Governors
Our School’s Governing Body
The role of the Governing Body
St Martin’s School governing body fulfils a number of important functions, addressed through a planned programme of meetings and quality assurance visits throughout the school year. They are to:
- Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction, including long-term planning.
- Carry out their statutory duties, such as safeguarding.
- Ensure that they and the school promote tolerance of and respect for people of all faiths (or those of no faith), races, genders, ages, disability and sexual orientations (and other groups with protected characteristics) and support and help, through their words, actions and influence within the school and more widely in the community, to prepare children and young people positively for life in modern Britain.
- Contribute to the school’s self-evaluation and understand its strengths and weaknesses, including the quality of teaching, and reviewing the impact of their own work
- Understand and take sufficient account of pupil data, particularly their understanding and use of the school data dashboard.
- Assure themselves of the rigour of the assessment process.
- Be aware of the impact of teaching on learning and progress in different subjects and year groups
- Provide challenge and hold the Headteacher and other senior leaders to account for improving the quality of teaching, pupils’ achievement and pupils’ behaviour and safety.
- Use the pupil premium and other resources to overcome barriers to learning, including reading, writing and mathematics.
- Ensure solvency and probity and that the financial resources made available to the school are managed effectively
- Provide support for an effective Headteacher.
- Monitor performance management systems and understand how the school makes decisions about teachers’ salary progression, including the performance management of the Headteacher, to improve teaching, leadership and management.
- Engage with key stakeholders and be transparent and accountable.
St Martin’s School Governors
|
NAME OF GOVERNOR |
ROLE |
TERM OF OFFICE |
DATE OF APPOINTMENT |
|
Chris Tuckett |
Headteacher |
Ex-officio |
1 September 2024 |
|
Elen Shepard |
Co-Chair of Governors (Parent Governor) |
4 years |
|
|
Kat Stanger |
Co-Chair of Governors (Co-opted Governor) |
4 years |
|
|
Nicholas Kyle |
Co-opted Governor |
4 years |
|
|
Rev David Williams |
Foundation Governor |
4 years |
|
|
Clare Mansfield |
Local Authority Governor |
4 years |
|
|
Kerry Peregrine |
Staff Governor |
4 years |
|
|
Dave Damon |
Parent Governor |
4 years |
|
|
Johnny Lloyd |
Co-opted Governor |
4 years |
|
|
Ellie Wilson |
Parent Governor |
4 years |
|
|
Dan Rose |
Co-opted Governor |
4 years |
|
|
Michael Carden |
Parent Governor |
4 years |
|
Becoming a Governor
There are opportunities for parents and carers to become parent governors through the regular election process and for members of the community to be appointed to co-opted or Church of England appointments. To find out more about what the role entails, you will find useful advice on the SGOSS, Governors for Schools and Colleges and the Inspiring Governors websites. If you feel that this rewarding role is for you, then please contact the Headteacher or the Chair of Governors.
Contact us
If you are a parent, and have any concerns about aspects of life at St Martins, please contact your child’s teacher, or the Headteacher in the first instance. If you wish to contact a member of the Governing Body about a matter of governance, please contact the school office.
Governors’ Biographies 2024/2025
This section provides a short biography of each of our current governors.
Christopher Tuckett - Headteacher
Chris Tuckett is our Headteacher and ex-officio member of the governing body. Chris was appointed as Headteacher in September 2024, having previously been Deputy Headteacher of The Raleigh Primary School in West Horsley. He has previously worked as Assistant Headteacher of Boxgrove Primary School in Guildford and has experience of leading on curriculum development, assessment and teacher training.
Chris' passion is to find success in every child and to utilise the confidence that brings, to motivate them to tackle areas where they may struggle.
Elen Shepard - Co-Chair - Parent Governor
Elen is a senior civil servant with a background in developing and delivering strategies and policies on a range of environmental and agricultural issues. Her core skills are considering a broad range of evidence and information to inform decisions and act, using programme and project management tools to deliver change, and in providing strong leadership through periods of change and ambiguity. Elen has two children, both of whom attend/have attended St Martin's and thoroughly enjoyed their time at the school.
Kat Stanger – Co-Chair - Co-opted Governor
Kat has lived in Dorking with her family since 2011. She is an Environmental Consultant and Chartered Geographer, working for AtkinsRéalis, a large engineering consultancy. Her role includes project management, data interpretation, policy and strategy development and communication with a range of stakeholders. Mum to two children who have loved and benefited from being at St Martins, she is keen to give something back as part of the Governing Body.
Kerry Peregrine - Staff Governor
Kerry Peregrine has lived in Dorking since 2007 with her family. After spending 15 years as a Fashion Buyer she had a career change and has been a HLTA for the last 5 years at St Martins, currently teaching in Year 6.
Clare Mansfield - Local Authority Governor
Clare has been a Governor since 2004, originally as a parent governor with 3 children at St Martin’s school. She is a passionate supporter of high-quality state education and has previously chaired both the Curriculum and Finance Committees for substantial periods of time, led many working parties and been a member of the governing body of St. John’s Community School. As a Chartered Accountant, Clare has a strong background in finance, enjoys strategic problem-solving and analytics. She has a degree in Geography from Cambridge University and a master’s degree in psychology. Clare is portfolio holder for Finance for the Local Academy Board.
Reverend David Williams - Foundation Governor
David is a retired priest with Permission to Officiate in the Guildford diocese and two other dioceses. He is on the ministry team at St. Martin's Church Dorking, and (until a new Vicar is appointed in December 2024) he is the principal link between the church and the school - and he has encouraged the school prayer group and a range of church-school initiatives. David held senior management positions in the National Church Institutions for 17 years and was latterly Clerk to the General Synod of the Church of England and Director of the Central Secretariat of the Archbishops' Council. David has also been a part-time tutor at a theological college, and continues to provide consultancy advice to the national church and to dioceses in the field of clergy conduct. He has been a magistrate for 38 years, and is a community mediator with Mediation Surrey. He has a first degree in history and two postgraduate qualifications in the field of library studies. His interests include numismatics, art and architectural history, and garden history.
Nicholas Kyle - Co-opted Governor
Nick is a serving officer with the Metropolitan Police and has worked as a detective in both Specialist Crime and Counterterrorism for over 22 years during which he served for several years in north and west Africa. He spent six months as a Fulbright Scholar in the US with the FBI and Chicago Police Department’s Gang Enforcement Unit. Nick has worked in a number of Inner-London boroughs and has a particular interest in safeguarding. He is a student of French and Italian. His gardening is improving. Nick has been a governor since July 2019 and is portfolio holder for Safeguarding for the Local Academy Board.
Michael Carden - Parent Governor
Michael is a senior communications professional working in the NHS, with significant experience in strategic, internal and crisis communications. He has lived in Dorking since 2020 and, with two young children currently on their St Martin's journey, wants to help make sure that all children and staff at the school are getting the best possible experience. Michael is portfolio holder for Curriculum for the Local Academy Board.
Dave Damon - Parent Governor
Dave is a dad of two girls, the eldest loving her time at St Martin's so far. He is a former Secondary maths teacher, now a Child and Educational Psychologist working for Surrey's 'Mindworks' Child mental health alliance. He is particularly interested in child development; social, emotional and mental health; and whole school approaches to emotional wellbeing. On the weekend you'll most likely find him and his family taking a walk around Wisley, Polesden Lacey, or similar. Dave is portfolio holder for Community for the Local Academy Board.
Jonny Lloyd - Co-opted Governor
Jonny has been a co-opted governor at St Martin’s since December 2022 and loves playing a part in supporting such an inclusive and nurturing environment at our school. He is a solicitor working in the public sector specialising in public law and inquests and also volunteers giving legal advice to parents of children with special educational needs (SEN). He leads on SEN issues and the achievement portfolio for the Local Academy Board.
Daniel Rose - Co-opted Governor
Daniel is a chartered company secretary currently working for Kingfisher plc, the parent company of B&Q and Screwfix. He has held similar roles in other UK listed companies, having worked in the energy and telecommunications industries in recent years. Daniel has two children at St Martins and has lived in Dorking since 2013. He was co-opted to the governing body in 2023 and is the Health & Safety Portfolio holder.
Ellie Wilson - Parent Governor
Ellie has enjoyed living in Dorking since 2013 and is mum to one quickly growing pupil at St Martin's. She has been teaching for twenty years in Epsom, with a specialism as a teacher of the Deaf. She is passionate about inclusion, meeting all children's needs and helping children be their very best so they can embrace their future and all opportunities that will come their way.