
Claire Gilbert
Chair of The Alton Local Governng Body
Cllr Wandsworth Council
Term of office: 10 Mar 2109 - 9 Mar 2024
I am very pleased to have been appointed as a Governor at the Alton School. I have worked in Roehampton since 2018, and have lived in Wandsworth for over 10 years. I am also an elected Councillor for the Roehampton & Putney Heath ward of Wandsworth, sitting on Wandsworth Council.
I became a Governor because I am very interested in young people and in the families living in Roehampton. I have 3 primary school aged children myself. I very much enjoy the fun and discovery which comes with teaching and learning, and I have been very lucky in my own education and where it has taken me in the world.
I went to state schools in a small town in Northern Ireland, where the education system is rather different to the one in England. When I left school I worked for a year to earn some money, and then I was very fortunate to go to University in Cambridge to study law. As part of my law degree, I also spent a year in a University in France studying French law. After graduating, I went to work in California for a year as an intern in a law firm. I then studied for a Masters in Labour law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Finally, I had to take the Bar Vocational Course to become a qualified barrister. I have been a practising lawyer since then, working various courts and offices, including for the government and for the NHS. I now work for legal advice centres helping individuals in very difficult times in their lives, some of whom qualify for Legal Aid, and some of whom are helped "pro bono".
As a Governor at the Alton School, I am kept informed of issues and standards at the school by the Chair of Governors and the Headteacher. I very much enjoy visiting the school, particularly when I am able to interact with the wonderful children about what they are doing.
If you would like to discuss anything with me, I can be contacted via the school's office.