Calendar Dates
Our school Governors
Welcome to the Governors' section. Our Governors do an amazing job, voluntarily working for our school and the children. Below is some more information about our Governors.
Minutes of Governing Body meetings are available, upon request, from the school office.
Our Governors







Name | Term | Appointed by | Pecuniary interest |
Richard Wheatley | Dec 2024-28 | Governing Body | Nil |
Jen Arnold | July 2024-28 | Parents | Nil |
Simon Rothwell | Aug 2024-28 | Foundation | Nil |
Chris Burns | Aug 2023-27 | Governing Body |
|
Ian Thoroughgood | Dec 2022-26 | Governing Body | Nil |
Clare Sampson | Sept 2023 - Sept 2027 | Headteacher | Nil |
Laura Tuttlebee | Sept 2023 - Sept 2027 | Staff | Nil |
Hayley Aherne | July 2023 - Sept 2027 | Co-opted | Nil |
Paula Simmons | May 2024 - May 2028 | Co-opted | Nil |
Jen Arnold | July 2024-July 2028 | Parents | Nil |
Cath Breckell | Dec 2024-Dec 2028 | Parents | Nil |
Resigned | |||
Laveena Kerr | March 2024 - 2028 Resigned July 2024 | Co-opted | Nil |
Jan Plumstead | Dec 2020-24 Resigned May 2023 | Governing Body | Bures Primary Business manager Chartered Management Institute |
Sue Williams | July 2020-24 Resigned Oct 2022 | Governing Body | Nil |
Rev Steph Van de Toorn | March 2019-23 resigned | Foundation | Nil |
Kathryn Sumner | Dec 2018-22 resigned July 2022 | Governing Body | Staff member |
Gill Mitchell Sarah Baker | Resigned - Aug 2023 | Headteacher – ex-officio | Staff member
|
Mark Hurley | Dec 2021-25 Resigned July 2023 | Governing Body | East Bergholt Parish Councillor |
Sarah Bowman | Jan 2022-26 - resigned March 2023 | Staff | Nil |
Helen Armstrong | Aug 2019-resigned July 2023 | Governing Body | Silver Cloud HR – Director |
Instrument of Government
The Governing Body, together with Mrs Sampson, our Headteacher, is responsible for the overall governance of the school ensuring that it is run efficiently and effectively to provide the very best education for our children. In brief, our role is as follows:
- Setting the strategic direction of the school ensuring its vision, Christian values and ethos are met;
- Developing, monitoring and challenging the School Development Plan to ensure standards are met and holding the head teacher to account for the performance of the school and its pupils;
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and ensuring its money is well spent and our finances are well managed.
Governors provide their time on a voluntary basis and the governing body is made up of representatives of school staff, parents, the Local Authority and the local diocese.
The Full Governing Body meets once a term to discuss and review many areas, including: Safeguarding, School budget, school policies, Headteacher’s termly report, Collective Acts of Worship and progress against the school’s development plan.
In addition, our Governors all champion specific areas of school improvement, e.g. Teaching and Learning, Pupil Outcomes, Early Years, SEND, Sport, Leadership, Safeguarding and Christian Values. Each term, our Governors will monitor these areas either individually or through a Committee and then bring back to the FGB for discussion.
Governors hold an important public office, so in the interests of transparency, the governing body publishes details of pecuniary interests including any governance roles in other educational institutions or any material interests arising from relationships between governors or relationships between governors and school staff (including spouses, partners and close relatives).
We have three committees that report into the Full Governing Body. Details of these committees and their Chairs are below.
Our Governors
Chair of Governors: Chris Burns
Vice Chair of Governors: Simon Rothwell
Staff Governors:
Clare Sampson (Headteacher)
Laura Tuttlebee (Deputy Headteacher)
Parent Governors:
Richard Wheatley
Ian Thoroughgood
Co-opted Governors:
Chris Burns
Hayley Aherne
Foundation Governors:
Simon Rothwell
Our Committees
Resources Committee
Clare Sampson
Ian Thoroughgood (chair)
Simon Rothwell
Learning, Standards and Achievement Committee
Chris Burn (Chair)
Clare Sampson
Ian Thoroughgood
Headteacher’s Performance Management Committee
Chris Burn - Chair
Hearings
Panels are convened on a case by case basis.
Contacting the Governing Body
We are always keen to seek the views of parents, so please come and chat if you see us in the school or at any school function.
Alternatively, please contact the Chair of Governors, Chris Burns, through the school office.