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    • Governors

    Welcome to St Marys C of E Primary School, part of the Southwell and Nottingham Multi Academy Trust (SNMAT), a family of schools working together towards outstanding outcomes for all pupils.  We are a thriving Christian school that always aims to provide a safe, caring and happy environment.  We provide a broad, deep and rich curriculum that is both creative and skills based through teaching and learning that stimulates pupils interest and curiosity about the world.  We very much value our close relationship with our community and local parish church.

    St Mary's is not just a church school in name, our aim is that every child will not only be educated but nurtured and leave knowing how precious they are in God’s sight.  “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 46 verse 16).
    Our Christian ethos permeates all aspects of our school community and is underpinned by our school vision and curriculum.

    Governors work closely with the Headteacher and staff to establish general policy, as well as focusing on the School Improvement Plan which, coupled with a rigorous monitoring and evaluation schedule, ensures that actions are effective and successful.  We all work together to ensure we maintain our commitment to achieving the highest standards of education, well-being and surroundings.  In order to achieve the vision, we also ensure the school has effective financial management processes in place.

    Whether you are a pupil, parent, staff member, or from the wider community, a church representative or a general visitor, I am sure you will find the information on this website of interest to you.

    The views of parents are also important to us so we want to know what parents and carers may feel are the strengths or weaknesses of the school and of any ideas for possible improvement. 

    If you have any questions, or have any suggestions please contact me via the school office. 

    Hilary Cheshire

    Chair of Governors

    Meet the Governors

    Hilary Cheshire

    As a Former pupil of St Mary's I was 10 when we moved into the "new school" as it was built in 1970 - how exciting was that!

    I came onto the governing body as a foundation governor in 2010 having been a member of St Mary's PCC as treasurer since 1997. 

    My daughter Lucy attended the school in the mid '90s and my son Greg between 2007 & 2013. 

    In March 2020, I retired from my role of Finance Director at the Woodhead Group.  This has enabled me to commit fully to the role of Chair of Governors which I took on in November 2019.

    Little did I know how challenging the next few years would be, as we coped with a global pandemic and it’s repercussions.

    Linda Foster

    I have lived near Edwinstowe and have attended St Mary’s Church since 1988 and now live in the village. I have led one of the church youth groups for many years and was appointed as a Foundation Governor by the PCC in 2020.

    I am a retired Education Improvement Adviser, with experience across all phases of education and prior to that was the Headteacher of a Church of England school. I have been a governor for many years and as a result have a wide range of experience in most areas of school governance, including statutory responsibilities, development of vison and strategic priorities, quality assurance, finance, HR, and special educational needs.

    I am looking forward to continuing to use my skills and experience to support the school community in Edwinstowe. My driving ethos is to do the best that I can to ensure that children have the skills and opportunities they need for their future.

    Sara Coupe

    I have lived in Edwinstowe for the majority of my life, moving here from Yorkshire as a child.  I now have 2 children, who both attend St Marys.

    I am an accountant by trade and have focused my profession over the past 14 years with Nottinghamshire County Council, in particular the Schools finance team for 13 years of that.  I have a vast amount of experience travelling around a variety of schools within Nottinghamshire.  From this I hope to bring, and be able to share, ideas of good practices for our school -  to gain the best for our children.

    As a Foundation governor, I am always happy to help and share any views with the governing body and the school on your behalf.  We all have the best interests at heart and mind for the school, for our children. 

    Sara Coupe

    Tanya Bee

    I started my journey at St Marys 17 years ago as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT). Over the years I have gained a wealth of experience and expertise in early childhood education, developing our early years provision in school and shaping the foundational stages of our younger learners’ educational journey.

    As a Staff Governor, I am dedicated to representing the perspectives and interests of our staff team, while working collaboratively with fellow governors to drive forward our school's vision and goals.

    I am committed to ensuring our school remains a special place where every child feels valued and inspired to grow, secure in God’s love.

    Glenn Hickman

    I have lived in Edwinstowe now for a number of years with my wife Emma and our twins Edward & Ava, who are both currently attending St Mary's.  We love the ethos of the school and think that it is important to maintain and foster this in the years to come, which has been my main motivation for taking this role. 

    I have taken on the role of Training Co-ordinator, to encourage Governors to undertake the training available to them, and keep track of what courses have been completed. 

    I also sit on the Pupil Achievement and Development (PAD) Committee, where I feel my industrial experience will be useful.  I work as a Wellsite Geologist on offshore rigs in the North Sea, involved in Oil and Gas Exploration drilling.  In the course of my work I have been surprised at how useful some of the 'useless' Maths that I learnt at school has been.  It would be nice to feed this back to our pupils and maintain their enthusiasm for learning.

    Glenn Hickman

    Steve Roddison

    I came to live in Edwinstowe in mid-2021, having recently retired from a teaching career of almost forty years, spent in Yorkshire.  Returning to Nottinghamshire felt like a kind of home-coming, as I had originally qualified at the University of Nottingham, of which I still have happy memories. Our son lives in Sheffield.

    I taught equally in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 during my career, which has given me a solid insight into what children might need – in terms of provision and support – to thrive on their primary school journey.  St Mary’s has a great ethos, inspired by its Christian distinctives, and it is inspiring to see how these ideals are woven into the day-to-day operation of the school.  I hope to use the benefit of my experience, together with my instincts of what tends to work best for children, to maintain and even improve the outcomes for the children at St Mary’s.  Education is about preparation for the future, but not exclusively so;  it is important that we strive to make every child’s current experience of primary education a positive and enjoyable one.

    Away from other responsibilities, I enjoy reading and travel, and can always be persuaded to catch up with friends in France or Germany – my original degree was Modern Languages!  I’m also active at St Mary’s church, where I help with the music and “The Ark” children’s provision.

    Melissa Bennett-Jones

    I moved to Edwinstowe in 2013 and instantly loved the community spirit of the village and the school felt a key part of that. I currently have one daughter at the school, with another one hopefully to join her next year. My eldest daughter loves being a part of St Mary’s, and the nurturing environment is allowing her to develop and grow. As a parent I wanted to be a part of that myself by supporting the school to ensure every child has as many opportunities as possible to thrive.

    In my work I have spent most of my career in the public sector, working for organisations that support people to get active, whether that be a little bit more active to boost health and wellbeing, or focusing on the most committed or talented individuals, to achieve their best in their chosen sport. I am looking to share my enthusiasm for physical wellbeing, alongside my experience of leadership, implementation of strategy, risk and assurance.

    I’m always happy to chat, so please catch me at school if there is anything you wanted to talk about. 

    Reverend Claire Melless

    I was licensed as Priest in Charge of the Churches of Sherwood Forest (Edwinstwoe, Clipstone and Perlethorpe) on the 4th October 2023.

    I moved to the vicarage in Edwinstwoe at this time. Lola (my dog) and I have soon settled in and enjoy walks in the forest when time allows. 

    Although I only moved to Edwinstowe recently I do know the area very well having been brought up in Warsop and have lived there for many years. 

    Before becoming a vicar I worked as a teacher in a SEN school and I have always worked within education. Being a governor at St Mary’s comes with the job of being a vicar, but for me it’s more than that. I love being a part of the school community and I enjoy a close connection with the school and look forward to delivering regular collective worship’s too. 

    It’s also great to welcome the children and their families into church. 

    St Mary’s ethos and Christian distinctiveness is inspiring and I look forward to witnessing many children develop spiritually, academically, and socially during their time here. 

    Jennifer Walker

    I grew up in the village of Edwinstowe and attended a local primary and secondary school.

    I recently moved back to the village with my three children and our dog.

    My youngest child is currently thriving having attended St Mary's Nursery since April 2024. I hope to see my son move into main school in September to continue his journey at a school he is settled in and thoroughly enjoys.

    I love the family feel to the whole school and how staff are so committed to all children's social, emotional and educational needs.

    As a parent I am proud to see my child be part of such a nurturing, insightful environment that extends to church groups, The Ark, One Way Club and Illuminate.

    I have worked within education for over 10 years in both Primary and Secondary settings. Currently I am working at a local college and enjoying being part of the Exams Team.

    St Mary's is a shining, small village school that touches your heart and I am hoping that I can give something back as parent governor. I am excited to see the nursery grow and continue to be such a blessing to our community.

    I believe all children deserve the experience that St Mary's has to offer.

    2018-2019

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    2020-2021

    2021-2022

    2022-2023

    Register of Business Interests

    2023-2024

    Declaration of Business Interests 2023-2024

    2024-2025

    Declaration of Business Interests 2023-2024

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