Governors

Welcome to our Governing Board 
 
Here at Newton Poppleford Primary School we have a governing board with a range of skills and expertise. We currently have governor vacancies and are welcoming new members to join our team, if you have considered becoming a governor and would like to submit an expression of interest please complete the form below and return to the school office or email to clerk@newton-poppleford.devon.sch.uk

  • Mr Chris Trengove

    Chair, Parent Governor

    I have been a Governor at Newton Poppleford Primary School since September 2020. I am a Parent Governor with two children with the school. I became a Governor to use my education knowledge to support the school in its strategic development and assist in developing and maintaining the amazing learning culture that exists.
    In my career I am the Head of History at Sidmouth College. One area I am significantly passionate about is School Improvement; with focuses on the curriculum, assessment and the use and evaluation of teaching and learning methods in the classroom. Within curriculum and assessment I have lead a number of subjects in the reflection of their curriculum and assessment and recently have implemented a review of the History curriculum, producing a clear and coherent curriculum which is supported by a rigorous assessment system. I have led and assisted on whole school teaching and learning initiatives within my school which includes; projects which have increased the use of pedagogy in the classroom and action research projects. I am also a Specialist Leader in Education for Secondary History and run a Professional Community for the South West Institute for Teaching. In this role I am able to share my passion for collaborating with others and sharing good practice.
    Outside of my school responsibilities, I enjoy spending time with my family, with visits to the beach, walks and holidays.

  • Mr Stuart Ireland

    Vice Chair of Governors, Co-opted Governor

    I am a parent of one child attending the school. Outside of parenthood, I am a Consultant Ecologist, working for a global multi-disciplinary Engineering and Environment company. I've been in consultancy for 22 years, and before that, I was a local authority Countryside Warden in the North-East of England.
    I moved to Devon in 2005 and to Newton Poppleford in 2010 and love the village and school.
    I became a governor in 2016 so that I could help the school with strategic direction and support the amazing staff to the best of my abilities.

  • Mrs Nicola Dowsing

    Parent Governor

    I have been a parent governor at Newton Poppleford Primary School since May 2020. I am a qualified early years teacher and have taught in a number of schools in the UK and Australia. I now work as a preschool assistant at Little Popples and feel very lucky to work with such a fantastic team. In my role as governor I work hard to promote the value of play, for all children, and the importance of outdoor learning.

  • Miss Rebecca Layman

    Co-opted Governor

    I moved to the village in 2012, and my son Samuel attends the school. Samuel's love of the school has inspired me to get involved. I have over 20 years of experience in business, starting my career in London in advertising. In 2006, I packed up my life and moved to Devon and started work as head hunter recruiting IT specialists. For the last 10 years I have worked for an IT training consultancy within their business development and strategic account management team. In my spare time, you can find me restoring my 400-year-old thatch cottage which I share with Samuel and my crazy cockapoo, or in the gym learning to powerlift!

  • Mr Neil Macleod

    Co-opted Governor

  • Mrs Teri Murphy

    Parent Governor

    I have been a parent governor since November 2020, I have two children in the school and a toddler at home with me. My career has primarily been in the finance industry, but I have a BSc in zoology, and I currently work part time in the hospitality sector. I have been involved with the PTFA since my eldest started reception class and enjoy supporting the school in both my PTFA and governor roles.

  • Mrs Caroline Odbert

    Co-opted Governor

    I am a governor with two children at the school and a third who will hopefully follow in her sisters’ footsteps when her time comes.

    Professionally, I have been an Environmental Consultant since 2006 specialising in Air Quality and more recently Health Impact Assessments. I work at a global engineering and environmental consultancy in their Exeter office. In my spare time I enjoy walks and trips to the beach with my family and friends. I am part of a local book club and enjoy attending the local Zumba class in the village hall.

    With three children right at the beginning of their school life I have a vested interest in the future of the school. I hope that by being a Governor I will help to ensure that the high standards of the school are maintained and to support the school’s strategic development and it’s place within our community.

  • Mr Gary Oldroyd

    Parent Governor

    I was inspired to become a Parent Governor in order to gain insight into how the School operates and to contribute to its strategic development. I was appointed in May 2020, more or less on the day of the first national Covid-19 lockdown and so my introduction to being a Governor was certainly full on! Things are much closer to normal now, but there is still much to do, be it reviewing school policies or else appointing a new Head Teacher! Being a Governor has been a rewarding experience for me. It really has been a unique opportunity to witness, at the first hand, the professionalism and dedication of every member of staff and the positive impact that they have on our children, including my own three. Professionally, I have worked as a solicitor in a national law firm dealing with commercial insurance disputes for over 20 years. I also now sit regularly as a Judge in the family and civil Courts across Devon and also in the Employment Tribunal. In my spare time, my wife and I enjoy rambling across Devon with our children and our red fox Labrador. The dog always comes back when called, the children not so much !

  • Mrs Mary Raffell

    Staff Governor

    I have been teaching in Yr 1 and 2 at Newton Poppleford Primary since 2005 and took over the Reception Class in 2020 which gave me a new lease of life.
    I love the fact that every day is different and I enjoy seeing the children have fun and learn at the same time.
    In my spare time I like to walk with Buddy, my working cocker spaniel and have just completed Land’s End to John O’Groats and the South West Coast path virtually!
    Now my own three children are in their late teens I felt I had the time to give something back and so decided to become a teacher governor. I hope I can represent the fantastic team that work at Newton Pop and help shape the future of the school in some way.

  • Mr John Slade

    Co-opted Governor

    After a long career in local government finance (particularly payroll), I took early retirement in 1996 and moved back to Devon from the Bristol area. I enjoyed a short spell of employment with the Salvation Army in its divisional headquarters in Exeter until I finally decided to give up paid work in 2003.
    My daughter and her family moved to Newton Poppleford in 2009 and I was asked to become a school governor at Newton Poppleford Primary School in 2011, just before my elder granddaughter started in Reception.
    I felt this was something useful I could do for the local community and make use of some of the financial experience I had gained through my career.
    Both granddaughters have now completed their education at NPPS and moved on to secondary schools and I look forward to continuing to support the education of future generations of children at the school.

  • Mr Tim Warren

    Co-opted Governor

    Because both my children were supported, taught and encouraged by the staff within the school to achieve
    the best they could, I have wanted the opportunity to give something back and acting as a Governor gives
    me that opportunity.
    My career has been with a southwest-based social enterprise supporting young people with careers advice
    and mentoring, providing practical help for families needing additional input to cope with specific challenges and linking older people with a volunteer to manage day-to-day activities such as shopping and getting to health appointments. Now that I am semi-retired, I divide my time between paid work with apprentices, volunteering and walking the beautiful East Devon countryside.
    As a Governor, I aim to support the dedicated school staff as they continue to provide the best start for the
    children of the village and surrounding area.

  • Mrs Linda Wright

    Co-opted Governor

    As a newly appointed governor I am keen to engage with and fully support the whole of the Newton Poppleford school community as it continues to educate and nurture the young children of our lovely village.
    Both of my own children, now aged 21 and 14, completed their primary education at NPPS and left feeling fully prepared, both emotionally and academically, to move on to the next stage of their education.
    Professionally, I am a secondary school teacher of English currently working in a large comprehensive school in Exeter; this provides me with a secure understanding of the education system and the day-to-day
    challenges that schools can face.
    Outside of school I can be found tending my allotment, a hobby that provides not only an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables but an opportunity to relax and recharge!

  • Mr Anthony Pope

    Headteacher
The Governing Body should consist of: 4 Parents, 1 Local Authority, 1 Staff, 1 Headteacher and 7 Co-opted Governors - agreed May 19, 2015.
 
 
 
Service, Attendance and Business Interests
These tables show when Governors started serving on the Governing Body and when they are scheduled to finish. The right hand column shows the attendance of each Governor at the 6 Full Governing Body meetings and the 6 Committee meetings in the appropriate year.

Name              

Governor

Term of Office

Attendance

2021-22

Registered Business / Finance interests

 

 

Start 

End 

 

 

Mr John Slade

Co-opted

23/05/19

22/05/23

FGB: 6/6

 

Mr Gary Oldroyd

Parent

12/05/20

11/05/24

FGB: 5/6

 

Mrs Nicola Dowsing

Parent

12/05/20

11/05/24

FGB: 6/6

 

Mr Chris Trengove

Parent

12/08/20

11/08/24

FGB: 6/6

 

Mr Stuart Ireland

Co-opted

17/09/20

16/09/24

FGB: 5/6

 

Mrs Teri Murphy

Parent

18/11/20

17/11/24

FGB: 6/6

 

Mr Neil Macleod

Co-opted

05/10/21

04/10/25

N/A

 

Miss Rebecca Layman

Co-opted

20/10/21

19/10/25

FGB: 5/5

 

Mrs Mary Raffell

Staff

20/10/21

19/10/25

FGB: 5/6

 

Mr Anthony Pope

Headteacher

01/09/22

-

FGB: 3/3

 

Headteacher

Governors left in the last 12 months

Mr Phil Joyce

Co-opted

05/10/21

05/01/22

FGB: 1/1

 

Mr Stephen Smith

Co-opted

05/10/21

20/11/21

N/A

 

Mrs Marian Gadian

Co-opted

19/03/20

19/11/21

FGB: 1/1

 

Mr John Ridgley

Co-opted

23/05/19

02/10/21

FGB: 0/2

 
Retired Governors
The following people have retired as Governors in the last couple of years. We thank them for their contributions to the life of the school. 

  • Mr Phil Joyce

    Retired as Co-opted Governor, Spring 2022

  • Mr Stephen Smith

    Retired as Co-opted Governor, Autumn 2021

  • Mrs Marian Gadian

    Retired as Co-opted governor, Autumn 2021

  • Mr John Ridgley

    Retired as Co-opted Governor - Autumn 2021