The Judges

The judging panel is chaired by Shane Rutter-Jerome, who is a retired Brigadier after 30 years in the army, a former general secretary of the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools, and he was bursar of Cranleigh School. He is a governor of Dauntsey's School.

Christine Ryan is the chief inspector and CEO of the Independent Schools Inspectorate. A scientist with extensive teaching and inspection experience, Christine has written a number of scientific and educational publications and has been an education adviser for schools' television, including the series New Living Body, winner of the Japan Prize for Educational Excellence.

Graham Able is the former master of Dulwich College and is a former chair of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. He is now CEO of Alpha Plus Group. He is a graduate in natural sciences from Trinity College Cambridge. He has co-authored two books on headship. He is also a trustee of the English Cricket Foundation.

Jill Berry is the head of Dame Alice Harpur School. Jill is leaving the post of head at the end of this academic year, and was president of the Girls’ Schools Association in 2009. She has taught in a variety of schools, maintained and independent, comprehensive and selective, since 1980, with English as her specialist subject.

Prof Malcolm McDonald is a former Professor of Marketing and deputy director, Cranfield University School of Management. He is now an Emeritus Professor there as well as being an Honorary Professor at Warwick Business School. He was marketing director of Canada Dry. He is currently chairman of Brand Finance plc and spends much of his time working with the operating boards of the world’s biggest multinational companies. He has written forty-three books, including the bestseller Marketing Plans.

Nick Shryane is the bursar of the Harrow School Foundation (since September 1997) and has also been a governor of Edge Grove Preparatory School for more than 10 years (as chairman since 2005). He has a particular interest in strategic, financial and resource planning.

Jeremy Herrtage is the bursar of St Ives School, Haslemere. Educated at Harrow and Sandhurst, he worked in the City for five years before serving in the Army (14th/20th King’s Hussars and RAPC) for 20 years. He is a qualified chartered secretary. He has also served as an LEA governor at the Slade School, Tonbridge for five years.

Yvonne Fleming is the national officer for the school leadership section of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, which is in partnership with the Association of College Managers. She taught for 32 years in a variety of settings, including three independent girls' schools in deputy and headship roles. Her current role involves working with government departments on changes to educational policy as well as being a member of several working groups for the National College developing programmes for school leaders.