STAEG is led by a team of talented governors with extensive experience of the education sector and beyond, headed by the Chair, Alison Arnold.
Day-to-day operational running and strategic planning for schools is overseen by the STAEG Executive Team chaired by Principal and CEO Amber Waite, and includes the Heads of the schools, the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Marketing, Admissions and Development, and the Group Designated Safeguarding Lead. The Principal reports to the Chair of Governors, and all other members of the Executive Team report to the Principal.
Ongoing professional development is central to the STAEG ethos; the Executive Team provides a forum for Heads to work collaboratively on projects and initiatives with the uninhibited sharing of information not possible in a competitive market. The annual STAEG Leadership Conference allows Heads and their Senior Leadership Teams to enjoy group strategy and leadership development sessions with time away to work as individual teams on their own school development plans.
Teachers and support staff benefit from a framework of continuous improvement by being part of an education group, through multi-school INSETs and other collaborative ventures.
Amber was appointed as Principal and CEO of STAEG in May 2024, following five years as Head of STAHS. Educated in Texas, after earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mathematics, Chemistry, Geological Sciences and Chemical Physics, she embarked on a ten-year career as a biogeochemical oceanographer. After many happy years working everywhere from the Gulf of Mexico to the South Pacific, Amber decided it was time for a change and re-trained as a teacher. She taught for three years in the US before undertaking a third career as a civil servant.
Amber moved to the UK in 2008, and whilst she enjoyed the policy and communications work she did at Defra, she missed the fun and satisfaction of working with young people and returned to teaching. She has taught at Headington, Abingdon and Ashford Schools, and was Deputy Head at St Dunstan’s College before taking up her role as Head of STAHS. Amber is also a member of the HMC Board of Directors as Treasurer, having previously sat on their Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, and is a governor for an independent girls’ school in Hampshire.
Amber is an enthusiastic supporter of Oxford United, and when she isn’t at the Kassam (or Wembley!) cheering on the Yellows, she will likely be thinking and/or talking about them.
After reading Aeronautics & Astronautics at Southampton, Mike went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, commissioning into the Royal Engineers. He served for 22 years in the British Army in a variety of increasingly senior roles, in the UK and abroad. Mike then brought his experience to the education sector as Director of Operations for the Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools and more recently to NHS England. For the past seven years he has been a trustee of Watford Grammar School for Girls, where he is currently Vice-Chair.
Married to Victoria, a professional classical musician, and with three adult children, Mike’s interests include snowboarding (when ageing knee joints permit), sea kayaking around the southern coastline and along the River Thames and he is a weekend rugby first aider.
Having read History and Politics at the University of York, Sian began her career in the education sector, holding roles with King’s College London, University College London and London Business School, before moving to the British Museum where she worked for over a decade, leading the British Museum Friends and overseeing Marketing, Regular giving and Ticketing. Sian is a Trustee of York Archaeology and has previously served on the advisory board of the United World College of the Atlantic, which Sian attended on a scholarship from the Isle of Man Government.
Sian and her family live in Harpenden. Sian is an avid skier and reader, aiming (and sometimes succeeding!) to read 100 books a year.
Head of STAHS Prep since September 2023, Mike attended the Skinners’ School in Tunbridge Wells before studying French and German with stints in both countries. He subsequently trained as a primary school teacher and completed a master’s in Education, punctuated by playing as an overseas cricketer in Australia. In 2023 he was awarded a fellowship of the Chartered College of Teaching.
Mike’s teaching career has predominantly been in London, in both the state and independent sector. Before joining STAHS as Head of Prep, he was Deputy Head Academic at both St Dunstan’s College Junior School and, most recently, Newton Prep School in Battersea.
When Mike is not talking about teaching and learning, you will find him either on the cricket field, or at the London Stadium supporting West Ham. Both have taught him valuable life lessons on the importance of being resilient and maintaining perspective.
Ann Massey was appointed Head of STAHS Senior in April 2025.
Prior to STAHS, Ann was Deputy Head Pastoral at Eltham College in South London for eight years and spent 16 years at James Allen’s Girls’ School as a Teacher of History and Politics, Assistant Head of Section, SENCO, and Head of Lower School.
Ann grew up in a village in the Welsh valleys near Port Talbot, after which in her words, she ‘landed at Oxford with a bump’. She holds a BA(Hons) and an MA (Oxon) in Modern history from St Anne’s College, Oxford and an MEd in Leadership and Management.
Ann is married to John, Detective Chief Superintendent of Cambridgeshire Constabulary, and has two young adult children, Isabel and Matthew.
Emma Karolyi was appointed as Head of St George’s School Windsor Castle in September 2024. She started her teaching career at Stewart’s Erskine Melville School in Edinburgh where she ultimately led Year 6 (a year group of 200 children!). At Loretto Junior School (‘The Nippers’) she was Director of Studies and Assistant Head Curriculum for several years. In 2017 Emma was appointed Head at The Junior King’s School, Canterbury, where she led the Prep School for seven years, also teaching Latin and Classics to Year 6 and 7. Emma has over 30 years’ experience in the education sector.
Emma grew up in Sussex and studied Classical Studies and Ancient History at the University of St Andrews. She holds an MA (Hons) from the university and a PGCE teaching qualification from the University of Bristol.
Emma’s main passion outside education is music. As a viola player and a former member of the Scottish Sinfonia, she is regularly found playing in the orchestra of school concerts. She also loves being creative when not working, whether drawing, designing, embroidering or doing anything craft related. She makes delicious raspberry jam too.
Married to Julian, an expert in university admissions amongst other things, and who sits on the Board of the Windsor Festival, Emma has two adult children – a son who is an accomplished film maker and working in the film industry, and a daughter who is beginning a career in immigration law.
Hannah Fox joined St George’s Ascot as Head in September 2025. A Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and a Liveryman in the Worshipful Company of Educators, she has been in teaching for over 30 years. She read Literae Humaniores (Classics) at Trinity College, Oxford where she was also heavily involved in coxing and the Boat Club. She brings experience from a broad range of independent schools – day and boarding, all-girls’, all-boys’, and coeducational – including Winchester College, St Edward’s, Headington and The School of St Helen and St Katharine. Before moving to St George’s she spent seven years at Harrow School, the last four of which were on the Senior Management Team as Academic and Universities Director.
Hannah is also a Governor and Chair of the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee at Summer Fields School in Oxford.
Hannah’s happy place is walking on the beach in North Norfolk with her three sons and Stabyhoun dog, Hebe, who is training to be a therapy dog at St George’s.
After completing a BEd Hons with Music degree Louise spent the first decade of her career working in a local primary school, where she became acting Deputy Headteacher. She moved to the independent sector in 2012 and in 2018 became Deputy Head at Stormont School, before being made head in 2020.
In a matter of weeks after her appointment the pandemic hit. Louise found herself navigating uncharted waters, steering the school through lockdowns, remote learning, and social distancing. Despite endless challenges and the total disruption of normal school life, Louise kept spirits up and the children engaged, organising virtual talent shows and online quizzes alongside delivering lessons in as many innovative ways as possible.
Thankfully Stormont has returned to normality, as has her role at the school. Louise continues her passion for music and sport, and is often to be found on the tennis courts.
Alison has extensive business experience. Educated at UMIST and the London Business School, she enjoyed a successful career marketing leading consumer brands at large multinational companies such as Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods and PepsiCo both in the UK and internationally. In 2012 Alison moved into the education sector, working with international schools’ groups in UAE and the Middle East leading their global marketing and admissions teams. She consistently increased student numbers and was recognised by Forbes Middle East as one of the region’s top 50 marketing and communications people.
After 17 years living and working abroad, Alison returned with her family to the UK in 2020 to join Orbital Education as Group Director of Marketing and Admissions. She recently joined BIMM, a university for the creative industries, as Chief Commercial Officer.
Carol was Head of Old Palace of John Whitgift School Croydon, having held several leadership roles at the school over a period of 22 years. After reading music at St Andrews University and completing a PGCE at Trinity College Cambridge, Carol began teaching in 1982 and taught in a variety of positions across the UK before becoming Head at Old Palace in 2011.
Carol was awarded her National Professional Qualification for Headship by the National College for School Leadership and a further award in School Business Management. Volunteering, Carol continues her commitment to instilling a broader values-based education in young people, supporting families with young children by working with the charity Home Start. Carol enjoys singing as an adult chorister at Croydon Minster.
Maria is a qualified accountant, tax and treasury adviser and sits on the Finance Committee. She has a first-class honours degree in Chemistry, an MA in Modern Languages, a PhD in Nanotechnology from Cambridge University and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. She is also a member of the British Venture Capital Association’s Tax and Environmental, Social and Governance Committees.
As a portfolio director at a leading private equity firm, Maria works alongside companies to improve and streamline their operations, particularly in areas such as tax and finance. Maria has also worked for both Deloitte and Arthur Andersen in their private equity and international M&A groups.
A passionate advocate for lifelong learning, she currently has a daughter at STAHS Prep School.
Craig was educated at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. He then read law at Brasenose College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He spent his career at the City law firm Slaughter and May as a corporate lawyer and retired as a senior partner in 2022. Craig then spent a year as an independent non executive director at Zurich Insurance. Craig’s daughter completed her schooling at STAHS.
Liz has taught economics for over 20 years in both state and independent sector schools and has an MEd in Educational Leadership and Management. She has been Head of The Maynard since 2022, an independent all-though girls’ school in Exeter. Previously, she has held senior deputy roles with a particular interest in professional development, coaching and evidence-informed practice. She is President-Elect for the Chartered College of Teaching, an accredited Leadership Coach and ISI inspector. Liz has been safeguarding governor (and now Vice-Chair) for a MAT in the South West since 2019 and has also held leadership positions as a Principal Examiner.
Bjorn became a governor in 2023 and is a member of the estates committee to which he brings 20 years’ experience as a chartered surveyor in commercial real estate. He is currently Chief Investment Officer of a FTSE 250 listed company specialising in Logistics investment and development.
Bjorn was educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys and studied Geography followed by a Master’s in Property Valuation and Law.
Henrietta is Director of Operations at a small recruitment firm specialising in the recruitment of corporate governance professionals.
A STAHS alumna, Henrietta read history at The University of Nottingham. Her career started working in corporate governance before moving into recruitment. Her current role encompasses operations, HR and finance matters and, following the company’s move to employee ownership, Henrietta is also a Trustee.
Henrietta was keen to broaden her governance experience and in 2023 she joined the board of governors at Stormont School, joining the governors of STAEG following the merger of STAHS and Stormont School.
As an ordained priest Jo was installed as Dean of St Albans Cathedral in 2021 and was elected to the Association of English Cathedrals in 2022.
Originally from New Zealand, she studied Law and French at Victoria University of Wellington and practised for seven years in Wellington and London. She returned to New Zealand to complete her theology degree and was eventually appointed Dean of Auckland and Deputy Vicar General. In 2017 she returned to England to be Archdeacon of Canterbury and Residentiary Canon of Canterbury Cathedral. After serving on the Steering Committee for the Cathedrals Measure she brings considerable governance skills to the board.
Chris began his professional life in financial services marketing, and has spent the majority of his career focused on sports sponsorship, primarily within motorsport. He was Marketing Director of the Williams Formula One team before establishing his own consultancy advising brands and rights holders across the sports and entertainment sectors.
Chris has a daughter at the Prep School and became a Governor in 2020. He chairs the Strategy Committee and sits on the Estates Committee.
Pauline is a chartered accountant who was a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers until her retirement. Since retiring, she has held a number of regulatory roles, including as inaugural chair from 2020-2025 of the UK Endorsement Board, a statutory board responsible for the endorsement of international accounting standards for use in the UK. She is currently a member of the Determinations Panel of the Pensions Regulator and of the Enforcement Decisions Making Committee of the Bank of England.
Pauline has extensive prior experience as a school governor in the state sector, including as a trustee of a multi-academy trust where she chaired the audit and risk committee, and more recently as the chair of a special needs primary school in Ware.
Huw is the Headmaster of Yarm School in North Yorkshire, an independent, coeducational HMC day school of 1140+ pupils. He moved to Yarm in 2019 having previously been Second Master at Tonbridge School and – prior to that – a Boarding Housemaster and teacher of Biology at Westminster School. He was a Governor at Dulwich Cranbrook and then the Dulwich Prep Schools Trust between 2015–2019.
Before his teaching career and following a degree in Anatomy and Developmental Biology at UCL, Huw completed a PhD in genetics and embryonic patterning at the Gurdon Institute and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Wellcome Trust’s Sanger Centre. He was simultaneously a Research Fellow at St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, between 2005-2008.
Antonia became a governor in 2026 having been a Governor of St George’s Ascot for 5 years. Antonia is a partner at law firm, Mishcon de Reya in London in the family team, where she has been for 21 years.
Antonia was educated at St George’s School, Ascot and studied History at Bristol University followed by a Law conversion course at BPP Law School.
Antonia is also a Trustee of a charity called FAST UK.
The Rt Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth is Dean of Windsor, having been previously Bishop of Coventry and Principal of Ridley Hall Cambridge after serving in parochial and chaplaincy ministry.
Christopher has served on a number of Commissions in the Church of England, notably chairing its Faith and Order Commission for 10 years. He was a member of the House of Lords from 2013 to 2023 where he contributed on international matters and education amongst other areas. He is the recipient of the Großes Verdienstkreuz of the Federal Republic of Germany for his work on peace and reconciliation. He is the writer of several articles in learned Journals and books on Christian life, doctrine and ministry.
Christopher became a Governor of STAEG in 2026 having previously been Chair of the St George’s School Windsor Castle (SGSWC) Board of Governors.
