The Board of Governors

The Headmaster, Mr Montgomery, is responsible to the Board of Governors on all school matters. The Board bears responsibility in law for the activities of the school. The Secretary to the Board, Mr McConnell, advises on governance, legal matters and the financial framework. Many governors are ‘Old Armachians’ and parents (past and present) and the composition of the Board covers a comprehensive range of the professional skill-sets required to lead and run such a large and diverse organisation, both operationally and strategically.

The principal functions of the Board are:

1. To monitor and to advise on all aspects of the school’s activities

2. The control of the school’s finances.

All decisions are taken by the full Board, which meets four times each year. The Management Committee of the Board, which comprises a sub-set of the Governors, meets eleven times each year and approves the budget and all capital expenditure. The Management Committee is also concerned with staffing and the upkeep of school facilities.

The Board consists of members appointed as follows:

Foundation Governors

Five Governors elected by the Council of the Diocese of Armagh

The Most Revd F John McDowell, The Archbishop Armagh (Chairman)

Mrs Julie Davies

Very Revd Shane Forster, Dean of Armagh

Revd Malcolm Kingston

Dr Paul Reaney

Three Governors elected by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland

Rev Sam Finlay

Mr David Harrison

Dr Hazel Reaney

One Governor elected by the Conference of the Methodist Church in Ireland

Mr Henry McMullen

Six Co-Opted Governors

Dr Kathryn King*

Mr Niall McCool*

Dr Carolyn Mitchell

Mr Desmond R D Mitchell

Mrs Kathryn Reaney *

Mrs Kathryn Taylor *

Six Governors appointed by the Department of Education and the Education Authority

— Three Department of Education

Mr Kenneth Hooks

Mr Ian Hutchinson *

Mr Roger Wilson

— Three Education Authority

Mr Ian McCall *

Mrs Paula Patton

Mrs Stacie Ross*

Three Parent Governors

Ms Laura Ferguson

Mr Richard Kindred

Mr Brian Taylor

Three Teacher Governors

Mrs Sarah McDonald

Miss Adele Murdock

Mrs Elizabeth Murray

Emeritus Governor

Rt. Hon. the Lord Kilclooney of Armagh

Headmaster (Non-Voting)

Mr Graham G W Montgomery *

Secretary to the Board

Mr Stephen T H McConnell *

Since the school’s inception in 1608, the Chairman of the Board of Governors has been the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland.