where she has been a regular point of contact for both parents and pupils alike. In her spare time, she is likely to be on a rugby sideline anywhere in the country supporting her teenage boys.
Director of Development, KES & KEHS
Mrs Adelaide Bailey
Mrs Adelaide Bailey
Director of Development, KES & KEHS
Mrs Bailey is the Development Director at King Edward VI High School for Girls and King Edward’s School. A member of the Development and Alumni Relations Office since 2014, she now oversees a team that has raised over £29 million for the two schools, principally for Assisted Places, as well as state-of-the-art facilities and learning support.
Mrs Bailey is an active member of the Institute of Development Professionals in Education, and led a community engagement and fundraising appeal which won the 2018 TES Independent School Financial/Fundraising Initiative of the Year Award. Before joining King Edward’s, she was a student at the University of Birmingham and subsequently a speaker at the Graduate Conference for Europe. Outside the office, Mrs Bailey is a DIY enthusiast and is currently re-upholstering a rocking horse for her daughter.
Director of External Relations, KES, KEHS & Foundation
Mrs Jo Bullock
Mrs Jo Bullock
Director of External Relations, KES, KEHS & Foundation
Mrs Bullock is Director of External Relations at King Edward VI High School for Girls, King Edward’s School and the King Edward VI Foundation. She previously worked for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents for 15 years, starting out as a Press Officer and holding the role of Executive Head of Awareness and Education (encompassing the charity’s policy and communications departments) at the time of her departure.
Among her career highlights have been coordinating a year-long programme of activities to mark RoSPA’s centenary, and being shortlisted in the Regional Press Awards and Mind Journalist of the Year Award during her early career as a journalist at the Cambridge Evening News.
Mrs Bullock read Politics at the University of Manchester, before undertaking a Diploma in Journalism. During her spare time, she can often be found watching (and occasionally playing) cricket or on a campervanning adventure with her family.
