School Council

Since setting up NBA Linda has used her skills in coaching and leadership roles on main boards of complex organisations, ranging from SMEs to large international concerns. Record of achievement in substantial and complex organisations in the Health, Housing and Education sectors in both public and private enterprises. Linda took over as Chairman of the newly merged LiveWest Homes Ltd in 2018. In addition to housing Linda has many years’ experience of leading and working with a diverse range of boards in key areas such as the development of strategy, governance, risk management and delivering results. Past and present roles include Chair of Audit for RCOG, Knightstone Housing Group and Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust, Chairman of Somerset Partnership NHSFT, Chairman of North Somerset Community Partnership and member of the Supervisory Board of the European Institute for Governance Awards. Linda is a qualified practising performance/executive coach, she also works with NHS Providers as a consultant providing training and development for Non-Executive Directors and Governors. She has a keen interest in music and singing,walking, travel, cricket and gardening. The Custos may be contacted by writing to her, care of the Clerk to the Governors, or by emailing clerk@kings-taunton.co.uk

Charis Cavaghan-Pack obtained a B.ED (hons) at Cambridge University in 1974 and taught English and RE in the maintained sector before starting a family, She became a magistrate on the Sedgemoor bench in 1997 and served on the Bench Training and Development Committee for 11 years, and also on the Advisory Committee for nine years. She is a Chair in both the Adult and Youth courts. Charis has five children, three of whom were at King’s, and is married to Michael, whose last job before retirement was Director of Corporate Services at the Hydrographic Office. There are ever-increasing numbers of grandchildren, four of whom are now happily at King’s College Prep. Charis is a communicant member of the Church of England. She enjoys reading and politics and playing bridge. Charis can be contacted in her role as Nominated Safeguarding Governor on ccavaghan-pack@kings-taunton.co.uk

Educated at Whitgift School and Oxford, Michael spent a year as a lecteur in France before becoming an Assistant Master at Radley College in 1974. During his 16 years there he was Head of Modern Languages for six years and a Housemaster for six years also. He left in 1990 to become Headmaster of Ryde School and left there in 1997 to become Headmaster of Barnard Castle School. In 2004, he left the UK to become Secondary School Principal at the International School of Geneva on their La Grande Boissière campus, where he stayed until retiring in 2015. He was then interim Head of Secondary School, International School of Monaco between January and July 2016. During his career Michael was heavily involved with HMC and was a lay advisory governor at Durham Chorister School. He remains a Principal Examiner for Cambridge Assessment. Married to Patricia with three children, he won eight full international caps for England at hockey and two Oxford Blues for hockey, one as captain.

Marcus was educated at Bloxham School and during his career has spent 19 years as an Independent Schools' Inspector. Before his recent retirement Marcus was the Headmaster of the Downs preparatory School in Bristol. His interests include reading, classic cars, windsurfing and house renovation.

Educated at Merchant Taylors’ School (Northwood) and Trinity Hall Cambridge, Christopher was then for two years an International Banker in Chile. he returned to Cambridge to take a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and in 1972 joined the staff of Radley College, holding the post of Assistant Master teaching History and Political Thought to A Level. He was also a Housemaster and Master I/c Cricket. At this time he became an examiner in History for the O&C Board. He became Headmaster of Kelly College in 1985, until moving to the post of Headmaster of Sedbergh School in April 1995. From 1995-2000 he held the post of Chairman of the HMC Sports Sub-Committee and was appointed as member of the full HMC Committee from 1998-2003. He held the post of Chairman of the HMC North East Division in 2002. He retired as Headmaster of Sedbergh in August 2010. He is also Lay Chair of the SW Pembrokeshire Local Ministry Area (Church of Wales). He is currently researching the Life and Times of Revd William Tuckwell, HM Taunton College School 1864-1877 ( the precursor of King’s).

After being educated at Cheltenham College, and reading Law at Lincoln College Oxford, John’s career was as a solicitor in London, and more recently in the South West. In London he was a partner with Denton Hall (now Dentons LLP) from 1980 to 1995 (including 4 years in Hong Kong as Managing Partner of their Hong Kong office), before moving with his family to Somerset, where he was a partner with Bond Dickinson LLP in Bristol until 2013, and then a consultant, before retirement in 2022. John specialised in planning and environmental law, and advised on a wide range of large projects in the fields of ports, airports, waste to energy, oil and gas, transport and, latterly, offshore wind energy, including appearing as an advocate at planning inquiries and infrastructure project hearings. His interests include the countryside, walking, gardening, tennis, skiing, choral singing and the arts.

John was born in Devon and studied Mathematical Engineering at Loughborough University. He worked in the IT industry for over 40 years, most recently for CGI, a Canadian based global IT services organisation. He has been responsible for the delivery of various complex IT solutions including leading the team that developed and implemented the central data services system that underpins the GB smart metering solution. John is married with four children all of whom attended King’s College Taunton. He is an avid sports fan, particularly rugby and cricket.

After being educated at Winchester College and reading at History at New College, Oxford, Roger had a 40 year career in banking which started in New York in 1980 with JPMorgan and thereafter with Cazenove & Co (later JPMorgan Cazenove), Canaccord Genuity and Peel Hunt. The majority of his time was spent in London with Cazenove & Co. where he was a partner in the corporate finance department, advising companies in the consumer sector. Now retired from the City, Roger is a non-executive director of the Lindsell Train Investment Trust, Chairman of the Trustees of the Imperial War Graves Endowment Fund and a Trustee of the Hestercombe Gardens Trust. His interests are the countryside, the arts, reading and sport.

Will was born and brought up on a farm in Leicestershire and was educated at Repton in Derbyshire then at the Royal Agricultural College and Reading University. He has been involved in property all his working life and has lived in Somerset for the past 20 years after a number of years working and living in London. Will is a fully qualified Chartered Surveyor and after running offices and teams for a number of international property firms he now runs his own business specialising in the sale and management of high value residential country property, estates and farms.

A graduate of Durham University Nigel trained for ministry at Theological college in Oxford. Ordained in 1976 he served in parishes in the North East of England and for five years in Papua New Guinea. In 1998 he became a residentiary canon of Durham Cathedral. In 2000 he was consecrated bishop of Stockport, subsequently becoming bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich in 2007. In 2013 he became bishop at Lambeth in support of the Archbishop of Canterbury at the same time he was bishop to the Forces and bishop for the Falkland Islands. In retirement he continues to be involved in ministry in local parishes and as an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the diocese of Bath and Wells. During his career he has been a governor of both state and independent schools, including a time on the School Council of a Woodard School in the North East. He is married to Carolyne and they have three children and eight grandchildren.

Rebecca is current serving police officer and has had a fulfilling career across two police forces, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police Service. She joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 2002, during that time experienced a varied and wide-ranging career. She has carried numerous roles across policing directorates gaining varied experience of frontline operational roles, strategic planning, safeguarding and multi-agency engagement. Rebecca has vast experience of safeguarding, particularly that of children, young people and vulnerable people. She has over 12 years managerial experience and believes in visible and approachable leadership and leading by example. In 2019 Rebecca returned to Somerset and since then has been working in Avon and Somerset Constabulary. Rebecca has strong ties to the school. She herself is an OA and was one of the first girls to go the whole way through from third form in 1991. Her three brothers also attended King's College, as well as her niece and nephew. She now has two sons at King’s College Prep. She even got married in the chapel. Rebecca has a keen interest in sport, particularly cricket and rugby. Her family are Somerset County Cricket members. She is multi-lingual and speaks German, having been taught by Frau McSwiggan and visits Bavaria as frequently as possible.

Jol has been a Governor at Kings since 2019. He is a Great-Great Grandson of the School's founder, Nathaniel. Born in Cornwall and schooled at Lancing College, he gained a BSc from Exeter University and more recently a MSc in Leadership from Cranfield. He leaves the Royal Navy in 2025 after a 34-year career spanning helicopter operations, education, strategic engagement and project delivery. Highlights include a stint on the Royal Yacht, command of Britannia Royal Naval College and delivery of a multi-billion-pound portfolio of Government change programmes. Jol's Boardroom experience includes Trustee of UK Armed Forces Winter Sports and Chairman of the Royal Navy Winter Sports Association. He is due to accede as Custos in September 2025.

Justin White is Senior Chaplain and Dean of Chapel, Head of Theology and Philosophy at Winchester College. In the past he has been Chaplain of Dulwich College and of St Helen and St Katharine’s School, Abingdon, as well as doing a brief spell as Precentor of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. He is an experienced and very highly regarded school chaplain and priest.