Our School Governors 

Our school governors are a very important part of our school community. They visit the school regularly and are very involved in many aspects of school life.

We are very lucky to have a group of governors who willingly give their time to support the school. We meet as a Full Governing Board six times a year and every governor visits the school each term to monitor an area in relation to the School Development Plan.

School governors provide strategic, supportive and collaborative leadership, and shared accountability in schools. They are responsible for appointing the headteacher and hold shared responsibility for finance.

The role of the Governing Board is a strategic one and its key functions are to:

• Support the setting of aims and objectives for the school

• Support the adoption of policies for achieving those aims and objectives

• Monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards the achievement of its aims and objectives

• Be a source of support and challenge to the headteacher

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Meet our School Governors

I joined Westmeads as Headteacher in September 2021. I have been a leader in education since 2012 working in an inner London Primary School. I am very excited to be joining the vibrant, enthusiastic and dedicated team to ensure all of our children achieve their very best. I will be working closely with the whole school community to provide an education that is both exciting, purposeful and accessible to all.

I been a governor at Westmeads for two years; firstly as a co-opted governor and I am now  Chair from September (2021). I have worked in schools for most of my working life and was the head teacher of a primary school in Larkfield until 2016. I then spent three years working between London and Northern India, supporting teaching and learning in 230 rural and tribal schools. I am now working as an education consultant and executive coach across London and Kent. I am looking forward to being a part of the Westmeads journey.

I was delighted to be invited to join the Westmeads board as a co-opted governor in January this year. I have lived very near the School for ten years, so I feel a strong local connection that I look forward to deepening. I have worked for over four decades in the arts, with over twenty at senior level. I have also served on a number of boards and am currently a member of the board of Whitstable Biennale. I look forward to a rich relationship with governors, staff, parents, pupils and all at Westmeads.

I have worked in education with students from 4-18 years and held a variety of management positions including a Deputy Headship in a rural Primary school and Head of Sixth form in Kent. Additionally I was part of a management team offering complementary therapies for holistic health in a residential setting.

I am passionate about young people having the opportunity to be the best version of themselves; I look forward to using this to support your children at Westmeads school.

I became a co-opted governor at Westmeads in September 2021. I have been a solicitor for over 25 years, firstly as a partner in an international law firm and then general counsel for a large financial institution. I hope that my legal, regulatory and executive board skills will help support my fellow governors to ensure Westmeads is able to be best in class for all of its statutory and local authority requirements. I look forward to getting to know all stakeholders of the school and ensure Westmeads remains a vibrant hub of the community and gives the children a lifelong love of learning.

I am delighted and proud to join the governing board at Westmeads this year from September 2021. My 3rd child has just started in Reception at Westmeads, so my wife and I are commencing year 7 of 9 consecutive years of having children attend Westmeads. In this time I have been amazed at the caring, nurturing nature of all of the teaching and support staff at Westmeads and the passion from everyone we have encountered. I feel it is time to give something back to the community school that has served our children so well, and support Westmeads’ ambition to serve our community even better and be the best it can be. My experience managing commercial relationships in a global, fast-moving consumer goods company, will enable me to support the finance function of the school and look at things with a fresh pair of eyes. 

Governor Updates

The Governors give a termly update of what they have been getting up to. If you wish to view previous updates and see the work that our Governors do to support the school you can click here to go to our letters page.

If you wish to contact the governing board, please use the contact form below or email Matt Dechaine, the Chair of Governors at mdechaine@westmeads.kent.sch.uk. Alternatively, you can write a letter and give it to the school office.

Link to KCC Governor information on KELSI