The School Governors

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Karen Coates	Chair of Governors; Community Governor
Tim Dewes	Vice-Chair, Foundation Governor
Nicola Matthews	Child Protection & Safeguarding Governor
Paul Kennedy	Local Authority Governor
Mark Gallen	Parent Governor
Matt Wheeldon	Parent Governor
Dave Locke	Parent Governor
Vacancy	Parent Champion
Heather Voutt	Health & Safety Governor
Jo Child-Evans	Inclusion & SEN Governor
Sanjeev Chaddha	Parent Champion
Joan Pearce	Community Governor
Tim Buckley	Finance & Staffing
Gareth Simons	Associate Governor

The Board of Governors is made up from staff members, parents, people from the community and from the Local Education Authority (LEA). Together, they take decisions on school policies, where money is spent, what is taught, and where the school is aiming to go. They can be involved in selecting new staff, and act as critical friends to the Headteacher and the School Leadership Team.

Anyone with an interest in the school can become a Governor - there are no special qualifications. If you would like to know more, please contact the School Office. The current Board of Governors and their particular areas of involvement are as follows:

Karen Coates - Chair of Governors

Karen is a community governor. She was previously a parent governor and was elected Chair in December 2009. She was also Chair of Governors at her two children's previous school. Both her children attended Combe Down Primary but are now in secondary school (Ralph Allen and Beechen Cliff).

She currently chairs the Curriculum Committee, which is responsible for scrutinising many of the policies which the governing body is required to have in place.

Karen is a solicitor, specialising in planning law. She currently works in a professional support role for a legal firm in Bristol. In addition, she is an assistant Cub Leader with the Combe Down pack, and a member of Holy Trinity Church.

Land & Buildings Committee

Tim Dewes

Tim has been a foundation governor since 2004. He is a member of Holy Trinity Church, and as Deputy Head of a nearby independent school, Monkton Senior, has an obvious interest in education. At Monkton he is currently teaching his first love - Latin - but has taught seven subjects to GCSE level and beyond. He values his links with Combe Down Primary and has found it fascinating to discover how much an independent senior school and a maintained primary school have in common!

Finance and Staffing, Vice Chair of Governors

Nicola Matthews

Nicky has been a Parent Governor since September 2009. She has a son at Beechen Cliff and a daughter currently at school. She is a Food/Textiles teacher and has worked in local secondary schools. Nicky is an active member of the PTA, she has organised and helped at many events and has recently been secretary. As a governor she would like to ensure that the school strives to maintain high standards and ensure that all children are given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Curriculum Committee, Child Protection Governor and Safeguarding Governor

Paul Kennedy

I have two children at Combe Down Primary with a third starting soon.

I am a Christian and attend Widcombe Baptist Church. In my spare time I love playing electric guitars (badly) and following the exploits of Tottenham Hotspur (frustratingly). I have been working in education for nearly 20 years and I am currently the Deputy Headteacher of a large comprehensive school in Wiltshire.

I hope to help to ensure Combe Down Primary School is a safe and enjoyable place where all children do their best.

Finance & Staffing Committee

Mark Gallen

Mark is a parent governor and has three children, two of who are already at the school. Currently the owner of a training company based in Combe Down specialising in sales performance. He has considerable experience in recruitment, selection, HR, finance, procurement and project management, as well as working in teams and committees. His interests include running ultra-marathons and Radio 4, to which he's addicted! He has also worked as a volunteer project leader with Operation Raleigh, facilitating the personal development of young adults.

Finance and Staffing Committee

Matt Wheeldon

Matt has been a Parent Governor since September 2009. He currently has 3 children at CDPS and works locally for Wessex Water. His background is in civil engineering although nowadays he is responsible for strategic planning and asset management rather than engineering design. He loves most sports, runs the occasional half marathon, plays the odd game of cricket and is an unpaid taxi driver for his four children. Matt grew up near Combe Down and is a member at Holy Trinity Church next to the school.

Land and Buildings

Dave Locke

Dave is a parent governor, who has two girls - one at the school, and the other shortly to follow. He is an Assistant Head teacher at a large secondary school (Kingdown School in Warminster) and a passionate believer in comprehensive education. A Physics and Science teacher for 15 years, he now spends much of his time analysing school data, tracking pupils' progress, and ensuring quality teaching and learning takes place in the classroom - in addition to carrying out hair-raising experiments with the Van de Graaff generator! When not at work, Dave and his family can often be found in Rainbow Woods with their dog Berkeley - a Weimaraner who just loves to run and run!

Curriculum Committee

Vacancy - Parent Champion

Heather Voutt

Heather became a Foundation Governor in 1990 and a Local Authority Governor in 1999. Until 2008 she helped in classes at the younger end of the School with keywords, hearing reading, paired reading, reading stories, and also assisted on numerous nativities and school trips! She also ran several after-school clubs, including Fun Factory, Knitting Club and Crib Club.

Heather now looks after her two grandsons, to allow her daughter to return to teaching. Therefore, she is no longer available to help in school on a regular basis. However, Heather is still very keen to ensure that all the pupils enjoy and benefit from their primary school life and actively supports the staff.

Land and Buildings Committee, Health and Safety Governor

Jo Childs-Evans

Jo Childs-Evans is a Foundation Governor and a parent at the school with children in years 6, 4 and Reception. She is a trained primary school teacher and currently works at a local school as the special needs coordinator. She enjoys running and the odd game of tennis although her real love is lacrosse - but no-one has ever heard of it!

Curriculum Committee, Inclusion Governor, SEN Governor

Sanjeev Chaddha - Parent Champion

Sanjeev has been a parent governor since early 2010, he is motivated to work with the school to improve and move forward. Sanjeev has three main aims,

1. to ensure parents have a voice within the governors
2. to add a rational perspective to debate/decisions
3. to use his I.T skills to help improve systems in the school

Finance and Staffing Committee

Joan Pearce

Joan Pearce has been a Governor at Combe Down School for 6 years. Five as a parent Governor and one as a Community Governor. Joan is a TA with an NVQ level 2.

Joan also runs the Gardening Club and is passionate about Combe Down being a wonderful school. All seven of her children have attended!

Land and Buildings Committee

Tim Buckley

Tim grew up in Kent before undertaking a law degree in Bristol. After finishing his degree, he married Sarah and remained there working as a youth and children's pastor in several churches across Bristol as well as supporting many secondary schools across Avon on behalf of the George Muller Children's charity. After completing a PGCE, Tim worked as a primary school teacher for a few years before returning to church planting and leadership. He and his family moved to Bath 6 years ago, where he undertook his training to become vicar as well as working full time for Holy Trinity. He has two children currently at the school in key stage 1 & 2 is the curate at Holy Trinity Church.

Ex-Officio

Gareth Simons

Gareth joined the Governing Body as an Associate Governor in November 2010. Gareth has one child at the school and a second child in nursery who will, hopefully, be joining the school in the near future. Gareth has been a teacher for 18 years. He is currently a Head Teacher in Bristol, leading a primary school and a children’s centre. Prior to this he was a Head Teacher at two schools in London.

Associate Governor, Curriculum Committee