Governors

Revd. Paul Doick (Acting Chair of Governors / Foundation Governor) I am the Vicar of the Parish of  Henfield with Shermanbury and Woodmancote  and have been on the Governing body of St. Peters since 2014.  I grew up in Worthing and before I was ordained have a background in the Financial services Industry. I really enjoy spending time in our school and love to see the children thrive. I’m married to Jan, have 2 grown up daughters and enjoy reading, cinema, eating out, travel and cricket.

Revd. Christina Bennett (Foundation Governor) I have been a  foundation governor for seven years.  I have lived in Henfield for a long time and my three children all attended St Peter’s, some years ago now!  I retired as a solicitor in 2009.  Twelve years ago I was ordained and since then have been helping in the Churches of our Parish.

Dave Carter (Foundation Governor) During my time as a school Governor I have enjoyed witnessing St Peter’s flourish as a result of the collaboration and hard work of everyone associated with the school community.  I am a qualified chartered accountant but for the last 16 years have worked in education.  I qualified as a teacher in 2003 and for the last 7 years have been a secondary school headteacher and more latterly the CEO of a small Catholic and cross-phase multi-academy Trust.

Louise Clarke (Foundation Governor) I have been a Foundation Governor at St Peter’s since 2013 and a parent at the school for even longer. During my time as a governor, I have chaired the Staffing and Curriculum Committee and as well as chairing the Full Governing Body for a while.

I currently work in the SEND department of a secondary school.  I am a member of the congregation at St Peter’s Church, Henfield.

Jill Dyson ( Local Authority Governor) I have been the local authority (LA) governor for just over two years. I have spent 33 years in education in varying roles from primary headteacher to education adviser to head of the Virtual School for children looked after, both in Hackney and then West Sussex.  Just before becoming a governor at St Peter’s I had spent some time in the school supporting the senior leaders following the retirement of the previous headteacher. Because of this I wanted to continue my relationship with the team and was pleased to become a governor. I chair the Curriculum and Ethos Committee.

I am self-employed and work as an education adviser and leadership coach. I love my sports and have completed the London to Brighton bike ride several times!

Simon Neale (Foundation Governor) I am a parent of two children at the school, and  I am married to Harriet, the Curate at St. Peter’s Church.  Prior to retirement, I was a manager in the Further and Higher Education sector, specialising in my last years in Quality Assurance and contract management.  Prior to that, I was a Residential Social Worker working with children and teenagers.

Emma Smith (Parent Governor) I have been a parent governor since Autumn 2016, and I’m the safeguarding lead governor for St Peter’s. My professional background is in health visiting and I currently work for the local community NHS trust, overseeing a number of children’s health services. I have also had a governance and quality role within the NHS.

I am passionate about ensuring that our children experience a broad and engaging curriculum and that all children make the best progress that they can. I also aim to make sure that the health, welfare and wellbeing needs of children and staff are considered at all times. 

Debbie Stoneley (Co-opted Governor) I joined the Governing body in 2018 and am currently Director of Safeguarding at a local Independent school. I have been teaching for 40 years, having trained as a PE specialist, but I have also taught PSHE and English.

I am passionate about the education of children and am excited about the changes that are being implemented at St Peters. The children are really lucky to be part of such a nurturing community.

Michael Lacey (Parent Governor) I was elected as a Parent Governor in November 2018. I decided to volunteer as I am passionate about education and strongly believe in the school’s responsibility to inspire future generations to achieve their full potential. All children should feel empowered to strive towards achieving their ambitions and the early years of a child’s development are crucial in setting the foundations for this.

I qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant soon after completing my degree in Accountancy & Management and I work as Senior Commercial Finance Manager within a FTSE 10 corporation. I have 14 years of experience within Finance roles primarily within large multi-national businesses both within the UK and internationally.

I live in Henfield with my wife and our 3 sons – our eldest and middle sons both attend St. Peter’s Primary School and our youngest will apply to attend when he is at school age.

Nigel Stevens (Foundation Governor) I am a retired Senior Civil Servant, formerly Higher Education Programme Manager at the Department of Education and Skills.  I am a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and a Fellow of the British Computer Society.  I am a Parish Councillor; and have been a Local Authority Governor at a number of Sussex schools since June 2011, before being appointed a Governor at St Peter’s School, Henfield in November 2019.  I am keen to make a difference at my local school and to add value to a crucial stage in the lives of local children.

I am a cruciverbalist with an interest in industrial archaeology, cartography, gardening and theatre architecture.   I live with my wife Sidonie Winter who is an opera singer, one Labrador, four cats and three chickens.

Joanna Brown (Clerk to Governors) I moved to Henfield from London in 2018 and was delighted to find a role in the community as Clerk to the Governors at St Peter’s.

I worked full time in the professional body/trade union sector for nearly 40 years, latterly as Chief Executive of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists. I now have a portfolio of roles in health, justice and education, including clerking at several schools.I have three grown up children and enjoy gardening, cinema and travel.