Canon Robert Cotton was appointed to be Rector of Holy Trinity and St Mary’s Guildford in May 1996, thereby becoming an ex officio governor of the RGS.

Robert is embedded in the town life of Guildford, being a governor also of Guildford High School, Holy Trinity Pewley Down School, Abbot’s Hospital and other housing charities.

Robert read Mathematics and Philosophy at Merton College, Oxford, before training for ordained ministry in Leuven, Belgium and at Cambridge.

Helen is the Head of School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at the University of Surrey. She is a Co-Director of the University’s Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education that is recognised by NCSC, with responsibility for overseeing cyber security outreach and education across the organisation. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Karen qualified as a Dentist from Birmingham University and worked in general practice both in the UK and Singapore for 25 years. She moved to Guildford in 2003, where her son attended both RGS Prep and RGS for 15 years. Karen is a volunteer with mentoring programmes for young people, including the Kids Network.

Peter Peel became a Governor in 2004 and has chaired the Finance and General Purposes Committee since 2007. He also sits on the Boards of the RGS International Companies and is active in visiting the RGS schools overseas.

He is a retired Chartered Accountant having been a partner in a small practice in Camberley for 35 years after qualifying with a City firm.

His two sons are Old Guildfordians.

Nick had the great good fortune to be educated at the RGS, and then studied at Cambridge (Natural Science), Pittsburgh (History and Philosophy of Science), and City University (Law). He is a barrister and Deputy High Court Judge and Joint Head of Chambers at 4 Pump Court where he practises in commercial law, as advocate and as arbitrator. He is a Bencher of Middle Temple. In 2023 he will be Chair of the Bar of England and Wales.

Mike Windsor studied modern languages at Durham University before moving to Italy, where he taught English as a Foreign Language. On his return, he completed a PGCE at the Institute of Education in London and an MA in Modern German Studies at Birkbeck College, London. His teaching career in the UK started at KCS Wimbledon. He then spent five happy years as Deputy Head of the RGS before taking on his first headship at Reading Blue Coat School. He is currently Head of Abingdon School.

John Fairley is a retired tax consultant, having spent his working career both in the public and private sector.

He spent a number of years at Ernst & Young, where he headed up their International Tax practice.

John is a former parent and had a number of roles on the RGS Parents’ Association.