Ken Cowdery – Academy Governor & Chair of the Governing Body 

Ken was appointed as school governor in late 2010 and became Chair in September 2012.

Ken is a Chartered Surveyor and has gained considerable professional and commercial experience as founder/director of two property consultancies and formerly as managing director of a property company.

Ken is also actively involved with other charitable causes. He is co-founder/trustee of a Charity, chairs a voluntary Association, and sits on various committees and steering groups.

Philip Knights – Academy Governor & Vice-Chair of the Governing Body 

Having retired from a firm of lawyers in London Philip has taken up several voluntary roles.

He is Vice Chair of Governors of Godalming College and a governor of St Ives preparatory school in Haslemere. When not sailing with friends he is a watchleader with the Jubilee Sailing Trust, which offers Tall Ship sailing to both able and physically disabled crew on equal terms.

Philip’s interest in education developed during four years working part time with prisoners at HMP Send. This provided a window into the extraordinary difficulties which many people still face in accessing even the most basic skills in reading and writing. St Dominic’s offers an opportunity to enhance the life chances of young people facing different but equally demanding educational challenges.

Andrew Falk – Academy Governor & Designated Safeguarding Governor for St Dominic’s School

Andrew has been involved with St Dominic’s since 2009, first as Clerk to the Governors, and since 2013 as a Governor. He is now the Safeguarding Lead Governor. He lives in Hambledon, close to the school.

Andrew, who read history at Cambridge, is a retired lawyer who specialised in criminal law. He is married with 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

Alison Livesley – Academy Governor & Designated Safeguarding Governor for Brantridge School

Alison Livesley is a geography graduate, beginning her career in planning and development for airport operator BAA plc. She helped to secure permission for Heathrow’s Terminal 5 after the UK’s longest running planning inquiry lasting nearly five years. She went on to support the BAA Board in corporate strategy, corporate finance and corporate affairs.

She now has a number of voluntary roles, including as Trustee at St Catherine’s Hospice, Crawley and visiting hospital patients with her Golden Retriever Rufus as part of nationwide charity Pets as Therapy.   She was previously a governor and Trustee at Brantridge School (2011 – 2015) and a Trustee of NASS (National Association of Non-Maintained and Independent Special Schools) from 2013 – 2016.  She is delighted to be back at Brantridge to play a part in the newly formed joint governing body with St Dominic’s School.

Liz Simmons – Academy Governor

Liz is business manager of a secondary academy in Surrey and has particular expertise in the fields of property management and human resources.  She has worked in education for fifteen years and has experience of a range of school phases from a children’s centre, through an infant and primary school to her current role.  She has achieved the ADSBM and is a member of the NASBM.

Liz has lived in Milford for twenty-two years previous to which she lived in Hong Kong for five years.  She has three children, one of whom has special needs giving her additional insight into the positive impact of effective education on students with additional needs.

Liz has been a volunteer in a number of roles with Girlguiding Surrey West for fifteen years ranging from senior section leader to division commissioner for the local area.  She is a keen walker and enjoys exploring the local countryside with her two Labradors.

Martin Hartwell – Academy Governor

Martin’s background is in business with experience of leading senior management teams and has been a Company Director since 1993. He graduated from the London College of Furniture in 1983 with a Higher Diploma in Musical Instrument Technology.

Martin lives in Guildford and has two sons, both in further education.

Sam Marshall – Academy Governor

Sam has a background in corporate business, with four years in the competitive environment of recruitment and a further eight years working for telecommunications companies as an executive assistant.  Sam has a sense of commercial awareness and scale of business.

Now working part time in her own business of passenger transport, Sam is a busy Mum who is hands on in the upbringing and education of her own children.  Sam has two children in Key Stage 2, with her son, Connor, attending St Dominic’s.

In the past, Sam has previously been Chair of the PTA at Mytchett Primary School for four years and at the Ark Nursery, a Montessori school for two years.  Sam has previously been an active member of the Guiding Association but now enjoys the pleasures of family life, camping and walking the family dog.

 

Jo Yarlett, Academy Governor & Designated Safeguarding Governor for Grafham Grange School

 

Cath Drummond, Parent Governor, Brantridge School

 

Diana Puica, Staff Governor, Brantridge School

 

Dafydd Roberts, Ex-Officio Governor/Principal, Brantridge School

 

Angela Drayton, Ex-Officio Governor/Executive Principal, Brantridge School, St Dominic’s School (Principal) and Grafham Grange School