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Governors

A word from the Chair of Governors

"St Bede's is a truly unique community. Understanding its culture, its ethos, its DNA and being able to Chair the Governors is an undertaking that I feel immensely fortunate to have the opportunity to do. The governing board is a passionate group of individuals, drawn from different walks of life, giving us the breadth of experience necessary to tread the careful line of governing the school; preserving, yet still evolving, challenging and advancing."

Iain Maclean

As governors we ensure that the school is efficiently run in line with its Christian aims, statutory requirements and Ofsted and Department of Education guidelines.

We have three core functions:

Setting the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school;
Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school;
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

We guide and monitor the school through three main committees:

Resources
Teaching and Learning
Faith and Life

The minutes of these committees are publicly available on request, click here to contact the school.

For more information, click on the Governors names below to see our roles, responsibilities, business interests, as well as our individual skills and experience.

Governors' fund (donations to school)

School policies

Financial information

Please follow the prompts on the Schools financial benchmarking service to view St Bede's financial data and see how it compares with other schools.

School employee earnings disclosure

All local authority maintained schools are required to publish annually on their websites the number of individuals (if any) earning over £100k a year. This information is required to be published in bands of £10k.

As of 01/09/2023 one member of staff at the school earns more than £100k a year.

Governors' information and duties

There are several different categories of Governor:

Foundation Governors are appointed by the Dioceses, local deanery and Free Church Association;
Parent Governors are appointed by self-nomination and parents vote where necessary;
Staff Governors are appointed by self-nomination and staff vote where necessary;
Local Authority and Co-opted Governors are appointed by the Governing Board.

Please find listed below details for each of our governors; click on their name to find out more. A printable version is available at the bottom of this page (this is currently being updated).

*Ex-officio governors' term of office has no fixed end date.

Mrs Catharine Adjei

Category: Foundation Governor

Term of office: 01/09/2023 - 31/08/2027

Focus: Safeguarding / Looked after children

Committees: Faith and Life / Teaching and Learning

Skills and experience:

I went to St Bede's school and Sixth Form
I have a BA Hons in Theatre Studies at Hull University
Diploma in Home Based Child Care
I worked as a Childminder in Merstham for 6yrs
This meant I could be with my daughter and son in their early years
I then worked for 7 years at Welcare as an outreach worker and Deputy Manager
I then transferred to St Matthew’s Primary School to work as Child & Family Support Worker and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
For the last 16 months I have been working as the Welcare Family Centre Manager and DSL in Redhill, which supports families in need/crisis.

Registered interests:

My daughter has just finished her A-levels with St Bede’s and my son is just starting his at St Bede's Sixth form.

Venerable Moira Astin

Ven Moira Astin

Category: Foundation Governor

Term of office: 17/11/2021 - Ex-officio*

Focus: Headteacher appraisal

Committees: Faith and Life

Mrs Hannah Batchelor

Category: Staff Governor

Term of office: 01/09/2021 - 31/08/2025

Committees: Teaching and Learning, Admissions

Skills and experience:

BA (Hons) English Literature; Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Roehampton University)
Have been teaching for 15 years and have been at St Bede's for the last 6 years
I teach English and lead Media Studies and English Literature at KS5
I live in Redhill and my three children attend St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Registered interests

Teacher at St Bede's

Mr Andrew Brownless

Category: Foundation Governor

Term of office: 21/11/2020 - 20/11/2024

Focus: Careers, Digital security

Committees: Resources, Teaching and Learning, Admissions

Skills and experience:

BSc (Manchester University) Computer Science and Mathematics, MSc (Lancaster University) Operational Research
Chief Information Officer for NHS in West Kent
Member of the British Computer Society
I have been a governor at St Bede's since 2012, having been a parent governor, prior to my current term as foundation governor
I was previously parent and foundation governor for 12 years at St John's Church of England Primary School in Caterham
All three children have attended St Bede's

Registered interests:

Healthcare Commissioner, NHS West Kent
Parent
Spouse: Croydon Library Carillion
Trustee and Scout Leader 4th Caterham Scouts

Mr Paul Daley

Paul Daley

Category: Foundation Governor

Term of Office: 8 December 2023 - 7 December 2027

Focus: Human resources

Committees: Resources, Admissions

Skills and experience:

Former Trustee and Chair of the Growth and Development committee at Greensand Multi Academy Trust
Former Governor at Wray Common School
MBA from Henley Business School and Bsc in Business from Aston University
20 years as a global business leader in the HR technology, outsourcing and services sector
Married with two children

Registered interests:

Director at Oconic Limited

Ms Adele Davies

Category: Parent

Term: 01/11/2021 - 31/10/2025

Focus: Disadvantaged students

Committees: Resources, Faith and Life, Admissions

Skills and experience:

HND Business Studies (Bournemouth)
Foster Carer
Retired Detective, Metropolitan Police
Member of the National Association of Therapeutic Parenting,The Trauma Revolution and The Fostering Network
Two children

Mr Michael Fuller - Vice Chair of Governors

Mr Michael Fuller

Category: Parent Governor

Term: 01/11/2021 - 31/10/2025

Focus: Vice Chair of Governors, Health and Safety, Headteacher appraisal

Committees: Teaching and Learning, Faith and Life, Resources

Skills and experience:

ACIB – Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers
Retired group company secretary for a national housing association for older people
Ex Chair of Housing Association Company Secretaries Forum
Formerly a retail banker for Midland latterly HSBC Bank plc
Experienced in social housing and charity, mergers, acquisitions, and group restructuring. Also, as a primary school governor since 2009, and then from 2014 as a Director of an Academy Trust I have experience of the academisation process and helping failing schools to improve
Experienced in dealing with regulators including Financial Services Authority, Charity Commission, Competition and Markets Authority and the Office of Fair Trading
I attend Woodmansterne Baptist Church

Registered interests:

Director PACE Academy Trust

Mrs Kate Gordon

Kate Gordon

Category: Local Authority Governor

Term of office: 05/12/2024 - 04/12/2028

I was born in West Yorkshire and moved to Lincolnshire where I grew up & attended a girls grammar school, I loved learning and had a real passion for History from a very young age.
I have a degree in History from University of Essex
I am a secondary school History teacher with more than 20 years experience working in a large comprehensive school in Bromley
I have two children, my son is a current St Bede's pupil and my daughter is at primary school.
I am Chair of Governors at St Johns Primary School in Caterham

Mrs Hannah Keohane - Clerk to Governors

Mrs Hannah Keohane

Clerk to Governors

To contact Hannah - please visit our Contact Form and selection Clerk to Governors from the drop down.

Mrs Julia Kinniburgh

Category: Parent

Term of office: 01/11/2021 - 31/10/2025

Committees: Resources

Skills and experience:

I am a Director General at the Department for Education
I have been a public servant throughout my career with roles in education, housing, local service delivery, emergency services and customer insight
I was elected as a parent governor at St Bede’s in 2021
I was previously a governor and Chair of governors at Holmesdale Infant School
I have two children at St Bede’s

Registered interests:

Director General at the Department for Education

Mr Paul L'Estrange

Category: Foundation

Term of office: 16/10/2021 - 15/10/2025

Committees: Resources

Focus: Governor training and development, Honorary treasurer

Skills and experience:

BA (Hons) Social Science, Law Society Final Examinations
Practising solicitor with extensive experience in family and criminal law
Now largely focusing on representing parents and children in care proceedings and domestic violence cases
Member of the Law Society Children Panel
All three children have attended St Bede's with one still in the sixth form
Attends St Joseph's Church in Redhill

Registered interests:

McCormacks Law Solicitors
Spouse: Sixth Form Manager at Oxted School

Mr Iain Maclean - Chair of Governors

Mr Iain Maclean

Category: Foundation Free Church

Term of office: 10/09/2024 - 09/09/2028

Committees: Teaching and Learning, Resources, Faith and Life

Focus: Headteacher appraisal, Chair of Governors, Sixth form

Skills and experience:

Ex-student of St Bede's leaving the school in 1996
BA in Geography (Kent Uni)
20 years in IT Consultancy running and selling successful businesses
Now working as a Private Equity Investor in the technology sector
Married with three young daughters.
Part of Hillsong, Kent

Registered interests:

Owner of Peach PE Holdings Ltd
Owner of Marathon Information Technology Services Ltd

Mr Brendan Nelson

Category: Foundation Governor

Term of Office: 23 October 2023 - 22 October 2027

Committees: Faith and Life

Mr Adam Powell - Headteacher

Mr Adam Powell

Headteacher

Term of office: Ex-officio*

Committees: Resources

Mrs Hermione Puzey

Ms Hermione Puzey

Category: Foundation Free Church

Term of office: 01/09/2024 - 31/08/2028

Committees: Faith and Life; Admissions

Skills and experience:

MB BS (London) MRCGP
Pastor of Redhill Christian Fellowship with husband Paul since 2007
Trustee of SparkFish
Previously governor of two local schools over the last 20 years
Lived in Redhill since 1984, 2 of 3 children previously attended St Bede's
GP until 2000

Registered interests:

Redhill Christian Fellowship (and spouse)
SparkFish (trustee)
Redhill Street Pastors
Churches Together Redhill and district
Spouse: Street Pastors (trustee); Churches Together Redhill and district (chair)

Mrs Sara Wright

Sara Wright

Mrs Sara Wright

Category: Foundation

Term of office: 01/09/2021 - 31/08/2025

Committees: Teaching and Learning

Focus: Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND)

Skills and experience:

BA Geography and Post Graduate Certificate of Education
Eight years experience teaching geography and head of department in mainstream schools in Surrey and Kent
Formerly Chair of Governors of St Joseph's pre-school
Currently employed by Surrey County Council as teacher for children excluded from school and outdoor education tutor at Gatton Park
Three children attended St Bede's

Registered interests: