JFS chair of governors resigns nine months after predecessor

Eyebrows were raised this week after the chair of governors at JFS resigned, only nine months after her predecessor stepped down.

The resignation of Ruth Renton, who said she was leaving to focus on her career, comes after Steven Woolf himself left “with immediate effect” in July, less than two years into the role. His departure followed that of headmaster Jonathan Miller, who also left abruptly.

Vice-chair of governors Geraldine Fainer this week became acting chair, as the school paid tribute to Renton, who had “stepped into the role at a time of great challenge for JFS”.

The school suffered an embarrassing downgrade from ‘Outstanding’ to ‘Requires Improvement’ following a surprise Ofsted inspection during Miller’s reign, but has since recovered and was recently graded ‘Good’.

In an email to parents this week, the school said: “She has given of her time and extensive expertise tirelessly and we owe her a great debt of gratitude for all that she has done.”

A former JFS head-girl, Renton was acknowledged to have “used her experiences to deal with the ever increasing challenges of strategic school governance… She leaves the governing body in an excellent position to proceed with a balanced mix of skills and experience.”