Skip to content ↓

Staff and Governors

Our Board of Governors

Our Governors include education experts, businesspeople, entrepreneurs and members of the professions. We have a policy of inviting new members who bring relevant specialisms to the school in areas such as human resources, buildings and facilities, finance, law, marketing, and health and safety.

This means that Board membership contains a balance of skills to benefit the development of the school.

Joan Fearns - Chair of the Board of Governors

Joan has a long history with Hill House having taught here for 14 years, retiring from her role as Head of Junior School in 2013.

She joined the board in 2018, bringing with her over 25 years of teaching experience.

Since her retirement, Joan has embraced her love of travel, visiting Western Europe, New Zealand, Canada and Singapore.

Joan has a particular love of Italy, both its culture and food, and aspires to improve her knowledge of the Italian language.

Dr. Antonia Cooper

Antonia completed her bachelor degree in Modern Languages (French and Spanish) with Politics and Economics at the University of London. She then lived in Paris studying Law at the Institut Universitaire de Technologie before returning to the UK to work for Eurostar and saw the opening of the Channel Tunnel.

A change of career ensued and Antonia completed her undergraduate Psychology at Nottingham University before completing a MSc in Applied Forensic Psychology at the University of Leicester. She then worked at Rampton High Security Hospital before completing her Clinical Doctorate at the University of Leeds. She now works as the locality Lead Clinical Psychologist for Older People’s Mental Health services in Doncaster. Antonia also runs a successful private practice providing medico-legal assessments for psychological trauma, taking instructions from a range of legal practices in the North of England, running clinics in Sheffield, Nottingham, Doncaster and Chesterfield.

Antonia has two daughters at Hill House school and, when she is not at the stables with her daughter, enjoys running and reading.

Neil Ebden

Neil was appointed to the Board in 2014, having been in the Banking profession for over 20 years. He currently works at The Bank of England. He has worked in a variety of Corporate and Commercial Banking roles at both HSBC & Handelsbanken in the past; providing an opportunity to understand the varying dynamics of funding, trading and business operating models. He enjoys leadership and in particular strategic planning, people development and project management. Neil has experience of Board, Committee and Corporate governance.

He has two children at Hill House School.

Anuj Joshi

Anuj was appointed to the Board in 2020. Born in Doncaster, he is a Chartered Surveyor with over 25 years’ experience in the commercial and residential property development sector. In the past he has worked in both the public and private sector including six years as Development Director of a joint venture property company owned by the UK Government and International Bank.

Since 2009, he has run his own property group which is involved in a number of real estate sectors including development, investment and consultancy.

Anuj has had two children at Hill House, the youngest of which still attends.

Robert Leggott

Robert has been a Governor since 2015, working in the Finance & Statutory Compliance sub Committees. Rob is ICIOB (Incorporated Member of the Chartered Institute of Building) with a Degree in Senior Construction Management. He has led on build projects & forward planning the school's future developments. He has worked in the Building & Shop Fit Sector for over 30 years, on many high-profile projects for blue chip clients.

He has a son and daughter at Hill House who have attended since nursery.

Anthony Ogley

Anthony was appointed to the Board in 2020. He is a practising solicitor currently working at Knights Plc as a Real Estate Partner based in its Nottingham office. Prior to Knights Plc, Anthony has worked at commercial law firms Geldards LLP, Nabarro LLP (now international law firm CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP) and Fraser Brown. Anthony has a specialism in residential and commercial development and acts for both developer and landowner clients in relation to site acquisitions and disposals.

Anthony has two boys who attend Hill House School. 

James Pickering

James is a Professor of Anatomical Education at the University of Leeds. He graduated with a BSc in Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of Sheffield and then went on to study for a PhD at the University of Leeds, where he has worked since 2007. His area of academic interest is in student education and undertakes educational research on the efficacy of digital technology across higher education. He has published and presented his work to an international audience and has received numerous national honours for both his teaching and scholarship.

He is the father to two young children at Hill House School and was appointed to the Board of Governors in 2020.

Jason Sprenger

Jason was appointed to the Board in 2014. He is a practicing lawyer and has worked as a senior solicitor for a number of the UK’s largest corporate law firms, predominantly advising blue chip companies at a senior level.

In 2007 he joined Highfield.co.uk as Legal and Operations Director, becoming Chief Executive in 2010. The Highfield Group has quickly expanded and is now one of the largest, regulated examination boards, with numerous offices in the UK and Middle East.

Jason is father to 3 children, all who have attended Hill House.

Doctor Kolusu Rao

Doctor Rao was born in India and travelled to UK in 2002 after finishing MBBS. He trained as a GP in Doncaster (with MRCGP and Diploma in Dermatology) and since 2008 has been a GP partner, with a special interest in Dermatology and minor surgery. He contributed towards the founding of the Doncaster GP Federation which is now Primary Care Doncaster. Ltd. He was on the Board of Directors till 2018.

He took up an additional role as Governing body member and Prescribing lead for Doncaster since 2020 at the Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group, which is now South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, Doncaster Place.  Kolusu has a passion for music and languages. He is learning to play bass guitar and speaks 6 languages and can read and write 3 languages.

He has two children who attend Hill House and says that he has taken up the role of Governor so that he can give back to the school and community.

Rhonda Blakemore

Rhonda is the Headteacher of Crowle Primary Academy, part of the Rose Learning Trust.

Rhonda describes her job as ‘the best job in the world’ and has been teaching for 28 years, working in a variety of primary schools in different areas of the country.

In her spare time, Rhonda loves to travel and spend quality time with her friends and family.

Hill House Staff

Chair of Governors Registered Office
c/o Senior Secretary Hill House School
Hill House School   Sixth Avenue
Sixth Avenue Auckley
Auckley Doncaster
Doncaster DN9 3GG
DN9 3GG  
   

Please mark correspondence
‘private and confidential’

Tel: 01302 776300