Governing Body

The Governing Body at the school acts to advise on strategy and direction and supports identified linked-areas of the school. The members of the Governing Body are below.

Claudia Bickford-Smith

Claudia Bickford-Smith is the Chair of the Governing Body in her capacity as the Nominated Proprietor of the school and as a Director of Kingsley Education Ltd. Claudia oversees financial, legal and regulatory compliance for the school, while chairing the Management Board and reporting to the Board of Directors and shareholders.

Claudia is also CEO of Aldates Global Education Ltd, which has innovative pedagogy, Sustainability Education, Wellbeing, Inclusion and SEND at its heart. She works with the senior team to transform student achievement and there are plans for further research and development of global programmes that aim to make a real difference to learning outcomes.

Click here to contact Mrs Bickford-Smith directly by email

Claudia Bickford-Smith can also be contacted at Aldates Global Education Ltd, 95-96 St Aldates, Oxford, OX1 1DA.

Lisa Harty

Lisa is Vice Chair of the Board. With her skills in project management, Lisa supports the school with matters concerning our site and Estate development.

Lisa has worked in the arts for over 30 years.  After moving to Devon in 1996 Lisa worked as a freelance arts consultant for a number of local authority, voluntary and private sector clients. In April 2013 she became the Art & Design Co-ordinator for Art for Life at Musgrove Park Hospital. Continuing her freelance contracts, Lisa completed a piece of work for the Francis Crick Institute in London in 2019, writing a feasibility study and options appraisal for an Arts Programme. In April 2022 Lisa became the Art & Design Manager for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. 

Lieutenant Colonel Noel Claydon-Swales

Lt Col Claydon-Swales, an alumnus of Kingsley (Grenville 89-95) commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2004. He has enjoyed a diverse military career in the Light Dragoons, serving operationally across the world, including Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Africa and a NATO tour of duty with the US Army in Poland being awarded a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for leadership and diplomacy.

In the UK, Noel has held a variety of command and staff appointments and has extensive experience in acquisition, training and personnel management. He has a BA (Hons) in Business Management as well as various strategic leadership and project management qualifications. He is President of the Royal Armoured Corps eSports team and a Ministry of Defence operational end user mentor for UK Defence and Security markets. Noel is married to Isabella, and together live in Wiltshire with their son. Noel is a member of the Governing Body and acts as the link governor for careers education.

Sally Akam

Sally moved to North Devon three years ago having had a career in secondary eduction for 35 years, largely in a 13-18 year boarding school in Buckinghamshire. She led a large and successful geography department for many years before joining the school leadership team as an Assistant Head with responsibilities for the school’s tutorial system, managing pupil monitoring, assessment, reporting and UCAS applications. 

Sally has served on the Governing Board of a Buckinghamshire grammar school and is currently Chair of a Local School Committee in a Devon primary school. She is a member of the Governing Body for Kingsley School as the link governor for SEND and Inclusion, and as a member of the Curriculum and Welfare committee.

Jamie Morris

Jamie is an Alumnus of Kingsley (Grenville College 89-96) and was born in North Devon. He was CEO of Travel Chapter, a Bideford based business for over 20 years and is now a Non Exec for the company. His experience has been primarily in the marketing and property space and is now helping support other businesses in their growth journey, both locally and further afield.

He continued to play sport locally after school - mainly cricket (Westleigh CC) and rugby, and is a former Captain of Bideford Rugby Club, where he is now on the committee post hanging his boots up, apart from the odd Vets game! Jamie is a member of the Governing Body as the link governor for development and alumni, connecting the past with both the present and the future.

Loraine Staddon

Loraine was born in North Devon and has remained here her whole life, married a local man and raised their four children in these beautiful surroundings.

Loraine has had a career in education for over 23 years working with students with SEND through supporting their daily needs both academically and socially. She has spent the last ten years of her career in education supporting and teaching students with SEMH challenges and managing a team to ensure all students were supported through being able to reflect and plan forward.

Loraine moved away from education last year to take on the challenge of managing her own business. With this now successfully up and running, she is committed to supporting Kingsley School as a member of their Governing Body as the Safeguarding Governor.

George Robinson

George is an Alumnus of Kingsley (2014-2018) and was Head Boy during his time in Kingsley's Sixth Form. He joined Kingsley after his family relocated to North Devon from the Midlands, and went onto complete both GCSEs and A-Levels at Kingsley. George is now the Managing Director and Owner of SoSweet - The UK's Favourite Sweet Shop, a local specialist confectionery business founded by his parents in 2014. SoSweet operates 15 retail stores across four counties in the South West, has a large presence online and also supplies a range of confectionery and snack products directly into hundreds of retail stores through its wholesale channel; SoSweet Direct.

In his spare time, George also enjoys travelling, especially to the Italian or French Alps where he reminisces on the many school ski trips he enjoyed during his time at Kingsley. He is a budding young entrepreneur always looking further his development, both in business and personally. George is a member of the Governing Body with link roles of helping to develop alumni connections as well as overall development for the school. 

Kingsley Education Limited has offices at G16, Central Court, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, England, WC2A 1AL and is registered with Companies House.
Aldates Global Education​ Ltd has offices at 95-96 St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1DA and is registered with Companies House.