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:
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. 
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. 
Ann Suter, Local Authority 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. 
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. 
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
Serves on Curriculum Committee 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
Serves on Buildings, Health & Safety Committee 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. 
Dr Phil Yates, Co-opted Governor (4-year term from July 2021).
Serves on Curriculum Committee. Pecuniary Interests: None I have lived in Lea since 2015 and have always believed that investing in children and their education is a high priority. I have been a doctor (mainly as a GP) for over 40 years, training and working in Bristol predominantly, where I was a parent governor of a 1,900 pupil state secondary school for 8 years. In that role I chaired the curriculum committee and worked closely with the PHSE coordinator. My wife and daughter are primary teachers. I have actively supported my wife’s school, a large primary school and, with her, developed and run parenting classes. I’ve led children’s clubs in local organisations. Two of my grandchildren are / will be attending Lea & Garsdon School. 
Miss Joanna Burford, Co-opted Governor (4-year term from August 2021)
Serves on Curriculum Committee. Pecuniary Interests: None I have lived in Hankerton for 34 years with my partner. Having completed my teaching degree at Gloucester Teacher Training College in 1978, my first teaching position was at Highworth Warneford Secondary School. During my full-time teaching career of over 38 years, I have also achieved Masters degrees from Oxford and Leicester and taught across secondary, tertiary and higher education. For 10 years I was responsible for two Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ nursery settings. The latter stage of my career culminated with a 5-year Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality role at Somerset College with overarching responsibility for 7,000 students achieving continual improvement over the period. I was the College Ofsted nominee with validated achievement from a number of Ofsted Inspectors. I wish to share my passion for enabling all learners to be the best that they can aspire to be. I have significant management experience and recognise the value and impact that motivated staff can make to the learning experience of all learners. Since retirement in 2016 I have taken on a number of voluntary roles including school reader at a neighbouring primary school. 
Karen Briggs, Foundation Governor (awaiting formal appointment).
I am delighted to have been appointed to the Governing Body as a Foundation Governor by the Diocese to represent our priest-in-charge to oversee Christian themes in the activities at the school. I live in Cirencester, being formerly resident in Milbourne and am a member of the electoral roll of Garsdon Church with family links to the area and Woodbridge Group of Churches. I work in Gloucestershire as a career development specialist within financial services, working particularly with early careers’ employees on their professional pathways through qualifications, coaching and mentoring, also engaging with schools, colleges and charitable organisations supporting young people with particular needs into work. I look forward to understanding more about early years education and supporting the school with its development plans and strengthening links with both Lea and Garsdon churches. 
Mr John Wallace, Associate Governor.
Having moved into the area 2-3 years ago I am keen to offer support in the local community. With recent Governor experience in a village CE primary school in Hampshire, I hope I can support the school through an exciting period of expansion and development. I served for 32 years in the Army and my 3 children attended numerous primary schools both in UK and overseas. I now run a business locally on a part-time basis. I am an enthusiastic skier and rugby supporter and cycling is the latest hobby including recent trips to India, Italy and Sri Lanka. My wife Cicely has also supported the school with PAT (Pets as Therapy) dog, Gatsby. 
Mr Simon Hay, Associate Governor
Having lived in, or around Malmesbury, for 29 years, I am just about being considered a local! As a self-employed Management Consultant, specialising in Procurement, Supply Chain and Project Management, with experience drawn from across many industries in both the Public and Private Sectors, including Central Government, I look forward to helping the school develop as the expansion progresses. Governor Committee Structure Finance and Staffing Committee: Ben Crouch (Chair) Kellie Chandler Clive Nicholls Peter Shewring Ann Suter Curriculum Committee: Ann Suter (Chair) Rachel Humphries Peter Shewring Kathy Hurst Phil Yates Joanna Burford Buildings, Health and Safety Committee: 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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