St George's CE Primary School

Meet the Governors

At St George's CE Primary School, we have a team of governors that work as volunteers to support the school. Their role is to develop a vision and strategy for the school; oversee financial performance and make sure that money is well spent; hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and to engage with young people, staff, parents and the wider school community to understand their views.

Governors are expected to attend 6 Local Governing Team (LGT) meetings each year for approximately 2 hours per meeting. During these meetings governors look at a wide range of information to monitor how well the school is performing. Detailed reports including safeguarding, data and finance are discussed at these meetings, as well as a more general headteachers report.

Governor Support

To support the work that goes on, governors are encouraged to participate in school visits twice a year for approximately an hour. Governors observe what is happening in school, look at the school environment and talk to the young people about their school.

New Governors

If an individual is interested in being a member on our LGT they would meet with the chair and headteacher and discuss what they could bring to the team. Following the recruitment process they would then be invited to attend the LGT meeting where they would be appointed. Governors are appointed for a 4-year term of office. Once appointed governors receive an induction and training for the role.

Our Local Governing Team

We are proud to have a committed team that is made up of individuals with a range of backgrounds and experience.

Local Governor Attendance 2024-25

Historic (Governors stepped down in the last 12 months)

Lucy Weighall stepped down as parent governor in July 2025.

Vacancies

We currently have a vacancy for a parent governor. Information about elections to be provided in September 2025.

A message from our Chair of Governors:

St George’s school governors are pleased to support our school and we are very proud of our school, the headteacher and members of staff who make it a success. The staff and governors work as a team to ensure that this great school is a place where children want to attend and learn. 

The governors attend school frequently to monitor, as this helps to get a better picture of how the children feel about the school. 

The school has a broad and balanced curriculum with the governors monitoring and evaluating how this is being developed. 

The governors are not here to dictate how the school is being run, we are here to support the staff and ensure we are working together for the benefit of the children. 

The Local Governing Team is made up of the headteacher, staff governors, parent governors, and members of the local community, all of whom have a desire to help the school improve. 

The LGT meet regularly throughout the year, at least twice each term. They have the responsibility of celebrating success, addressing any concerns and clarifying what progress has been made. Activities include premises checks, monitoring the quality of provision, financial management and supporting the headteacher with the strategic leadership of the school. With the school being part of the Embark Federation Multi Academy Trust, we work closely with Trust leaders to continuously improve our school for all learners.

Mr Steve Haigh 

Rebecca Flynn (Safeguarding/Pupil Voice/Filtering & Monitoring)

I joined the Governing Board at St George’s in December 2018. I live locally to the school and my  daughter and son currently attend.  My husband is also connected with the school as he is an active member of the PTA. He is also a committee member of the local feeder pre-school. As a job, I am a teaching assistant at The Pingle Academy. Previously I have worked within SEND in primary schools and in a children’s centre. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, especially out in the fresh air. 

Liz Tyers (Church Schools)

I began teaching at St. George’s in 2016 and joined the governing body as staff governor in March 2019.  I live locally with my husband and daughter, who has been a member of this school since reception.  I became a governor because I enjoy working at St. George’s and am looking forward to developing the links between the governors, staff and the local community.  I have worked in several local schools over the last 20+ years but still look forward to Monday mornings, especially those which involve Storm (one of our 2 school dogs).  Out of school hours, my interests include reading, baking and spending time with my family and friends, as well as supporting my daughter's hobbies.

Stephen Haigh: Chair (Quality of Education & Standards/Sport Premium/Pupil Premium/Personal Development/Behaviour/Attitudes/Attendance)

Hello, my name is Steve, and I am proud to serve as a co-opted governor. With over 40 years of experience in the IT industry, I have developed a deep passion for technology and education. During the past two decades, I have had the privilege of teaching IT at both College and University levels, as well as guiding apprentices in a commercial setting, which has given me valuable insights into both academic and practical aspects of the field. Having called Swadlincote home for more than 20 years, I am now "mostly retired" and eager to give back to the community by sharing my knowledge and experience—believing that education is the most impactful way to do so. In my spare time, I pursue amateur radio, and I am actively engaged in various voluntary roles, which allow me to stay connected and contribute to causes I care about.

Claire Clarke

I joined the Governing Board at St George's in January 2020. I've been part of the team here for a number of years, both as a MDS and a SEND Teaching Assistant. I'm passionate about ensuring all children find a way of learning to maximise their potential. Both of my own children attended St George's. (In fact, so did my husband many years ago!) I live locally with my husband and two sons. In my free time I enjoy reading, retail therapy (!), spending quality time with family and socialising with friends. 

Matthew Everett: Vice-Chair

I am a parent governor and have worked in education for over 16 years. My daughter attends the school and comes home happy every day. I have lived in Church Gresley for the last 7 years and would love to give back to this fantastic local community. In my spare time I enjoy the outdoors with my children and various sports. 

Kris Woodward (Operations/Finance/Health & Safety/Estates)

St George’s is very close to my heart. Teaching here has made up the majority of my career so far and I’m eager to make it the best possible place for teachers and students alike. I moved here from North Wales after my NQT year and have settled well into the local area. Away from school, my hobbies include watching and playing as much sport as I can, as well as spending time with my family.

Kate Devitt (SEND/Inclusion/LAC)

Kara Gander (Foundation Governor / Mental Health & Wellbeing)

I'm Rev. Kara, a local curate, and I'm thrilled to have joined the governing body of our school. My passions lie in the physical, mental and spiritual flourishing of our pupils, staff and the families in our community. As a parent of one of the students at the school, I also have a personal investment in ensuring that our school is a nurturing and supportive environment. You can often find me at the school gate with my lovable labrador, Daisy, who thinks she’s part submarine! On my rest day, I like to stay active outdoors by running or paddleboarding. When the weather is cold, I am usually curled up with some knitting or cross-stitch.

Peter Ricketts - Embark Trustee Advocate

Peter has worked in a variety of positions in finance in both public and private sector for over thirty years. He currently works for the Ministry of Defence in procurement for CAAS (Cost Assurance and Analysis Service) producing reports to aid decision making for buying defence equipment and platforms. He has also worked for the Surgeon General as a Financial Controller for the Defence Medical Services and as a Resource Manager for Prime Contracting in Defence Estates. Earlier in his career, Peter worked as a Brewery and Distribution Accountant for Bass Brewers and at British Rail Engineering in Derby.

Peter was awarded an MBA in 2005, studying part-time through the Open University. He also has a qualification in teaching English as a foreign language and has worked in Japan and Indonesia including two years of working with Voluntary Service Overseas.

It was inevitable that Peter should end up working with schools in some capacity as he has a wife who was Headteacher of two schools and worked latterly for the Derbyshire Education Improvement Service as a Senior Advisor. His daughter is a teacher at an Infant school in Sandiacre. As a result, educational issues are in integral part of dinnertime conversation in the Ricketts’ household.

Outside of work Peter enjoys running and cycling. He has recently started doing parkruns – shorter distances being better in old age. He recently achieved a significant milestone by coming first at Rosliston Forestry Parkrun, albeit in the 60-64 age group.