At Warminster School, our community thrives thanks to inspiring OVs like Beverley Sunderland, our Chair of Governors.

Bev joined Warminster as a bold ten-year-old with a natural ability to debate. The values instilled in her early years – respect, perseverance, and confidence – laid the foundation for her success. With a distinguished legal career, including founding her own firm, Bev felt the call to give back to the school that shaped her.

Now, as Chair of Governors, Bev shares her expertise and life lessons with the Warminster community. Reflecting on her journey, Bev shared:

Reflecting on her journey, Bev shared:

"When I arrived at Warminster School as a rebellious 10 year old with an over developed ability to argue, I must, in retrospect, have been quite a challenge for the school. It was recently merged with Lord Weymouth and I am not sure that an opinionated girl was something they had come across too often!

But through years of gentle persuasion, careful nurturing of my natural talents and, on occasion, some very serious words, I was gently guided away from my first choice of profession – medicine, and into one to which my natural ability to talk and argue were much better suited – the law.

To be honest the teaching was almost secondary to the life lessons that Warminster School taught us - manners costs nothing, treat others as you would expect to be treated yourself, have respect, be your own person and most importantly, don’t let others tell you that you cannot do something – have confidence in yourself and never give up. With those lessons firmly under my belt I felt able to take on the world.

Having had a successful career in law and set up my own law firm, when Warminster School came calling and I was asked to be a Governor, I felt that although I had a busy job as a solicitor and business leader, I had to give something back to the very organisation that shaped and moulded me for eight formative years of my life.

It was, I confess, slightly surreal walking up the steps of Byne House with the Headmaster on my first speech day, given that the last time I did that I had been leading a strike…but I soon got used to it and I hope that some of the lessons I have learned from business and life have been helpful and of use to my fellow governors, staff and also to the wonderful pupils at Warminster School who I have enjoyed meeting so much over the years."

Thank you, Bev, for your dedication and for inspiring the Warminster School community with your story and leadership.

We remain grateful to parents, OVs and friends of the school for their incredible support—whether it’s through volunteering, financial donations, mentoring, delivering talks, or sponsoring events and activities. If you’d like to support us in any way, we’d love to hear from you! Please get in touch by emailing us- Community@warminsterschool.org.uk.