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Our Governors

Welcome to the governors’ section of the school website.

This information tells you about our school governors and the role of the governing body. The governors at Brede are a committed group of volunteers. We work closely with the head teacher and staff to ensure the school runs as effectively as possible. The government sets responsibilities for the governing body which we work hard to fulfil.

Together, we oversee the:

  • quality of education the school offers
  • progress and achievements of its pupils
  • standard of behaviour
  • ability of the leadership team to inspire growth and development
  • school’s finances
  • recruitment and performance management of staff
How we achieve the above

The whole governing body meets at least once each term.
We monitor and evaluate the school’s progress through:

  • focused school visits
  • analysis of pupil data
  • meeting the children to talk about their learning
  • meeting with staff to appraise their contribution to the school
  • checking the school finances

We appoint high-calibre staff.
Governors attend relevant training.
We work with:

  • parents
  • the local authority (East Sussex County Council)
  • the local community
  • agencies that support the school.

Governor attendance 

Full Governing Body meetings 2023/24

Name

18.09.23

04.12.23

26.02.24

18.03.24

29.04.24

15.07.24

Total

Anne Hanney

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

6/6

Head Teacher

Y
JK

Y
JK

Y
JK

Y
JK

Y
JK

Y
JK

6/6

Josie Burrows

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

6/6

Gill Atkinson

Y

NIA

Y

NIA

Y

Y

4/6

Natalia Norton

Y

Y

Y

Y

NIA

NIA

4/6

Dee Harvey

Y

Y

Y

Y

NIA

Y

5/6

Chrstian Lippiatt

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

6/6

Saundra Bourne

Y

Y

Y

NIA

Y

Y

5/6

Rebecca Keenaghan

NA

NA

NA

NA

Y

Y

2/2

NIA = Not In Attendance   

NA = not appointed

JK = Julie Knock (Headteacher)

Meet our current governors

Anne Hanney
Role: Chair
Appointed on: 23 Oct 2019
Appointing body: Governing body
Term: 23 Oct 2019 to 22 Oct 2023
Business, pecuniary or personal interests:

I have brought up four children and have two granddaughters. I studied opera and vowed that I would never go into education. However, I soon caught the bug! As a retired headteacher, who has worked with some brilliant chairs, I’m keen to emulate them and give back in this role to another school. It’s great to be working with the headteacher, staff, children and parents of Brede Primary School!

Our governing body is small at present but what we lack in numbers we make up for in drive and enthusiasm! Each one of us has different but complimentary skills and experience; I am particularly interested in Early Years, Special Educational needs, the Creative Arts and my specialism; music. However, as chair of governors I expect to be a link for any aspect of school life where there is a need.

Having been unable to visit Brede for so much of ‘lockdown’ I am looking forward to seeing it again first hand and to developing strong links with the whole school community. You will see governors about school on many occasions, do come and say hello to us or share ideas at our termly Parents’ Forum.

Attendance record last school year: %
Dee Harvey
Role: Local authority
Appointed on: 11 Sep 2020
Appointing body: Governing body
Term: 11 Sep 2020 to 10 Sep 2024
Business, pecuniary or personal interests:

I studied Theatre Design and worked in the theatre before becoming a teacher- initially teaching Art, then most subjects in special schools and pupil referral units. For ten years I was an advisory teacher in the Behaviour Support Service in Luton and in 2011 I was awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to investigate the innovative Pilot schools in Boston USA.  I have two sons and four small grandchildren ( lots of Zoom Dogman & H Potter during lockdown) and live in Hastings where I enjoy making pottery in my garden studio and designing sets for the Stables Theatre. I am a volunteer intergenerational mediator for the Hastings & Rother Mediation Service. I am passionate about opportunities for life- long learning and look forward to coming into school and meeting pupils, staff and families.

Attendance record last school year: %
Sarah Bulgin
Role: Staff
Appointed on: 07 Sep 2012
Appointing body: Staff - Inclusion and special educational needs
Term: 07 Sep 2012 to
Business, pecuniary or personal interests:

Deputy Head Teacher

Employer : East Sussex County Council

Attendance record last school year: 100%
Gill Atkinson
Role: Co-opted
Appointed on: 23 Oct 2019
Appointing body: Governing body
Term: 23 Oct 2019 to 22 Oct 2023
Business, pecuniary or personal interests:

I became involved with Brede shortly before the first lockdown. As a result my time in school has been limited but fortunately I was invited to the leavers tea party last summer.   I was looked after by two girls who were  incredibly friendly, thoughtful and caring.  It was a delightful experience.

I am a mother of two grown up children and grandmother to two girls and two boys ranging from 8 years to 2 years old. Being a grandmother has given me the opportunity and time to appreciate just how children develop as individuals and need to be appreciated for the person that they are.

For many years I worked as a teacher and senior leader in a large primary school. Because of my teaching experience my main interest as a governor is in teaching and learning.

After moving to East Sussex I discovered small rural schools such as Brede. Being very different from the schools that I worked in I came to value the importance of small community schools and the extended family ambience afforded to the children.

Other governance role:

Chair of Governors at The Bridge Federation

Attendance record last school year: 86%
Natalia Norton
Role: Co-opted - Safeguarding link
Appointed on: 18 Sep 2019
Appointing body: Governing body
Term: 18 Sep 2019 to 17 Sep 2023
Business, pecuniary or personal interests:

Hello, my name is Natalia and I joined the governing body at Brede Primary School in 2019. I have two children who currently attend the school, and a daughter who is now at secondary school.

I have been given the role of the Safeguarding Governor, which includes regularly visiting the school to help support the DSL ( Designated Safeguarding lead- Mrs. Bulgin)  and to see how things are running.

I feel lucky that my children can attend a small village school with a really lovely community.

I am very proud to be a governor at Brede Primary school and want the very best for our pupils.

Attendance record last school year: 100%
Sandra Bourne
Role: Governor
Appointed on:
Appointing body: Governing Body
Term: to
Business, pecuniary or personal interests:

I am a parent of two children and grandparent to three girls whom I also childmind for part of the week. I enjoyed a long career teaching in primary schools and retired just a few years ago. My most recent responsibilities were in Safeguarding, Special Educational Needs and Inclusion.

During my retirement prior to the current pandemic I was very fortunate to visit several countries I’d always wanted to go to, including a memorable visit to a Caribbean primary school where conditions and resources are very much poorer than in UK schools. Despite this it was great to see the dedication of the teachers and enthusiasm of the children for learning.

I am very new to governance and look forward to supporting and learning about Brede school from this new perspective.

Attendance record last school year: %