Governance

I was fortunate in my education and with the support I had from my parents, when I left school I secured a 5 year training contract to work and study to become a Chartered Accountant, something that I never considered whilst at school. I worked as a senior Audit Manager in one of the major firms in London, but in 1982 had the opportunity to become the Group Accountant in the Bloodstock Industry in Newmarket and we relocated to this area that year.

However I preferred the Professional Life and so I set up an accountancy practice in 1985 with 4 clients. We have served many businesses and individuals since then.

Our daughters both attended the Upper School as it was then and one works with me, the other is a solicitor with the Government. I was “recruited” to be a Governor for the Upper School and Riverside Middle School, for my accounting background. I became Vice Chair of Governors of the Upper School, but I stood down after 8 years to work on my business. I then re-joined the Governing Body 10 years ago and a year later became the Chair.  I strongly believe that every student should have the opportunity to achieve and exceed their potential, so a good school is essential.

MCA is just that, we have seen the change from the 3 to 2 tier system and the change to becoming an Academy.  This we believed would enable us to maintain and improve the education we can offer.  We are now seeing the benefits of this and MCA is firmly established as a good school. The move to a new building within 2 years can only enhance the opportunities for all who attend MCA.  I count myself fortunate to be involved in this journey and seeing the students benefit from the outstanding teaching and facilities that MCA will continue to offer.

I am the School Fire Liaison Officer, a post which I have held for the past six years. I have been a full-time fire fighter for over forty years based at Bury St Edmunds until 2016, and I’m now on call as a Crew Commander at Mildenhall Fire Station.

My role within the academy is providing student support, working in SEND, the BEST Area and also with students working towards their Youth Award course. I also organise a Fire Break Programme to help students with low confidence and self-esteem and encourage them to socialise with other people.

I have been a Community Governor for the past three years. Being a Community Governor allows me to have a better understanding of how Mildenhall College Academy is run and seeing how all the students progress and achieve throughout their school years. My responsibilities within the academy are for Music, PE, Premises and whistleblowing

I have been a Community Governor for a number of  years at MCA and at Riverside Middle School prior to that. I work in the local community as a police officer and my role is Community Engagement Officer for Forest Heath. I have been a police officer for 22 years mainly working in the local area.

I have two children one of whom is currently a Sixth Form student at MCA6. I really enjoy my role as Community Governor at MCA and this has allowed me to get an insight into how the academy runs on a day to day basis as well as attending various events and seeing the students winning awards. Also as part of my day job I enjoy working with the academy and have taken assemblies with the students raising awareness of issues in the community and wider. My responsibilities in the academy are for attendance, DT & Art, equalities, PREVENT (radicalisation and extremism), sex & relationship education and student behaviour.

I became a community governor at MCA in 2017 following 15 years as a primary school governor. In my role as a freelance training consultant, I already had a relationship with MCA supporting Careers within Key Stage 4 and in the Sixth Form. I was pleased therefore to take on the role of Lead Governor for this area of the curriculum and to further support the academy by undergoing training with the Local Enterprise Partnership as an Enterprise Adviser. The other curriculum area that I link with is Humanities.

I think I might well be described as the parent who never left! When we arrived from Australia and our daughters chose to go to the then Mildenhall College of Technology, I was asked whether I would be a parent governor. That was at the end of 2002 and I have been a governor ever since. Now a community governor, I have seen the academy change in so many ways.

It is a good school which is always getting better and that trajectory overall is what counts in education, in a community, and in life itself.

My work as a governor over the years has meant community engagement, working with a neighbouring college for a few years, and taking an interest in the English, Drama and Humanities Faculties. I have what might be called a ‘watching brief’ to be aware of aspects of academy life – curriculum, literacy, teaching and learning, attainment and pupil progress – the goals being that what is experienced in the classroom, performance venue or outdoors keeps getting better for everyone.

I believe very much in the power and good of education and that teachers do amazing things. As the saying goes, ‘teachers touch the future’,  and good things are always happening in classrooms, on excursions, and among the students at MCA. Governors are do their part, largely administratively, in encouraging more and more good things to happen.

After studying a degree in Sports Therapy at the University of Chichester and flirting with the concept of professional cricket I decided to re-train as a teacher. After a short spell of teaching at King Edward VI School in Bury St. Edmunds I joined Mildenhall College Academy as a teacher of PE in 2008. I  was soon promoted to the role of House Leader and then into the role of Assistant Principal. I joined the Academy Committee in 2013 as a staff governor and more recently converted to a community governor. I am passionate about improving the lives of the young people who live in our community and I am determined to improve their Teamwork, Resilience, Ambition, Inquistiveness, Togetherness and Success.

I have been a Support Staff Governor at Mildenhall College Academy since 2015. Prior to this I was a Governor at a primary school in Suffolk for eight years whilst working as a School Business Manager.

Although I work at MCA, being part of the strong Governing Body allows me to see how they view the academy from a Governors’ perspective.  There are a wide variety of professions that make up the Governing Body which brings a wealth of experience and fresh, new ideas for pupil progress.