The Governors

Introduction to the Governing Body

The dynamic, dedicated and experienced board of governors at St Nicholas School supports the school in a number of ways. It provides strategic leadership and accountability, appoints the Head Teacher and Deputy Headteachers, and ensures the schools performance is continually monitored, evaluated and improved.

It is governors who hold the main responsibility for the school’s finances, and it is governors who work with the headteacher to make the best use of the money we receive.  They are also ultimately responsible for important matters such as teaching and learning, safeguarding, health and safety, staffing and premises.

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The board comprises governors elected by parents, appointed on the basis of their skills and experience, and appointed by the Local Authority. Together they work hard to support the Head Teacher, staff and pupils with the aim of ensuring that St Nicholas School is the best it can be and provides the highest quality education for our children and young people.

Minutes of FGB meetings can be obtained by request from the school office. This does not include any confidential minutes.

Governors

Sharon Godden

Interim Chair

Sharon brings a strong background in financial markets, with expertise in strategic planning and bespoke financial solutions, particularly in Interest Rate Derivative structures. She has applied her professional and analytical skills in a variety of education and health-related settings, with a long-standing commitment to supporting children with complex needs. Sharon has served on the governing body of St Nicholas School for many years, including key leadership roles such as Vice Chair, Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee, and more recently Interim Chair of Governors. She was also a parent ambassador on the Department for Education-funded Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Research Project. She is currently a member of the Advisory Council of the charity Together for Short Lives and is actively involved in children’s health and palliative care through her current role as Commissioning and Partnerships Manager at Demelza Hospice Care for Children. Sharon’s work connects her with NHS and Local Authority partners across Kent and Medway, South East London and East Sussex. She enjoys hockey, running, cycling, and Pilates.

Angela Pike

Co-opted Governor

Angela graduated from The University of East Anglia in 1982 with a teaching degree and a focus on Special Educational Needs. Her first teaching role was in a post 16 unit for young people with complex physical and health needs in London. Following this Angela spent three years in a residential school in Berkshire for children with a wide range of learning and emotional needs. Angela started her life at St Nicholas in 1987 as teacher in the Reception class and then went on to be phase manager for the Primary department. In the year 2000 Angela was appointed Deputy Head Teacher at the school. She went on to lead on many projects including the training of new teachers and support of children in mainstream schools with SEN. She retired in the summer of 2017 and after many happy years at the school, was asked to become a governor and is now only too happy to continue to support the school and the pupils in any way possible. Angela has two grown up children and enjoys a very outdoor life which includes dog walking!

Penny Webb

Co-opted Governor

Penny is a Senior Lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University in Primary Education and leads Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Inclusion for the Primary department. Before joining Christ Church in 2016, Penny worked as primary school teacher for 22 years and started her career in a special school. As a teacher, Penny took on a range of leadership roles, including History and Geography, Literacy, RE and SENCo. Now, Penny teaches students about teaching and supporting children with SEN. She owns a Dunkirk little ship, is member of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships and loves to get out on the water whenever she can.

Jesse Sazant

Co-opted Governor

Jesse is the Chief Operating Officer of The Canterbury Academy Trust. He has been a school leader at both primary and secondary level, having taught from, Year 1 through to Year 13 in a variety of subjects. He is passionate about education being a vehicle to support each and every young person in pursuing their dreams. Outside of work, basketball coaching is his passion and he is currently Programme Lead for GB Maxibasketball.

Joe White

Co-opted Governor

Joe is Deputy Principal of Meadowfield School in Kent. He has spent his career in special education including a working in a residential special school. Joe is a Principal Instructor for the Kent PROACT SCIPr UK® Network where he works closely with colleagues to develop Proactive behaviour support in schools. He runs the website inclusiveteach.com which shares free SEN teaching resources and sensory stories.

Emma Wellard

Staff Governor

I've been working at St Nicholas School since 1996, firstly as a T.A, then HLTA and furthered my training by completing an Integrative Counselling diploma in 2013. I have since trained as a clinical supervisor and Level 5/6 CYP counsellor. I am lucky enough to lead the St Nicholas well-being team, designated mental health lead and train in areas such as Proact Scip, Solihull two-day foundation and reflective supervision. I am also wife to Adrian and Mum to Bena and Abby. I care for my father.. and I do have time for other things! which includes chairperson of my local allotments, working my two allotment plots and gardening. I enjoy my role as staff governor as it gives me a greater understanding of the processes and structures of running a Special School.

Sarah King

Parent Governor

Parent Governor, PTFA Chair, Volunteer in school, Foster carer, mother and grandmother. Worked in hospitality many years, then in more recent years was an activities coordinator working with dementia and adults suffering from acquired brain injuries.

Emma Blackmore

Parent Governor

Emma is a Deputy Headteacher in a mainstream primary school in Ashford. She has been working in education for over 20 years and in Senior Leadership since 2016. Emma currently leads Behaviour and Personal development within the school she works for and is also a Designated Safeguarding Lead. Emma has experience of teaching from Reception up to Year 6, with a majority of her time spent within Key Stage One. Emma's son has attended St Nicholas School since the start of Reception and is on the Beech Pathway.

Dr. Rachel Mallia Borg

Co-opted Governor

Rachel is a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. She currently works as a Course Lead and Senior Lecturer for the BA (Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Studies) course at Canterbury Christ Church University. She graduated in Malta and later earned her Masters Degree and Professional Doctorate in the UK. She describes herself as a passionate clinician specialising in the area of Autism and parent-professional partnership models of service delivery. She has two young children and has been living in the UK for 10 years. 

Governors' Documents