GOVERNORS
We are incredibly lucky to have built a very strong Governing Body. The range of expertise is immense and if you look below you'll see the wealth of skills and experience the Governors bring to the TSM Community.
Being a Governor is a tough job! It is a huge responsibility and a lot of time is needed for meeting and reading about the latest government plans. The success the school has had over the last two year has been helped by the fact that we have a strong, challenging governing body who care a great deal about getting the absolute best for our children. Mrs Ross Head Teacher ![]()
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Welcome...
Welcome to the section of the website where you can find out more about the school’s governors, and the work that we do. You can also read the minutes from our meetings.
Our main role is to support the Headteacher and the staff – the phrase often used to describe this role is ‘a critical friend’. We help them to set and reach targets and to strive for excellence across the whole spectrum of school life. The two key documents used for this are the School Development Plan (SDP) and the Self Evaluation Form (SEF). The SDP sets out a three year strategic plan for the school, with targets that everyone works towards and the SEF sets out how well the school is doing and where we aim to make improvements.
Our legal duties include:-
There are several categories of governor, appointed by different groups that have an interest in the school. These are Community governors, the Local Authority (“LA”), Parents, and Staff. All governors have equal status, however they are appointed.
We are committed to providing an excellent environment for all pupils to enjoy during their time at our school.
Our Governing Body meetings are usually held in the evening. We attend training sessions and seminars to help us keep up to date with changes in schools and education and to help us do our job effectively. We also go into school to meet with the Headteacher, other members of staff and pupils to help us find out how the school is progressing towards its targets.
Samantha Painter
Chair of Governors
Our main role is to support the Headteacher and the staff – the phrase often used to describe this role is ‘a critical friend’. We help them to set and reach targets and to strive for excellence across the whole spectrum of school life. The two key documents used for this are the School Development Plan (SDP) and the Self Evaluation Form (SEF). The SDP sets out a three year strategic plan for the school, with targets that everyone works towards and the SEF sets out how well the school is doing and where we aim to make improvements.
Our legal duties include:-
- setting strategic direction, policies and objectives
- approving the school budget
- reviewing progress against the school's budget and objectives
- appointing, challenging and supporting the headteacher
There are several categories of governor, appointed by different groups that have an interest in the school. These are Community governors, the Local Authority (“LA”), Parents, and Staff. All governors have equal status, however they are appointed.
We are committed to providing an excellent environment for all pupils to enjoy during their time at our school.
Our Governing Body meetings are usually held in the evening. We attend training sessions and seminars to help us keep up to date with changes in schools and education and to help us do our job effectively. We also go into school to meet with the Headteacher, other members of staff and pupils to help us find out how the school is progressing towards its targets.
Samantha Painter
Chair of Governors
CHAIR OF GOVERNORSSamantha Painter
I was elected as a parent Governor in July 2014 and chair of governors October 2017. I have 1 child at the school
( in KS2). I have over 14 years generalist HR experience ranging across several sectors including retail, hospitality, insurance and more recently education. I currently work for Schools' Choice (traded service of Suffolk County Council) as a Senior HR Advisor and have nearly 5 years’ experience providing HR advice and support to schools both local authority maintained and Academies (primary and secondary). As a parent Governor I developed my understanding of the curriculum and expected levels of attainment. I have undertaken Governor training in order to develop my skill set and believe in continual development. I hope that I can use my experience to contribute positively to the successful running of the school and look forward to supporting the school on its journey towards 'outstanding’. |
VICE CHAIR
Lorna Adamson
I have been a Governor at Trimley St Martin Primary School since 2010. I am a retired Government Servant. My work experience includes twenty years in HM Treasury as a policy analyst and for fifteen years before that I was in the Office for Government Statistics. I have lived in Trimley St Martin since 2008 and before that between 1956 and 1963, when I attended Felixstowe Grammar School. I became a Governor following a request for students to apply to become Local Authority Governors, circulated by the Open University while I was studying for my Masters in Social Sciences. I have since become a Community Governor.
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L.A. GOVERNORAlicia Mann
Since finishing my degree at Durham University in 1999, I have been fortunate to work in various roles within the Local Education Authority eg. Education Welfare Service (promoting good school attendance), Children's Homes (working within two local residential homes as Child Care Relief Practitioner) , Education Other Than At School Department (overseeing provision of children out of school due to exclusion or medical reasons) and within Multi Agency Teams. Currently I am Pastoral Manager, Alternate Designated Safeguard and Prevent Lead at a local Keystage 3-4 Pupil Referral Unit catering for the needs of young people who are not able to access mainstream education due to social, medical or emotional needs. Many of the young people referred have medical needs and suffer from or have suffered from mental health difficulties. Many have Autism Spectrum Disorder which makes functioning in mainstream education setting challenging. I am fortunate to have good links with many professionals from Mental Health Services, Social Care and Integrated Teams. Having been a Governor at TSM for over 4 years I will continue to ensure all students at TSM achieve the highest academic standards, that every student is provided with a range of educational experiences and the most essential for developing and learning - every child feels safe and secure at TSM. |
PARENT GOVERNORLucy Ainsley
I am a parent governor on the finance committee. I currently have 2 children within the school and 1 who has passed through the school too, so I have had links with Trimley St Martin for over 8 years.
I work as a business development manager for a local customs company and I am qualified in Human Resources. |
STAFF GOVERNORJudy MacFarlane
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Co-Opted GOVERNORTom Childs
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PARENT GOVERNORDarryl James
I am a passionate advocate for educaton in Felixstowe having been educated at Grange primary and Orwell High school respectively as a child. On leaving the Sixth Form I graduated with BA (Hons) in Social Policy and Early Childhood Studies and went on to work as a secondary school teacher in Felixstowe since 2002. In my time as a teacher, I have gained additional qualifications such as an MA in Education and the NPQSL for senior teachers. I joined the governing body of Trimley St Martin primary school in the summer term of 2017, as a parent governor. My youngest daughter Verity attends the school and very much enjoys her lessons and as parents we value the community feel and vibrant ethos of the school. In my capacity as a governor, I would like to support the school in developing further. Aside from education, I am an avid Ipswich Town fan and watch most home matches for my sins! |