BOTLEY SCHOOL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Community Governor ( Chair )
I currently serve as a community governor at Botley School having been elected as a parent governor in January 2016, and a community governor in September 2019. In September 2018 I took the role of Chair of the Governing Board having previously acted as co-Chair of the Performance, Standards and Curriculum Committee and Link Governor for Literacy.
I have lived in Botley for over seven years and my children both go to Botley school. I am Head of Reseach & Development at CrowdCharge, working with electric vehicles, and am also a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Reading. I also ran my own consultancy company for four years. I have an Engineering Science degree from Oxford, a PhD in electronic engineering from Reading, and an NVQ Level 4 in Management from the Chartered Management Institute. I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority.
I joined the governing body in February 2024, motivated by my admiration for the school's vibrant community, its dedication to fostering an environment of equality and diversity, and its strong commitment to SEND provision. I have a deep-rooted passion for education, with a decade of experience teaching in HE and a strong focus on supporting neurodivergent individuals. Currently, I work mainly as an ADHD coach, alongside my academic position as Professor of Historical Performance and Academic Studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Before transitioning into coaching, I built a career in the arts as an opera singer, stage director and researcher, with graduate studies at Cambridge and Oxford and a research fellowship at Harvard. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and serve on the Executive Committee of the Professional Association of Specific Learning Difference Specialists in HE (PASSHE). I look forward to leveraging my knowledge and experience to support Botley School in ensuring every student thrives in a supportive, stimulating and inclusive educational environment.
I joined the governing body in July 2021 as a parent governor having watched my daughter blossom over the last five years at the school, and with my youngest nearing Reception age. I come from a family of teachers and have worked in secondary and primary schoolbook publishing all my career having inherited their passion for education. Having my own children embark on their schooling has given me the opportunity to see things from the parent's view point and has shown me the important role parents and carers play in the day-to-day life of a school.
I'm proud to have the opportunity to be part of this wonderful school as a governor and to support its work in inspiring a love of learning in each and every student.
I joined the governors in 2022 as a parent governor, motivated by an enthusiasm for education and a strong desire to help the school as a central part of Botley community. My daughter joined the school in September 2021 and is thriving, so I wanted to do as much as I could to ensure the school continued to improve and provide the best education possible for all.
I am a secondary school teacher specialising in English and teaching from year 7 to A level. Twenty years' experience in schools has made me convinced of education's ability and duty to give everyone the best start in life that they can have. Becoming a governor at my daughter's school seemed a logical extension to my love of education, learning and my desire to support others, whilst my career has perhaps made me more aware of the many challenges schools face in supporting their students and families, and the need for concerted efforts to overcome those challenges.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Inclusion Lead / SENDco
- SENCO - Inclusion Lead
- Staff Governor
I became the Staff Governor in February 2022. I have worked at Botley School for a number of years and have experience in EYFS, KS1 and KS2.
I am looking forward to helping get the best for the children of Botley School and the community we serve.
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Forest School Leader - Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teacher - Upper KS2 Planning and Assessment Lead
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Play Worker
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor - Play Worker BOSHC
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Early Years Professional
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor - ELSA
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Headteacher
- Headteacher - Designated Safeguarding Lead
I joined Botley School as Headteacher in September 2020 having previously been a Headteacher in Buckinghamshire since 2014. I started my teaching career in the London Borough of Croydon and have have gained extensive experience of working in teaching and leadership roles across schools in Sussex, Reading and Oxfordshire. In all my roles I have worked closely with the pupils, teachers, governors, parents and local community leaders to create supportive links and create wider educational opportunities that have a positive impact on the children.
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor - ELSA
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Early Years Lead - Teacher
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Premises Staff Member
- Premises Manager
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Play Leader
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor - Play Leader BOSHC
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Nursery Nurse
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Family Support Worker - DDSL - ELSA - Lead First Aider
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Nursery Nurse
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant - Lunchtime Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Main Staff Member
- Teaching Assistant
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Business Manager
- Member of the Leadership Team
- School Business Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
I became a community governor at Botley School in 2022, having finished my term as a governor at another local primary school.
My career was spent in academic and educational publishing and I founded and, for 17 years, ran a company that did marketing work for publishing companies around the world. After leaving the business, I taught on the Publishing MA and ran consultancy projects for the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies at Oxford Brookes University. I retired a few years ago and spent time volunteering in a primary school helping children learn to read.
I am very proud to be part of the governing body at Botley School which places such a strong emphasis on equality and diversity, and which is so focused on helping all pupils reaching their best possible academic attainment.
Tom has lived in Oxford since 2012. He is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and has fifteen years experience in accounting and finance. Tom believe these skills and his experience can be transferred to the governing board to help maintain and monitor school finances and resources. Tom and his family enjoys camping and exploring, particularly Cornwall.