Governors

Welcome to our Governors’ section 

Our Governing Board consists of elected parents, members of the local community, representatives of the Church, and school staff. 

The Local Governing Board operates as a committee of the Board of Trustees of the Great Learners Trust of which we are an academy. Our remit is clearly set out in the Scheme of Delegated Authority agreed between the school and the Great Learners Trust. It is a strategic role and we operate and make decisions as a group to

• set the vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• hold the Headteacher to account for educational performance;  
• monitor the performance of the school, supporting and challenging to ensure the very best for all stakeholders; and
• oversee the financial performance of the school and ensure that it's money is well spent.

It is essential that our Governors have a wide range of skills in order to lead the school effectively and this drives the regular skills audits that are undertaken.

The Diocese appoint our two Foundation Governors, parents elect our 2 parent governors and staff elect the one staff member. The Headteacher is also (Ex Officio) a member of the Governing Board. 

Three meeting are held each term and they all have a specific focus.

To inform our curriculum monitoring we have regular presentations from subject leaders within the school team to ensure that all governors are updated on the provision across the school, its intent and implementation, the strengths and areas for development and the impact of actions on the progress and attainment of all pupils supported by the evidence used to make the evaluations.

In addition Governors conduct monitoring visits to school to see what is happening in the classroom, talk to pupils and staff and look at children's books. Reports from the Headteacher and data further support the LGB in gaining an understanding of the strengths and areas for development across the school.

The school finance officer provides regular financial reports to the LGB and also attends meetings to present these to governors and answer questions.

Alongside the Trustees of the Great Learners Trust we aim to provide strong, strategic leadership and support to Great Kimble School. This ensures robust oversight and accountability so that all stakeholders can be assured that the school is performing both educationally and financially to the highest standards possible at any time.

Sally Walsh – Chair of the Governors

I have lived in Little Kimble for more than 20 years and have five boys all of whom have attended Great Kimble and had a magical start to their education. On leaving school I studied for five years at St Andrews University gaining a BSc Honours degree in Biochemistry and Anatomy.  Following this I spent some time as a Clinical Research Associate in the pharmaceutical industry before going to the Royal Northern College of Education to do a PGCE. 

I taught for the majority of my career at St Albans School, but decided to turn my hand to tutoring from home in 2000 so that I could raise my boys.

I have been a governor since 2004 and Chair for the last few years. This has allowed me to fulfil my love of helping children to learn and develop whilst having a hand in ensuring that an excellent education is available to all our local children. I hope to be involved with the school for many years to come.

Jodie Haynes - (Ex Officio) Acting Headteacher

I am proud to be the Acting Headteacher of Great Kimble C of E School. I joined the school in 2023 as the Deputy Head and have been working within the Great Learners Trust since 2019. In 2010, I qualified from Oxford Brookes with a 2:1 BA Hons in Primary Teaching - from day one I was only ever going to be a teacher and I can't imagine life without working in education. I have worked in five schools across Bucks ranging in sizes and demographics and have been part of the governing body in previous provisions.

Tom Audley - Community Governor and Vice Chair

I have lived in the in the local area my whole life except for when I went to University to study for a degree in Sport Science and Business. A couple of years later I went on to study for a Law degree. I qualified as a Solicitor in 2007 and practised Property Law and Private Client work for over 10 years. Whilst I currently still take on Locum work, I now run my own Personal Training Company and a Gardening Company. I like variety in my working life!

I am a keen sportsman with a particular preference to football and rugby. I helped set up Risborough Rugby Football Club and have been a committee member of the club for 10 years.

I attended Kimble School, together with my four siblings, many years ago and now my son is a pupil. It is a privilege to have been elected as a Parent Governor and provides me with the opportunity to assist the school in continuing the outstanding quality of education it provides for its pupils.

Robert Martin - Community Governor

Robert is a retired history graduate and chartered company secretary, having held public company administration roles during his career.

Robert has lived in Great Kimble since 1995 and has been active in the community as a Trustee of the Friends of Kimble Churches and member of the Kimble Neighbourhood Plan Working Group.       

Kai Türck - Community Governor 

As pastor of Kimble Free (Baptist) Church in Little Kimble, a Baptist Church, I have the Kimble community very much in my heart. In a world full of challenges, it is a privilege to be able to be governor and be involved in supporting the school’s values and vision for the future of the children here.

To this day I work ‘bi-vocationally’ meaning I spend part of my time looking after Kimble Free Church and the other part involved in the sale of dental equipment. During my sales career I have worked in the dental field in many roles in the UK as well as across Europe, also living in France and Germany. 

I found faith relatively late in life (it is never too late!) and studied Theology at the Bristol Baptist College whilst continuing to work, as I wanted to learn more about my new found faith. This journey has led me to Little Kimble today where I am excited to be able to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in word, thought and deed with adults and young people.

Ben Smith - Parent Governor

I have really enjoyed becoming increasingly involved in the school community since my eldest daughter started Reception in 2017 and now

have three children thriving at Great Kimble School. 

I have lived locally all of my life, enjoying a varied career in engineering and more recently plumbing and heating. I enjoy designing and making things, particularly wood craft.

Having been involved with Friends of Kimble and various school events, I look forward to working with the school to continue to provide a supportive and nurturing community for all of our children.

Mrs Sam Ing - Parent Governor

I have lived in the village since 2016 and have loved being a part of Great Kimble. Prior to moving to the Village, I lived in High Wycombe with my husband. 

Having completed a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science, I spent some time working as a fitness instructor as well as working in a Secondary School and a specialist SEND School as a TA. This work confirmed my interest in teaching and education. I then went on to study my PGCE at Oxford Brookes University in 2012. During my time in Primary Schools, I have led on a number of curriculum subjects prior to specialising in Special Educational Needs and qualifying as a SENDCo in 2018.

My daughter started at Great Kimble School in 2023 and we found the parent community to be very welcoming from the beginning. I joined Friends of Kimble early on, getting involved in organising different events. I know the sense of community a School can instil amongst its parents and the local area is important. I now work part time as a Primary SENDCo and enjoy spending more time at home with my youngest. I feel very fortunate to be elected as Parent Governor and look forward to supporting the School in this role.

Leona Hayes - Staff Governor

I have been a part of the Great Kimble School community for just over one academic year and am thrilled to contribute as a staff governor. Before joining Great Kimble, I spent seven years teaching predominantly in Early Years at a school in West London. My teaching journey began while working as a Learning Support Assistant (LSA), during which I gained my teaching degree.

My experience spans a range of settings, including maternity care and private childcare, but my true passion has always been teaching. Supporting children during their early educational journey is incredibly rewarding, and I am committed to fostering their growth and development.

In addition to my teaching role, I am an active member of FOKS, the school's Parent-Teacher Association, where I enjoy collaborating with others to enrich the school community.

Responsibilities

Great Kimble is very fortunate that our governors are actively involved in all areas of school life. Many visit the school on a regular basis taking part in collective worship, supporting early literacy, participating in working parties and supporting the children in their classes and on school trips. Our Kimble governors come from different backgrounds and have a variety of skills and life experience. However, we all share a commitment to the school and to maintaining high quality education within our local village for all pupils. Governors are volunteers and do not get paid.  The school can only flourish with dedicated governors.

Our Chair of Governors is Mrs Sally Walsh and she can be contacted by using the following email: swalsh@gkglt.co.uk .

Many of our governors are linked to specific subjects or areas for monitoring and this governor also liaises with the subject leader for that area. Our governor who is responsible for monitoring Safeguarding is Mrs Walsh.  The following list shows the areas specific governors are responsible for:

The governors are also responsible for ensuring the school meets its Public Sector Equality Duty. In practice this means that the governors audit the school to ensure that any issues with things such as under performance, poor progression, and bullying are dealt with without any prejudice or bias. The school has an Equality Act statement which can be accessed by clicking the link below.

One of the ways this is monitored is through governor visits ensuring the effectiveness of the Christian vision, Headteacher reports and the LGB meetings. The school is committed to ensuring that all groups of pupils have equal opportunities within a mainstream school to access a broad and balanced curriculum.

Any governor can be contacted by leaving a message with the school office or via email to the Chair of Governors on swalsh@gkglt.co.uk 

Questionnaires and feedback

Part of the Governing Board’s role is to see where the school is performing well and also those areas that we could improve further. Whilst we appreciate that, as part of a small school, many of you will regularly pop in to speak to members of staff when issues arise or when you need clarification about a certain date, it is one of our duties to distribute a formal questionnaire and this is co-ordinated by the GLT annually.

It is always useful to have feedback from parents and other stakeholders as it helps us to evaluate and move the school forwards.  If you wish to give feedback in between the formal questionnaires it will be gratefully received and reviewed. Please email or leave any comments in a sealed envelope at the school office.

Financial Information

Financial information can be found on The Great Learners Trust website on the MAT Statutory Information page and the Financial Reports page.

Please click here for Great Learners Trust - Local Governing Boards and Schemes of Delegation