Find out more about who is on the board of governors.

You can contact our governors via email at: governors@chalgrove.oxon.sch.uk

Ryan McCarthy is Co-Chair and is a Parent Governor

My wife and I have lived in Chalgrove for over 10 years and we feel very much at home in the village.

Our daughter, Niamh is at Chalgrove Primary School and we have been very pleased with the school and the role that it plays in the local community. I am keen to become more involved with the school and offer whatever support I can. I am an accountant by trade and I am currently a Director at a large multinational food manufacturer where I look after the finances for our snacks manufacturing plants in the Midlands.

I am a STEMNET Ambassador and with some of my colleagues I have been working with schools close to one of our plants in Coventry to make young people aware of the career opportunities in Science, Technology and Maths. This has included mentoring sessions with GCSE and A-Level students and arranging for them visit our plants to see manufacturing in action and the variety of roles available in the Food and Drink industry.

My hobbies include swimming and cycling.

Carl Hodgkiss is Co-Chair and is a Parent Governor

Judith Bennett OBE is a Community Governor 

We moved to Chalgrove in 1980 and I became a Governor at the school in 1993, having been a secondary school governor during my teaching career.

Becoming a governor at Chalgrove coincided with leaving teaching and moving into publishing, and gave me the opportunity to remain involved in education, which had been my professional life for 25 years. It provided the means to continue to make a contribution. It also led me to become a founding member of the Oxfordshire Governors’ Association and of the National Governors’ Association. My time as Chair of the NGA gave me the chance to learn about governing bodies across the country, their shared concerns and their shared fulfilment in the role. Over many years, I have worked as a governor trainer for Oxfordshire and Hackney; I am a Local Leader in Governance, working schools and governing bodies in need of support. In 2015, I was amazed but honoured to be awarded an OBE for Services to Education.

Over the years, I have been involved in the appointment of three Headteachers, and, as Chair, I led the governing body through a successful Ofsted in 2003. I am Vice Chair of the Acer Trust Board.

Being a governor is one of the most challenging but also most worthwhile roles any volunteer can perform. It is an immense privilege to play a part in the education of future generations. I feel a real delight in Chalgrove School and its children. Watching it flourish has been a source of pleasure and pride.

Danny Warner is a Parent Governor

I am Danny Warner, my wife Emma is a primary school teacher and our 2 boys (George & Oliver) attend Chalgrove Primary School.

My aim as a parent governor is to be able to support the school by making use of the experiences I have built up over the years. I have spent 17 years in IT business development roles working for companies of various different sizes from small local businesses to large multinational companies.

Over the years I have been part of and managed many successful teams. Some of the skills I have built include problem-solving, building strategies and maximising the effective use of existing resources. I am very used to working as part of a team guiding and supporting people along the way. I have also been responsible for performance management and working with staff to improve productivity and performance in their roles. I ask a lot of questions and am comfortable in challenging the norm looking for new more efficient ways to get things done whilst being mindful of older traditions.

I have seen directly the results of the hard work that has already been put in by the existing Governors, Head Teacher, Teachers, Friends of Chalgrove and parent volunteers and look forward to contributing to the continued success of the school.

David Turner is a Community Governor

I have lived in Chalgrove for 40 years. I am a former Chairman of the Chalgrove Primary School Governing body and have been a member of it since 1981. I have been a member of Chalgrove Parish Council since 1981. I have been married to Kathy for fifty one years and our two sons Karl & Jonathan both went to Chalgrove Primary School followed by the Icknield.

A few years ago, as a County Councillor, I visited schools in Oxfordshire with similar catchment areas to each other with some doing very well and others not so well. The schools which were doing very well had enthusiastic and inspirational leaders, coupled to a governing body who were acting as a real, but critical friend and a head teacher who welcomed that critical friend’s support. I believe we have established that formula at Chalgrove Primary School and I look forward to our school going from strength to strength.

Claire Stacey is a Parent Governor 

I became a parent governor in 2021, when my youngest of 3 girls started at Chalgrove Primary School. Having 3 children at the school I felt it was my place to give back and support the school!

I am the SEND Governor, which gives me so much pride supporting our children and families with additional needs!

You will find me flying in and out of the playground Monday to Thursday when I am working my day job as a Business Development Manager at Bright Money Independent, we are mortgage brokers based in Thame. I love helping clients with their property goals and making, retaining and gaining business relationships.

My real job is playing taxi to my girls and their hobbies. I’m a football, dance and gymnast mum! My girls hobbies are a massive part of my life, keeping them active and healthy is a key part of our lifestyle. You'll find me often on the football side line where I have found myself as administrator for Oxford City U11G football club!

My passion for sport and an active lifestyle means I’m always encouraging the school to participate in events, tournaments and ways to get the kids active!

I am always happy for anyone to approach me and chat about our school and how we can make the experience of our school better for all our families! 

Michelle Adams is a parent Governor

I am a parent to Peter and an Assistant Head in charge of literacy at a secondary school in High Wycombe as well as a facilitator for Best Practice in excellent teaching and learning.

Ms Carole Kilgour is a Community Governor

I moved to Chalgrove in 2022 after retiring from 40 plus years of teaching in Primary Education. I was Deputy Head of a large primary school and a Leading Literacy teacher as well as a Borough writing moderator for 10 years. I spent a lot of time as a mentor for trainee and newly qualified teachers as well as supporting Upper KS2 teachers within the borough. Even though I have retired from the classroom, I still have an interest in education and feel I have a lot of knowledge , which could be of interest and use to Chalgrove Primary School. I look forward to working with all of the Governors and staff and to meeting the children in the near future.

Ms Sam Gillion is our Headteacher

I am very proud to be Headteacher at Chalgrove Community Primary School. We are very much at the heart of our community and we are lucky to have such supportive families. 

Mrs Louise Soper is a Staff Governor.

Louise is our year 2 class teacher & leads Forest School.

What does the governing body do?  

Recent legislation has widened the responsibilities of school governors, but broadly governing bodies oversee the work of the school and make sure it provides a good quality education for its pupils.  Working in partnership with the head and other staff, governors are involved in: 

• setting up a strategic framework for the school
• setting its aims and objectives  
• reviewing progress and reviewing the strategic framework in the light of progress  
• setting policies
• improving standards of teaching and achievement
• setting the school's budget plan and monitoring expenditure  
• appraising the headteacher and ensuring staff are meeting the appropriate teacher standards
• acting as a link between the local community and the school
• dealing with complaints about the school
• drawing up an action plan after an inspection, and monitoring the success of the plan.    

The governing body is a “critical friend” to the head teacher and provides advice and support. 

The head teacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school; and for advising on and implementing the governing body’s strategic framework.

In particular, head teachers:

• formulate aims and objectives, policies and targets for the governing body to consider adopting
• report to the governing body on progress at least once every school year.  

The governing body is responsible for performing the head teacher’s appraisal together with an education professional.

It is a Statutory requirement that the Governing Body nominate specific Governors to assume responsibility for monitoring certain areas of School policy, i.e. Literacy, Numeracy, SEN, PSHCE, Child Protection and Diversity/Equality.