Governors
The School Governors
The School Governors meet every half term (now called a term). They are guardians of our school and play an important part in our liaison with the Local Authority. They are free to visit the school regularly and talk to the staff and children. In addition there are three sub committees, which focus on specific areas. They are:
Vacancy for Foundation Governor
All Church of England Schools must have Foundation Governors and they are representatives of the Church of England on the Governing Body. They are a vital link between the parish church and school. The role entails:
One of our present foundation governors is due to end her term in the summer this year and we are very keen to replace her. We have a very exciting time ahead of us at the school with the expansion plans. If you would like to know more about the role or apply for the role, please email Mrs Mandy Dobson on secretarygarsdonpcc@gmail.com Details of Governor's Term of Office and Committee responsibilities can be found below.
Ben Crouch, Chair of Governors Serves on the Finance and Staffing Committee (Chair) Elected by Governors (4 year term from September 2019) Pecuniary Interests: None I am a chartered accountant by trade and currently hold the position of chief financial officer at an eCommerce company in Gloucestershire. I trained at a big 4 accountancy firm before a short stint as a full-time rower moving to Lea with my wife and daughter in 2018. The arrival of our twins came shortly after and with my eldest daughter now at the school, and my twins due to attend later on, I wanted to get involved to support the school leveraging my commercial and financial knowledge to support the school in its development. 
Treena Ryall, Parent Governor
Serves on the Buildings, Health and Safety Committee (Chair) Elected by the Parents (4 year term from December 2020) Pecuniary Interests: None I help run our family farming business with my husband Ian and I am also mum to four children, my eldest son is at University, my eldest daughter is at Malmesbury Sixth Form and my younger two children are at Lea School, in Years 6 and 4. I graduated from Writtle College after which I spent 15 years working in the Ministry and Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, working mainly in legislation, policy, food safety and animal welfare before returning back to the full time rigours of farming life. I have enjoyed helping out with school life over the years and have participated in various roles as my children have grown up; parent helper, sport events, trips, and the PTA. With the school expansion it will bring new opportunities. Being a governor allows another way of proactive engagement which helps the school reach its potential, something I’m glad to be able to get involved in. 
Peter Bown, Foundation Governor
Serves on the Buildings, Health and Safety Committee Co-opted: Elected by the Governors (4 year term from January 2018) Safeguarding Governor Pecuniary Interests: None I am a retired veterinary surgeon. I came to Malmesbury in 1968 and I bought my first house in Lea in 1974. As a former employer of a significant number of people varying from graduate status to basic GCSE I am aware of the importance of a good education. I am fully supportive of the stated school ethos and I look forward to supporting the Head and all the staff as they manage the proposed expansion of the school. 
Clive Nicholls, Co-opted Governor
Serves on the Buildings, Health and Safety and the Finance and Staffing Committees Maths Link Governor Foundation: Elected by the Governors (4 year term from February 2018) Pecuniary Interests: None I moved to Cleverton in 2010 since when all 3 of my grandchildren have attended the school. They have now left but I am still committed to helping the school provide an excellent education. I am a Chemical Engineer by training graduating from the University of Bath and have worked in the petrochemical and food industries. For the last 20 years I have worked for a major IT Consultancy during which time I had a diverse range of clients from Aerospace to Logistics companies, the Law Society to various Government departments. I retired in 2016. 
Amanda Fisk, Foundation Governor
Serves on the Curriculum Committee Elected by the Diocese (ex Officio) (4 year term from July 2017) Pecuniary Interests: None I live in Charlton and have a background in finance, currently employed as the Finance Manager of a local engineering consultancy. I have been appointed by the Diocese to oversee the school’s Christian character, however wanted to become a Governor in order to better understand how my children are being educated and the standards they are expected to achieve. My children attend one of the other local primary schools within the cluster, known as The Hobbes Alliance, so I also bring valuable experience of sharing practices from another neighbouring school. 
Ann Suter, Co-opted Governor
Serves on the Curriculum Committee (Chair) and Finance and Staffing Committee SEN Governor Elected by the Governors (3rd year term, from January 2020) Pecuniary Interests: None I have lived in Lea for more than 30 years and we brought up our 2 boys here. I became a governor at Lea & Garsdon after retiring from my job as SEN teacher in a primary school in Gloucestershire. I love being a part of the team and coming into school to help with various activities, including reading and Forest School. My particular role on the governors is chairing the Curriculum Committee and I am link governor for Special Needs and Pupil Premium. 
Kellie Chandler, Parent Governor
Serves on the Finance and Staffing Committee Elected by Parents (4 year term from September 2019) Pecuniary Interests: None I moved to Lea in September 2015 having lived for the previous 20 years in London. My background is in HR, having worked for large corporates and latterly, being the Head of HR at a law firm. I now run my own HR consultancy, mainly focused on local small and medium sized businesses. Our children previously went to a very big primary school in London where their year groups were larger than the whole of Lea and Garsdon school. Finding a school like we have here has been wonderful for the children and they have thrived in a smaller village school which offers so much more than what we had been expecting and has been a true added bonus to their childhoods. I have been actively involved in the PTA of the school for the past few years and look forward to combining that knowledge and my HR experience in helping the governors and school move forward in this exciting time of expansion. 
Kathy Hurst, Parent Governor
Elected by Parents (4 year term from March 2021) Pecuniary Interests: None I’ve recently become a Parent Governor. My two eldest children, Dylan and Carys, attended Lea and are now at Malmesbury; my youngest, Seren, is in Year 3. I’m a former teacher – I taught English at Sheldon School in Chippenham (11-18) and first-year students at the University of Oxford, where I studied for both my undergraduate degree and doctorate. Since leaving teaching, I’ve been a freelance journalist – my work has appeared in various interiors magazines and national broadsheets – and am currently dabbling in creative writing. I’m also a director of a property renovation business which I run with my brother. I’m part of the Governors’ Curriculum Team, which scrutinises pupil performance and works to ensure that the school provides appropriate education for all children. I’m hoping that my background will prove useful in liaising with staff on the teaching of English at the School. I also have a keen interest in sport and have coached the School netball team for the last few years. Helen Barnish, Parent Governor
Elected by Parents (4 year term from March 2021) Pecuniary Interests: None I have lived in Lea since 2006 and our two children have had the benefit of attending Lea and Garsdon School for the whole of their primary education. My background is as a HR professional having worked across a wide range of industry sectors and I am looking forward to supporting the school as it moves forward with the expansion plans. 
Peter Shewring, Head Teacher
Serves on the Curriculum, Finance and Staffing and Buildings, Health and Safety Committees Pecuniary Interests: None I live in Chippenham with my wife and two children where I have been since I moved from Bristol in 2001. My family keep me extremely busy when I am not in work and time spent with loved ones is central to my core values. Prior to becoming Headteacher at Lea and Garsdon, I was deputy head of a large primary school in Chippenham. During my ten years I was a governor and prior to that was a staff governor of a Junior school in Swindon. I am passionate about children’s learning and truly believe that every child deserves the opportunity to achieve. As a school we provide this opportunity through the quality of our academic provision but also through the pastoral support that we can offer. I am dedicated to, with the support of the governing body, maintaining the sense of community and strong values that are at the heart of our school. 
Rachel Humphries, Staff Governor
Serves on the Curriculum Committee Elected by the staff (4 year term, from September 2018) Pecuniary Interests: None After 5 years spent working in retail, I went back to university to retrain as a teacher and have spent over 20 years loving every minute of my chosen career. I joined Lea and Garsdon School in 2014 having taught in Calne, Offord D’Arcy in Cambridgeshire and Trowbridge. I have taught all KS2 year groups and I am currently teaching Year 3 in Beech class. Out of school, when I’m not spending time with my family, I spend as much time as I can at my allotment; for me, digging is the perfect way to relax and exercise simultaneously! I have brought my love of gardening and nature into school with the development of the vegetable patch and involvement in creating natural habitats for local wildlife. Governor Committee Structure Finance and Staffing Committee: Ben Crouch (Chair) Kellie Chandler Clive Nicholls Peter Shewring Ann Suter Curriculum Committee: Ann Suter (Chair) Amanda Fisk Rachel Humphries Peter Shewring Kathy Hurst Buildings, Health and Safety Committee: Treena Ryall (Chair) Peter Bown Clive Nicholls Peter Shewring Helen Barnish
Please click here to open the latest edition of the Governance Handbook 2015.
Full Governing Body Meeting Minutes
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