Whitchurch Combined School Governing Body

A welcome from the Chair of Governors - Joanne Dallas

As Chair of Governors, I am delighted to invite you to the Governors’ section of the website.

It is a privilege to have taken over as the Chair of Governors from the 1st September 2023 having been a governor at the school since February 2022. As a parent of two girls who are both pupils at the school, I am fully committed to both my role as governor and to ensuring the continued success of the school.

At Whitchurch Combined School we have an extremely active Governing Body who work very closely with the Headteacher and all the staff at the school. In broad terms, as a Governing Body we:

•    Take a strategic role in the running of Whitchurch Combined School.
•    Act as a critical friend to the School.
•    Ensure accountability to the school community. 

The Governing Body itself comprises a number of volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, each bringing a unique set of skills and perspectives, but each with the same belief in the importance of providing an outstanding education to all the children in our school. Governors do not get involved with the day-to-day, operational running of the school but take a strategic overview of what the school is doing, helping to define its ethos and vision and providing guidance to ensure that they are realised and adhered to. The governors also perform a vital role in helping the school to meet its statutory legal obligations by providing checks and balances to ensure that the school is a safe, secure and happy environment in which our children can grow.
 
Whilst the role of a governor is purely strategic, we are all in the privileged position of having insight into the activities of the school which we get through talking with members of staff, parents and children on a regular basis. We are very fortunate that Whitchurch Combined Schools' staff are very open to governor involvement and we frequently take part in school events where we are able to see first-hand the effects of the work that the school is doing. This aids us enormously when making decisions and is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a governor here.

We are always keen to hear from anyone who is interested in becoming a governor and of course, if you have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact the school office. 
 

Best regards,

Joanne Dallas, Chair of Governors at Whitchurch Combined School

Meet the Governors

Joanne Dallas - Chair of Governors

Local Authority Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Development Governor 

Date Appointed: 10/02/2022 

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 10/02/2022 – 09/02/2026 

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None 

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None 

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 100%

Joanne joined the Board of Governors in February 2022. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Hardwick, both who are pupils at Whitchurch School. Prior to starting her family, Joanne worked in IT Sales managing a number of global accounts. She hopes to bring these skills of setting goals and developing plans to execute them, for both performance and financial gain, to the role of a Governor. Joanne has not had any previous experience in the education sector, however, is passionate about children's physical and mental health and is keen to support the school and its children in its mission to be 'Ready for Tomorrow'. In her spare time Joanne enjoys running and spending time with her family and beloved dog, Pumpkin.

Rachel Mobbs - Headteacher

Headteacher

Responsibilities / Committees: Safeguarding / Curriculum & Finance

Date Appointed: 01/09/2020

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 01/09/2020 to 01/09/2024

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 80%

Rachel has been Headteacher at Whitchurch since September 2016. Before that, Rachel worked at a number of Buckinghamshire School's as a Deputy Head Teacher, Advanced Skills Teacher for English and as a Class Teacher. Rachel loves being the Head Teacher at Whitchurch and can still often be found in classrooms whether that is 'playing shops' with the Reception children or helping the Year 6s with their arithmetic skills! In her spare time, Rachel enjoys socialising with her friends and has recently got married!

Nicole Allen

Parent Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Communications Governor, PHSE 

Date Appointed: 20/09/2023

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 20/09/2023 - 19/09/2027

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 80%

Nicole, who joined the Board of School Governors in September 2023, lives with her partner and two children just outside Whitchurch. Both children are pupils at the school. Nicole is a Director of a Design and Marketing company specialising in both domestic and global accounts which she founded in 2007. Until her children joined the school Nicole did not appreciate the complexities of managing the education of our children and felt an obligation to contribute where possible particularly in the areas of media, marketing and IT support. Since joining the Board of Governors Nicole has been impressed with the camaraderie within the Board in particular and the school in general. 

Paul Ellis 

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Finance, Pupil Premium, HT Performance, Staff Dismissal & Pupil Discipline

Date Appointed: 01/05/2024 

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 20/03/2024 - 19/03/2028

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: Trustee of Secondary School MAT

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 90%

Paul joined the board in 2024.  Married with 2 children (now in their mid 20’s) both of whom attended WCS before moving on to a local Grammar school. 

Qualified as an Electrical Engineer, his career is now Project Management within Electrical Transmission. An experienced governor with 10+ experience within secondary education and previously the Chair of Governors at the Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School. He is passionate to ensure all students, irrespective of their ability, have the opportunity for the best education possible, preparing them for both further education and life experiences.

Sam Rider

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Vice Chair of Governing Body; Health & Safety,  Numeracy, Swimming Governor, Curriculum

Date Appointed: 08/02/2022

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 08/02/2022 - 08/02/2026

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

 FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 60%

Sam (for over 50 years, officially Simon) had two daughters at WCS from April 1997- December 1998 before relocating them, their younger brother and his wife to The Hague for 4 years for his work as European CEO of a global US sports retailer. While in Holland, he spent 3 years as parent governor of the British School of the Netherlands, contributing to the committee responsible for the building of the extension to the senior school site as well as coaching rugby to the ‘Benjamins’ (as the 5-7 year olds were called). Returning to Whitchurch almost 20 years ago, Sam continued in international sports and fashion retail until retiring from corporate life in 2020. He continues to provide consultancy services to the sector and for the past 3 years has worked on a not-for-profit project which looks to raise funds for mental health improvements for emergency responders. He became a school governor to add his experiences to those of the current team and to provide support where appropriate in making the local school a better place for the whole community.

Emma Lawes

Co-opted Governor 

Responsibilities / Committees: Child Protection, Performance Management, Sustainability 

Date Appointed: 10/02/2022 

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 10/02/2022 – 09/02/2026 

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None 

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 100% 

Emma joined the Board of Governors in February 2022 and has recently moved to Whitchurch, having previously lived and worked in London. Her experience covers not-for-profit funding in a range of sectors including education, healthcare and local authority, with a focus on energy efficiency and climate change. More recently she has worked as a Grants Manager in a well-known scientific organisation supporting international research. Emma is keen to bring this experience to the governing body, while supporting the school and local community. Outside of work she enjoys exploring the local area, baking and travelling. 

Mark Soar

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Deputy Headteacher / Curriculum

Date Appointed: 09/10/2017

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 09/10/2021 - 08/10/2025

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 80%

Mark is the Deputy Head at Whitchurch Combined School and has been a Governor here since September 2017 upon his arrival at the school. He has worked as a teacher and governor across Buckinghamshire for the last 15 years. As part of his role as Governor, he enjoys supporting other colleagues in developing a strategic vision for the school. Outside of school, Mark runs a local Junior football team and enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

Kate Webster

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities/Committees: Pupil Premium Governor, SEND Responsibility / Curriculum

Date Appointed: 15/06/21

Term of Office: Start & End Date: 15/06/21 – 14/06/25

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: Governor of a Local Authority Primary School in Kent

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 90%

Kate joined the Board of Governors in June 2021, having moved to the local area from Kent earlier in the year.  Having been involved in Governance in two schools in Kent for over 8 years and with time on her hands, she was keen to continue in this voluntary role and share her expertise with a local Primary school.  Her granddaughter has recently started at Whitchurch Combined School so this is the ideal school to support.  Prior to retirement, Kate taught in a Primary School for 14 years, with Science and school productions being her specialisms. She enjoys exploring the Buckinghamshire countryside when not looking after her grandchildren and hopes to resume travelling abroad when restrictions allow this.

Jo Brant 

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: SEN Responsibility, Literacy and Early Years Governor 

Date Appointed: 29/03/2023

Term of Office: Start & End Date:  29/03/2023 to 29/03/2027

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 90%

Jo joined the Board of Governors in April 2023 after moving to the village in the summer of 2021. She grew up in and attended schools in Buckinghamshire, so feels passionately about supporting the local education. Jo works as an equine vet in the local area and looks forward to bringing her professional and communication skills from this role to contribute to the governing body, as well as becoming more involved with the village community. Jo has a young son, currently at nursery, who will hopefully attend the school in the future. Outside of work and family life, Jo enjoys playing tennis, snowboarding and exploring the countryside with her partner, son and her dog, Hugo.

Aran Batth

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: Data Protection and Digital Filtering Governor

Date Appointed: 29/03/2023

Term of Office: Start & End Date:  29/03/2023 to 29/03/2027

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024: 90% 

Aran joins the Board of Governors with the new status of full-time inhabitant of the village. Along with his partner, he has been renovating a cottage in Whitchurch since the pandemic and hence had only been a part-timer until early 2023. With a background in Academic research, and having lectured, tutored and mentored students from 11+ to PhD level - he hopes to bring a zest for promoting the importance of Education to the Board. Working for the growth of KS1 and KS2 students will be a new and healthy challenge. Aside from strong interests in Education and welfare, Aran wishes to share skills gained in other sectors. He is currently a Senior Data Scientist in a FTSE-100 company coding up AI capabilities, and previously worked for the financial regulatory authority in the UK focussed on Capital Markets. Diverse skills means for passion towards topics including data, STEM, policy and conduct. Outside of work, Aran has a love for oil painting, exploring Bucks and connecting with family & friends, and sometimes cottage renovations.

Alice Sisk 

Staff Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: TBC

Date Appointed: 02/02/2024

Term of Office: Start & End Date:  02/02/2024 to 01/02/2028

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024 (since April 2023): 90%

Alice has been teaching for four years and has taught in both mainstream and alternative settings (pupil referral units), which she describes as an incredible experience. Alice had taught years 2 and 6 at William Harding School before joining the PRU. Alice was the Head of Year for year two and enjoyed her work, but she was ready for a new challenge. Alice is new to her role as a governor, but she is eager to get started and join the team. Alice loves the Whitchurch community and aspires to develop with everyone here.

Ricky Ledwith

Co-opted Governor

Responsibilities / Committees: TBC

Date Appointed: 29/11/2023

Term of Office: Start & End Date:  29/11/2023 to 28/11/2027

Business, Personal & Pecuniary Interests: None

Governance roles in other educational institutions: None

FGB Meeting Attendance 2023/2024 (since April 2023): 100%

Ricky joined the Board of Governors in November 2023. He lives with his family in Berryfields and his two children both attend Whitchurch School. Ricky’s background is in computer engineering, and he works full time in the IT security sector. Ricky has a long-standing passion for education and has always jumped at opportunities to volunteer in schools, in particular promoting STEM and computing at all ages. In taking this passion to a more strategic level as a Governor, he hopes to contribute his technical skills, analytical mindset, love of data, and general enthusiasm in any way to support the school in providing the best start for young pupils.

School Governing Body

The instrument of government states that the governing body shall consist of:

• 1 Headteacher

• 1 LA Governor

• 1 Staff Governor

• 1 Parent Governors

• 8 Co-opted Governors

School's Financial Data

Please Click here to view our School's Financial Data

Please Note: We have no school employees earning in excess of £100,000