Meet The Governors

School Governors

Matt Fisher

Anne-Claire Bennion

Catherine Robbins

Colin Baran

Helen Love

Nigel Smith

Marianne Talbot

Jeremy Clack

Antonia Faundez

Karoline Schneider

Heather Foulerton

Maggie Wagstaff

Kate Bradley

Danielle Belmega

Cormac Wood

Terry Heard

Jo Grundy

Headteacher

Chair of Governors

Vice Chair & Committee Chair

Committee Chair

Governor

Staff Governor

Premises Officer

School Business Manager Finance and Personnel Officer

Head of Governing Committee

Finance and Personnel

Curriculum and Standards

Learning Environment Well-Being

Finance and Personnel

Curriculum & Standards

Learning Environment Well-Being

Finance and Personnel

M F L, English, Computing

Geography, History

Health and Safety, D & T

Safeguarding, Pupil Premium, Religious Education

Art

Training

Sciences, Maths

N/A

PE & Sports

EYFS

SEND

N/A

Anne-Claire Bennion

My name is Anne-Claire Bennion, and I am honoured to assume the role of Chair of the Board of Governors, having served as a governor for the school for the past three years. My connection to the school goes back quite a few years, with both of my children having attended Milverton and now thriving in secondary education. By profession, I am a translator with a passion for English and languages. Before joining the board, I established and managed a successful language school for five years. Beyond my linguistic interests, I am an enthusiastic musician, conducting a choir and playing various instruments, including the piano, cornet, and tenor horn. My journey into parent governance began with a desire to support our school and community and to contribute to its growth. I firmly believe in fostering a nurturing environment where all children can excel and develop into confident young individuals through a dynamic and creative curriculum. During my tenure as a governor, I actively participated in both the premises and finance & personnel committees, and served as the chair of the latter before taking on my current role as chair of governors this year. I look forward to working collaboratively with the school and parents to build upon the school's progress and success.

Kate Bradley

Hello, I’m Kate Bradley and I have a son in the school. I am a qualified teacher and most recently have been a Head of Service in a local authority. currently I work as a consultant for local authorities, private companies and schools around developing inclusive practices, implementing rapid improvement programmes and embedding change. I am passionate that all young people have access to a good education and I am very proud to be a Milverton governor. My governor responsibilities are SEND and inclusion and I work closely with the school SENDCo I also sit on the wellbeing and learning environment committee.

Catherine Robbins

I have been a governor at Milverton since 1994, first as a parent governor for eight years, and since then as a coopted governor. For many years I was chair of the Performance and Standards Committee, with particular interests in supporting a creative, stimulating curriculum, and the welfare and happiness of children and staff. I was chair of governors for four years, and felt privileged to play a significant part in recruiting our headteacher, and working with many parents and other members of the community who give their time as governors. As a teacher and school leader (now retired), I enjoy using my knowledge and experience to help support and challenge the great team who create this wonderful school.
Milverton children are creative and resilient, with a real eagerness to learn, and a strong sense of community: I feel proud to play a part in developing the school which helps them grow up in this way.

Marianne Talbot

Hello, my name is Marianne and I have been a governor at Milverton on and off since 2004. Both my children attended Milverton and loved it; one is now in the second year of their maths degree and the other is studying A levels in English literature, psychology, and biology. I have been working in education since the early 1990s, so hopefully I bring some useful experience to the table.

I'm currently a Course Leader for the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors, based at the University of Hertfordshire. I am also leading the independent evaluation of two outreach projects for St John's College at Oxford University, which aim to encourage schools that have not traditionally sent many students to Oxford to apply. But my first love is travelling the world - although the photo here was more prosaically taken on the sunny English south coast!

Jeremy Clack

I have been a co-opted governor at Milverton since the summer of 2021 and I sit on the Finance and Personnel Committee. My children are currently in years 6 and 2 at the school. I'm a pensions actuary by day, working with groups of trustees managing large corporate pension schemes, and have found it fascinating to get to grips with the way that schools are run and financed - something completely different! I'm privileged to be a governor and hope to be able to offer something back to the school community that has (and continues to) done so much to help my children to flourish.

Karoline Schneider

I became a governor at Milverton in 2022 when my child was in Year 4 here. Having seen first-hand the wonderful work the staff at the school does I was keen to get involved and try to give something back. I am a co-opted governor on the Curriculum and Standards Committee. In my daytime career, I am a Higher Education professional looking after quality assurance and curriculum development for the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick. Outside of work and my governor role, I also volunteer as a teacher's assistant at the German Saturday School Leicester and compete in hammer throw for Leamington Cycling and Athletics Club. I take a particular interest in matters of inclusion and social justice, which I try to incorporate into everything I do.

Maggie Wagstaff

You may have seen me here before! I am delighted to rejoin the governing body at MPS after a few years elsewhere! I have had a career in education, and I am unable to keep away from all the exciting learning for life and leisure that MPS offers their children. I am privileged to feel a part of it and hopefully contribute to its continuing success.
Being a member of the Curriculum and Standards Committee and linked to SEND and Early Years, offers me the opportunity to combine former experience with my areas of interest in responding to the needs of the school and governing body.

Heather Foulerton

My name is Heather Foulerton and I became a parent governor at Milverton last year. I have been a teacher for nearly 20 years, mainly teaching in secondary schools but also in various primary schools over the years. I am passionate about helping children learn and grow, and a strong believer in the importance of the school community as a safe and happy place where this can happen. I have been a parent at Milverton since 2013 - and still have 4 more years to go! Throughout this time I have developed a strong connection with the school in a variety of ways – reading with children, teaching Spanish after school, coaching the netball team and rebranding and co-chairing the FOMPS. I even managed to get myself stuck in the school PE cupboard with my co-chair Emma at the start of our inaugural FOMPS assembly!
Throughout my involvement with the school in these varied ways over the years, I have come to respect and value the inclusive, supportive and colourful ethos at Milverton. Therefore, when the opportunity to become governor arose I was keen to apply. I currently sit on the Curriculum and Standards committee, and am really enjoying seeing the school from a new and different perspective.

Nigel Smith

I'm Nigel and I'm really pleased to be on the board of governors and health and safety committee. We've been a Milverton family since 2013; with both my daughters being very happy pupils of school. Milverton provides not only an excellent education, but also is at the centre of our community which, for us, is invaluable.

I really look forward to getting stuck in with helping the school go from strength to strength and will strive to give something back to the school which has given us so much.

Milverton Primary School Governing Board 2022 / 2023

Chair of Governors: Anne-Claire Bennion Vice Chair: Catherine Robbins
The constitution of the governing board is:
Headteacher
1 x Local Authority (LA) Governor, recommended by the LA and approved by the governing board
6 x Parent Governors, formally elected through a ballot of parents (unless the election is uncontested)
9 x Co-opted Governors, nominated and appointed by the governing board.
1 x Staff Governor, formally elected by staff employed at school.

The governing board operates with the following committees:

Finance & Personnel Committee:

Provide assurance of budgeting, financial planning and audit of spend, provide assurance on matters relating to school staff (teaching and non-teaching, permanent and non-permanent), set policy relevant to committee business and ensure compliance with the policies.

Committee chair:

Curriculum and Standards Committee:

Prepare and keep under review a strategy which will enable the full governing body to understand how the school is fulfilling its responsibilities to help children stay safe; be healthy; enjoy their learning and achieve well; make a positive contribution to the school and wider community; and eventually achieve economic wellbeing.

Committee chair: Catherine Robbins

Premises Committee:

Responsible for governing the premises within Milverton Primary School including overseeing and monitoring all areas concerned with the health, safety and welfare of everyone using the school premises and agreeing all major school building improvements.

Committee chair: Colin Baran

A copy of minutes of meetings are available upon request, please email: [email protected]

Governors - Attendance - Click here