The Pears Family School
Free schools alternative provision school in London (Islington).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
A warm welcome to Pears Family School website. Thank you for visiting our website. I am delighted to welcome you to our school. The Pears Family School is proud to be a tolerant and caring learning community welcoming students from all cultures and faiths.
Our vision is to provide vulnerable young people and their families with a therapeutic, nurturing, as well as academically rigorous, learning environment. We offer a broad curriculum which supports and challenges every child to be the very best they can be and ensures they are able to make outstanding progress.
Each student at The Pears Family School receives academic mentoring and pastoral care according to their own individual needs, and we pride ourselves on our personal approach with both students and their families. Like all outstanding schools, harnessing the views, thoughts and ideas of our students and their families is key to our future.
Through dialogue, target setting and multifamily group meetings, students and families are able to shape their own learning environment and contribute to the school's plans and aspirations. We endeavour to put the family at the heart of our school community
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
2 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Swimming
- Zones of Regulation
Awards
1 awardiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Food for LifeRecognised award
Key facts
- URN
- 141130
- Type
- Free schools alternative provision
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Ages
- 5 to 14
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Islington
- Constituency
- Islington South and Finsbury
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2014
Governing body (21 current, 5 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.19 governors are linked to a profile (all confirmed).
Governors marked “Confirmed same person” have exactly the same forename and surname as the only officer of that name at the school’s own academy trust company on the Companies House register, so we treat them as the same person. The governance record itself comes from DfE.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Brenda Margaret McHugh Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr James George Deasismont-Bennett Confirmed same person | Accounting OfficerTrust officer | since 2026 | |
| Dr Lesley Anne French Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Eamon McCrory | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2025 |
| Miss Rebecca Harris Breedon Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by school staff | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Jonathan Peter Whitehouse Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Miss Bojana Grujic Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Laura Katherine Lower Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by school staff | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Miss Rosemary Jane Francis White Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Julie Anne Greer Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Michael Annan Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2021 · until 2029 |
| Professor John Donald Cape Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Any additional members appointed by the members of the academy trust | since 2019 |
| Mr John Donald Cape Confirmed same person | Chair of TrusteesTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2019 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr John Donald Cape Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2019 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Matthew Hillman Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2018 |
| Mr Pierre Raoul Gosselin Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2018 · until 2030 |
| Miss Peggy Ruth Ray Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2018 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Linda Hooper Confirmed same person | Chief Financial OfficerTrust officer | since 2016 | |
| Ms Peggy Ray Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Persons who are appointed by the foundation body or sponsor (if applicable) | since 2014 |
| Prof Peter Fonagy | MemberTrust members | Original (signatory) members | since 2012 |
| Rt Hon Anna Freud Nccf Rt Hon Michael Samuel | MemberTrust members | Original (signatory) members | since 2012 |
| Mrs Brenda Margaret McHugh Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2023 · term ended 2026 |
| Ms Jaime Bree Smith Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2021 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Rosalind Bidmead Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2019 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Matthew Hillman Confirmed same person Former | Accounting OfficerTrust officer | since 2018 · term ended 2026 | |
| Mrs Brenda McHugh Confirmed same person Former | MemberTrust members | Original (signatory) members | since 2014 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 1 November 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record