Meet Our Governing Body

Doctor John Moss is our Chair of Governors. Dr Moss taught English and Drama in secondary schools for ten years and then worked at Canterbury Christ Church University in many roles, latterly as Dean of the Faculty of Education, which provided teacher education, professional development courses and education research.

Dr Moss has extensive experience of governance in the school and higher education sectors including at St. Augustine’s College of Theology.

Dr Moss is a lifelong member of the Church of England and a churchwarden at Blean Church. As Chair of the Canterbury Diocese Board of Education, which oversees 105 church schools, he works closely with the Director of Education and other senior leaders of the Diocese.

Dr Moss says: ‘it is an enormous privilege to Chair the Governing Body at a school with such a strong Christian foundation and such a powerful commitment to the inclusion of students from all kinds of backgrounds locally and globally.’ 

The Revd. Dr. David Vannerley taught his first ever lesson at The Archbishop’s School in 1969 and later sent three of his children to the school. He is currently Interim Parish Priest of St Stephen’s, Canterbury. 

David has twenty-five years’ experience as a school governor; at The Archbishop’s School he is a Foundation Governor, nominated by the Cathedral, and is interested in the effect of the values of the school on students’ personal and spiritual growth.

David has been a Church School Inspector and has also taught in further and higher education.

David is an Honorary Life Member of his former teaching union, and is the Vice-Chair of the Governing Board and Chairs the Finance, Premises and Health & Safety Committee.

The Reverend David Stroud is the Senior Chaplain at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), with a demonstrated history of working in higher education.

Revd. David holds a degree from Kent university and a Masters from Anglia Ruskin University. His role at CCCU involves supporting students and staff through various activities, including services, retreats and social events, while ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for all faiths.

David joined the board of Governors in 2025 as a Church of England foundation Governor but has had a long standing relationship with the school over many years.

Mike Rayner is the county lead for post-16 education in Kent ensuring that education and support services work well for young people in the county. 

His work mainly ensures that there are strong education opportunities for all of Kent’s post-16 students, but particularly more vulnerable learners.

Mike sees his main job as knowing the right people and building partnerships to solve problems. He has extensive experience of large-scale projects in careers education, developing apprenticeships, supporting vulnerable learners and bringing employers into education.

Mike previously worked with the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) to ensure that education and training met the needs of employers across the region.

As a governor, Mike has supported the development of the Sixth Form and careers education in the school, has been a member of the Finance, Health and Safety and Premises Committee and is currently the chair of the Quality of Education Committee.

Doctor Sarah O'Hara has a background in media communications and public relations both as a practitioner and as a higher education educator.

Sarah has worked both in the UK and overseas. She holds a doctorate in education which considered stereotyping of dyslexia and has a passion for supporting and empowering young people.

Sarah has responsibility for special educational needs governance for The Archbishop’s School and is a proud dyslexic herself.

Vicki Beatty brings over 30 years of experience in health, safety, environment, and quality (SHEQ) across a range of industries including construction, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and ports.

As a Chartered Member of IOSH and certified ISO lead auditor, she has a strong background in risk management, regulatory compliance, and safety culture development.

In her role as Co-Opted Governor for Health and Safety at The Archbishop’s School, Vicki is committed to supporting the school’s ongoing improvement journey by helping to ensure a safe, inclusive, and well-governed learning environment for all students and staff.

Rebecca Swansbury serves as a Foundation Governor at The Archbishop’s School, where she currently chairs the Foundation Committee and sits on the Quality of Education Committee.

Her governor responsibilities include monitoring Christian distinctiveness and the quality of teaching and learning.

Rebecca is the Deputy Director of Education for the Diocese of Canterbury, a role that carries significant strategic responsibilities. Her primary focus is to support, equip, and empower leaders and governors across the 105 Church of England schools within the Diocese. She leads Headteacher recruitment processes, provides strategic oversight of Foundation Governor appointments, and is responsible for training Foundation Governors.

In addition, Rebecca guides school leaders preparing for Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS), promotes Headteacher wellbeing, and works with school teams to articulate and embed their Christian vision.

Prior to joining the Diocese, Rebecca spent 14 years as a primary school teacher in three different schools. Her most recent role was in a Church of England Primary School, where she served as part of the Senior Leadership Team with responsibility for leading Religious Education and Collective Worship.

Michael Chilton is a parent governor at the school. His daughter joined the school as an EAL student in 2021, part-way through Year 8. After benefitting greatly from her time there, she has recently (and reluctantly!) moved onto further education elsewhere.

Coming from a multicultural, multifaith family, Michael values the benefits that diverse perspectives bring. He is also familiar with the challenges of integrating into a new environment and understands the importance of communication in overcoming them.

Michael currently works as a Senior Performance Analyst for a multinational company, where he identifies opportunities to improve performance and efficiency by analysing data and translating it into actionable insight. He also has experience leading operational teams and serving as part of the leadership team on a large transformation project.

He joined the governing board because he is passionate about ensuring that the school is a place where all members of its community have the platform to thrive - academically, emotionally, and professionally.

Doctor Christopher Russell biography to follow. 

Mrs Catherine Vigar biography to follow.

Mrs Rebecca Fisher biography to follow.