Our School Governors 

Our school governors are a very important part of our school community and leadership team. 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 three times yearly as minimum to monitor areas of responsibility 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

Meeting minutes are available upon request to our school office.

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Meet our School Governors

Headteacher

I joined Westmeads as Headteacher in September 2021.

I have been a leader in education since 2012, working in an inner London Primary School.

At Westmeads, we work closely with all stakeholders with delegated responsibilities within the school to ensure the very best outcomes for all of our children.

Co-opted Governor and Chair of the Governing Board.

Responsibility: Curriculum, Leadership, and Management.

I have been a governor at Westmeads for two years; firstly, as a co-opted governor and now as Chair since September 2021. I have worked in schools for most of my working life and was the headteacher 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 the senior level. I have also served on several 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.

Local Authority Governor
Responsibility: Health and Safety, GDPR and Finance.

I became a governor at Westmeads in September 2021. I have been a solicitor for over 25 years as a partner in an international law firm and as 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 ensuring Westmeads remains a vibrant hub of the community and gives the children a lifelong love of learning.

Co-Opted Governor

Responsibility: Mental Health and Wellbeing, Personal Development, Safeguarding, and Cyber Security

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.

Staff Governor

I  joined the Governing board in September 2022 as an elected staff governor. I love education. My specialism is Early Years and I have many years of experience in leading this stage of education. I really relish working in partnership with families to achieve the best outcomes for their children. My other passion is outdoor learning and researching its benefits. My interests are the positive impacts of forest and coastal schools on children’s personal, social, and emotional development; essential for learning and I’m excited to be implementing this approach at Westmeads.

Parent Governor

Responsibility: Finance, Safeguarding, and Cyber Security
Westmeads is a wonderful part of the Whitstable community; a school that cares about providing every child the opportunity to reach their potential. I have one child at the school with another to follow. It has very much become part of our lives. I have worked in policing for nearly 20 years in London and in Kent, across several detective positions, and I am now firmly focused on safeguarding children. I feel my experience in the police and collaborative working within the public sector will provide valuable input to the Governing Board. Having lived in Whitstable for several years I am excited to be part of Westmeads and help the school continue to reach new heights.

Parent Governor

Responsibility: Training, Attendance, and Pupil Premium

I have been a parent governor at Westmeads since January 2023. I have one child at Westmeads and have seen first-hand the caring and nurturing environment and dedication of staff across the school to immerse each child in an incredible learning journey with fantastic opportunities and experiences for each and every one.

I, like other parents, am passionate about the education given to our children and am enthusiastic to support the school in its strategy to provide tools to empower all children to succeed. I have worked in risk management, internal audit, and fraud prevention for over 15 years, and hope my experience of helping organisations across both public and private sectors to manage their risks and optimise their processes, will enable me to add value and further support the school in their efforts for continuous improvement.

Community Governor
Responsibility: SEND
I joined the Westmeads Governing Board as a community governor in October this year. I have lived in Whitstable most of my life. I went to school here in Whitstable myself and now work full-time for a charity in the town. As such, I feel a very strong connection with Whitstable and the local community.

I look forward to working with Westmeads and hope that my links with the local community will help to support the school as it continues to thrive.

Co-Opted Governor
Responsibility: EYFS
I joined Westmeads Governing Board as a co-opted governor in October 2024. I will draw upon knowledge and experiences gained from a number of roles held in primary education since 1985. I am passionate about improving the life chances of pupils. Most of my teaching experiences have been in inner-city settings as a teacher working in London, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire and as a headteacher in two schools in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

I held two advisory roles in Peterborough: raising standards of achievement for Black Minority and Ethnic pupils and as a  Numeracy Consultant.  

Working with the National College for School Leadership as a regional programme manager, I was part of the design and delivery team to ensure high-quality training for primary and secondary leaders at all levels. During this time, I was accredited by Ofsted as a Lead Inspector. This experience gave me greater insight when working with schools to secure school wide improvement. 

I joined Kent County Council in 2010 as a school improvement adviser. I have significant experience in supporting governing boards with headteacher recruitment and headteacher performance management.   

I retired in September 2023 but continue to undertake consultancy work. 

Having supported Westmeads for a number of years, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work as a governor and look forward to being part of the team that supports their continuing successful journey. 

Clerk to the Governors

Governing Board Diversity Data

As a small governing body, the decision has been taken to opt out of publishing diversity data to ensure the board members' anonymity.

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

Link to KCC Governor information on KELSI