Governors

Introducing Our Governors

 

Katy Bisset, Chair of Governors 

I became a Parent Governor in late 2020 as I wanted to be able to contribute my skills and expertise to Bedgrove Junior School; I joined the governing board not long after my eldest joined BJS. I’ve got three children, and live in Bedgrove, so I have a keen interest in seeing the ongoing progression and improvement of the school from a parental viewpoint.

 

I’ve been a secondary school teacher for over 10 years; I’m now the Deputy Head of Science at my current workplace. I have an in-depth knowledge of the education system and a passion for seeing improvements in standards of education of not just my children but of all children – inclusive of their ability and background.

 

I’ve got a particular interest in two areas – STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) progression for all and inclusion of children with additional needs as my middle child has learning disabilities, and hope to use my skills in these and other areas in education to further the great work that BJS does for our children and our community.

 

 

Harry Hillier - Headteacher 

I am very proud to be the Headteacher of Bedgrove Junior School. Having started the post in September 2022, I am early into my journey with the school, however, already I am impressed with the strengths of the school. In my previous school, I was in charge of Teaching and Learning, assessment, behaviour and staff development. I am passionate about giving children the best possible school experience as possible. I believe primary school should all be about curiosity, enjoyment and engagement. As Headteacher, I am determined to ensure Bedgrove Junior has an exciting and enriching curriculum that helps children grow and develop so they are ready for the next step in their educational journey. By incorporating in the learning our values of Inspire, Challenge and Succeed I believe that children will be self-motivated, well rounded and will have a love of learning.  

 

 

 

 

Karen Harper, Community Governor

I became a governor in November 2019 and this is my first governor role. I wanted to become a governor because I feel very passionate about not only safeguarding but ensuring that all children have the best chance to reach their potential.  I am privileged to be able to be a part of such a dedicated team of school staff and governors.

 

I have been a Safeguarding Lead and part of the Senior Leadership Team at a Junior School in High Wycombe for the last 5 years.  Before that I worked supporting military families and children around transition and deployment and worked at both Bedgrove Junior and Infant schools. Previously to that I worked as a Pre-School Assistant in Naphill.  As well as my role as Safeguarding Governor I am very passionate about celebrating diversity and raising awareness around equality. 

 

I am a single Mum to my son who is 15, and live with my partner who is a teacher and my dog Reggie just outside Aylesbury.

 

 

Laura Gregory, Community Governor

I joined the Governing Body of Bedgrove Junior School in 2020 as a Co-opted Governor and became a Community Governor in 2021.  I recognise the valuable role governors have in offering a strategic view to support the school in the development of all children and wanted to use my experience in education to offer an outside perspective whilst having a full understanding of the primary education system.

 

I have been a primary school teacher for 18 years. I have previous Leadership experience, including the roles of Deputy Head Teacher, SENCO, Core Curriculum Leadership and previous Governor experience.  I am currently teaching in primary schools in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

 

I am passionate about ensuring children leave school with a life-long love of learning and fully support the school and their vision. I have particular interests in curriculum and whole school well-being.

 

I live in Bedgrove with my husband and 2 children. My daughter attends Bedgrove Junior School and my son is at Bedgrove Infant School. I am pleased to be able to contribute to the continuous development of the school and offer my skills and experience within the local school community at Bedgrove Junior School.  

 

Sophie Wiffin, Co-Opted Governor

I became a co-opted Governor at Bedgrove Junior School in December 2020. This is my first experience as a Governor.

 

The eldest of my three sons joined the Junior School in September 2020 and I wanted to take a more active role in the strategic progression of our local school and also do more to support children and their education in the wider community. I believe every child deserves the very best start in education and I am passionate about playing a part in the school's progression towards achieving its goals and being the best it can be.

 

I currently work as a Business Analyst for a Mortgage Company and have experience in Team Management, Risk Mitigation and Change Management. This has given me a wide breath of experience in many different types of work from strategic change to regulated work and policy reviews.  I hope I can bring my experience across these types of areas to enhance the Local Governing Board and be an effective member of the Governing Body.

 

 

Salome Williams, Community Governor

I became a co-opted governor at Bedgrove Junior School in 2020 and was appointed a Community Governor in July 2021. With a background in operational management and wellbeing in the private education sector, I wanted to apply my skills and experience within a school setting and have an opportunity to help shape the strategy of the school.

 

My daughter is currently a Bedgrove pupil so I already have a parent's eye view of the school. As a governor I hope to contribute to driving an already high performing school, which is at the heart of the local community, towards achieving its ambitious vision for the next five years.

 

Professionally, I have experience in a broad range of areas including health and safety compliance, safeguarding, premises management, marketing and finance. However, where my passion lies is in Mental Health and Wellbeing. I have been a yoga and meditation teacher for 13 years, am a Youth Mental Health First Aider and a qualified coach, usually to be found reading up on wellbeing and positive psychology. I believe that opening up the conversation around Mental Health and integrating effective support strategies is crucial, in particular ensuring that young people leave school with self awareness and support strategies.  

 

Chantelle Gore, Staff Governor

I became a staff governor at Bedgrove Junior School in March 2021. Having been a Deputy Designated Safeguarding lead at the school for the past 5 years, I felt I wanted to share my staff perspective and have more involvement in the strategic development of the school. I am lucky to be part of an amazing team who are truly dedicated individuals. I feel very passionately that it is our duty to ensure all children who attend BJS should achieve the best possible outcomes.

 

I have been working within schools in Aylesbury for the last 13 years and have been a DSL for 7 of those years. I now provide safeguarding training for all schools within the Great Learners Trust and am keen to continue developing my role within the School and the Trust. I am a resident of Bedgrove and live with my partner and our 3 children, all of whom have attended Bedgrove Infant and Junior School.

 

Natalie Benton, Staff Governor

I became a staff governor in October 2021. I have been a teacher at Bedgrove Junior School since April 2017 and am a very proud member of the team. I wanted to join the governing board in order to gain more of a perspective on the strategic running of the school and involve myself even more in moving the school forward. This is my first experience as a governor.

I began my teaching career in Gloucester in 2013 until my move to Aylesbury in 2017. In this time I have been lucky enough to teach in different year groups and stepped into the role of Maths lead in September 2019 before taking maternity leave and having my little boy Arthur. Currently I am a mentor for our Early Career Teachers. This involves working closely with them, helping them get to know the school and understand our vision and aims. I feel it is my role to bring our new teachers along on our journey of school improvement. I am looking forward to working with the LGB to push the school towards achieving its mission of inspiring our children and enabling them to succeed to the very best of their ability.

 

Bob Arnot, Parent Governor

I am the father of two children at Bedgrove Junior School, my daughter Lara and my son Okalo. We have re-located to the UK (as a consequence of the COVID pandemic) and came to live in Aylesbury in September 2020. The children have thoroughly enjoyed their time at Bedgrove Junior School and my wife Patience and I have been impressed at the ease with which they have been integrated and made friends. The school is clearly impressive and as a Parent Governor I would be seeking to ensure the maintenance of its current high standards for all children.

 

Currently, I work as an independent consultant on international development projects, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Previously I was Portfolio Lead for Justice, Security and Conflict work in sub-Saharan Africa for the British Council. I was also the National Programme Director for programmes financed by the UK government and the European Union in Nigeria. The work, valued at around £200m, addressed issues in governance (particularly anti-corruption); justice, security and policing reform; conflict reduction in the NE of Nigeria in response to the Boko Haram insurgency; economic development and land reform; and sexual and gender-based violence. Prior to that I was a University Head of Department and a Visiting Professor at a number of universities both in the UK and internationally in Economics and Political Economy.  I have a BSc (Econ) degree from the London School of Economic (LSE) and a PhD from Glasgow University. Currently I am also an external examiner in International Economics at Glasgow Caledonian University.

 

Adam Abdoulaye Djibo, Parent Governor

 

I am a Qualified Accountant by profession and father of 2 girls and a boy.  I have lived in Aylesbury for a year and became a Parent Governor at Bedgrove Junior School in 2022, but have had previous governing experience in the past.

In my spare time I enjoy watching documentaries, family TV shows , watching and playing football, travelling around the world, playing Suduko and scrabble.

One of my role models in life has been Nelson Mandela because of his resilience and great contribution to peace.

One of my dreams in life is to see all children across the world have equal access to a reasonable education.

 

 

Saritha Thirunagari, Co-opted Governor

I was appointed as Co-Opted Governor by the LGB in December 2021 for a period of one year. I am currently the Health and Safety Governor for Bedgrove Junior School. This is my first experience as a Governor.

 

I always wanted to give back to the community and this was the inspiration to become a governor. Every child deserves outstanding educational opportunities and a bright future. Being a governor will enable me to play an important part in the lives of children who will become responsible citizens in future.

 

I am a doctor by profession and currently working as Anaesthetic Registrar at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. I am a Purple Partner(parent volunteer) at Bedgrove Infant School. Reading is a stepping-stone to life long learning and “a passport to countless adventures”(Mary Pope Osborne). I enjoyed listening to kids reading books and helping out at school when needed before the Covid Pandemic.

 

I am a proud mother of 3 children – one at Bedgrove Infant School and two at Bedgrove Junior School. I am a critical friend to school and believe my role will help in furthering education of my children along with other children in Bedgrove Junior School. I aspire to inspire children to continue their interest in reading, challenge leaders where necessary and hope to contribute my skills in successful achievement of the three-year strategic vision of Bedgrove Junior School.

 

This section tells you who our Local Governors are, what category of governor each person has been appointed as, the responsibilities they hold, the committees they sit on and the end date of their term of office. It includes any governor who has served in the last 12 months.  More information about each current member of our Local Governing Board is available above.  

 

The LGB appoints Community Governors and Co-opted Governors.  Parents nominate and, where there are more nominations than vacancies, elect Parent Governors.  The same method is used for the Staff Governor positions.   

 

If you wish to contact Helen Bush, the Chair of Governors, please email helen.bush@BJSGLT.co.uk or contact Helen via the school office by calling 01296 487973.  

Bedgrove Junior Local Governing Board grid 2021-22

 

 

Abbreviations of offices held: CP = Child Protection, LAC - Children Looked After, Dev = Development, PM = Performance Management Reviewer,  SEND = Special Educational Needs, Data Prot = Data Protection, H&S = Health & Safety

 

Co-opted governors are appointed by the Local Governing Board for up to a year either to work on a particular project, or because they bring a particular skill or area of knowledge to the board, or with a view to appointing them as full local governors within the year.  

 

Numbers indicate an order of contact should a committee prove necessary.  Any Governor with prior knowledge of the situation or people involved would withdraw when contacted. Governors from collaborating schools would be contacted to join the Committee if necessary.

 

The Local Governing Board conducts its business as a board and no longer has a committee structure with the exception of those committees which need to be convened for HR related matters, complaints or pupil discipline matters.