Our Island Schools Local Governing Body

Tom Reveley

Chair

I am keen to join the governing body as many of my family members have attended Minster in Sheppey Primary School along with the fact my daughter is also started in year R this year.
I have previously volunteered as an Instructor for the Sea Cadet Corp from 2004 to 2022 and am currently a Trustee and Council Member for The Parochial Church Council of The Ecclesiastical Parish of West Sheppey.
With four years of financial experience working for NatWest Bank PLC as a counter manager and deputy branch manager, followed by 13 years of IT and people & business management.  I feel all the above have put me in a great position to make a difference to ensure the continued success of the school.  I understand the need for governors to be demanding but fair.

Claire Bridger

 Parent appointed

I'm Claire, I was elected as a parent governor in July 2021. Having lived in Minster my whole life and with a son at Minster Primary, I am fully committed to the schools continued success. I bring both a parent perspective and relevant skills and experience to the role of Governor. I have worked in the Education and Skills sector for over 22 years. I support Schools, Colleges and Independent Training providers to develop a curriculum that supports learners aged 14 to adults progress through lifelong learning. While promoting inclusivity and fairness for all to enable them to reach their true potential. I believe a good education that is broad and goes beyond academic, is fundamental to ensuring our children become the best versions of themselves. The ethos at The Island Learning Trust seeks to do just that. I will appropriately challenge and support the school and its senior leadership team to achieve their goals. I will use my experience, time and energy to help us to achieve this for the benefit of all the children.

Danielle Hall

Staff Appointed

I am the Assistant Headteacher at Halfway Houses Primary School with responsibility for Literacy and Reading and my day-to-day role includes aspects such as Safeguarding, Mentoring and Assessment. I have been lucky enough to have worked in all three of the schools within the Island Learning Trust over the last fourteen years.  I have a Doctorate in Education looking specifically at building teacher resilience and expertise and a Masters in Education that focused on assessment as well as a NPQ in Senior Leadership; I am about to start an NPQ in Leading Literacy. Over the last few years I have been a part of the Local Cultural Educational Partnership and worked on building opportunities for the arts across Medway and Swale through the work of Theatre 31.  I live with my family in Minster and have a son who has just leaving Minster Primary School to start his secondary education.  I have a diverse range of hobbies including horse-riding, rugby and reading as well as walking my dog and enjoying family time.  I have a passion for improving education on the island, believing that every child can exceed their potential creating greater opportunities for their future lives.

Mrs Louise Payne

Staff Appointed 

I have been teaching for 17 years and before that enjoyed roles as a helping mum and midday meal supervisor – what a long time ago that was! I currently lead the Year 4 team at Minster and take a leading role in the development of Science across our Trust. The personal development of children is my utmost concern and always at the forefront of my decision making.

Dr Colin Morris

Trust Appointed

I am a native of Sheppey and though I was away at Exeter University for over six years, and have travelled extensively, I have always lived here.

I graduated with BA and PhD degrees in geography from Exeter and promptly became an opera singer!   I later decided to fill the gaps between engagements by teaching in the local prisons.  After teaching for a short time, I managed first HMP Standford Hill and then HMP Elmley for very nearly twenty years.  For a time, until reorganisation by a new employer, I oversaw education in all three island prisons, and was at one point acting regional manager for Kent.   In particular, I devised a staff training package in Safeguarding and was the instigator for a Learner Voice programme which was embedded into everything we did.  We won a national award for this.

Throughout my time in offender learning, I maintained my singing career, but it was a bit of a tightrope at times.   My operatic career has taken me all over the British Isles and Ireland, to the Netherlands, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangkok and the USA.

My reason for thinking about applying to be a school governor is rooted in our being a deprived area and my wanting to give something back to the community which nurtured me.  My background in education is possibly of less value per se than my experience in seeing the bigger picture and trying to take a strategic, creative view – but I also believe that I have an eye for detail when it is appropriate.  My experience of educational management taught me that in the very broadest terms, the job is about three things:  curriculum, resources and people.   The first two are usually ‘fixed’ by external bodies.   People are by far the most challenging element in the mix.  I’d like to think that I have good people skills. 

Vicky Whitmill

Trust Appointed

I am a full time working mum who lives on the island with a child in Halfway Houses. I have a vested interest in school performance and helping to ensure children get the best educational experience. I am a Detective Sergeant with almost 20 years policing experience, the most recent has been in the child protection arena. I am passionate about safeguarding as the welfare of any child is paramount. Whilst I moved to the island as an adult so was not educated here, I am still keen to make an active contribution in shaping the education opportunities for the children within my local community.  I want to help ensure children have a safe space to learn and are appropriately supported in doing so.

KCC Clerk is Clare Levere

Governing Body Audit Programme

Governor Visits

Governors want and need to know their schools. Many governors find that visiting, particularly during the day, is a helpful way to find out about the schools. Visits can also be an important part of robust school accountability. Through pre-arranged visits, governors can check that the schools are implementing the policies and improvement plans they have signed off, and see for themselves how their vision and plans for the schools are working in practice. Visits also provide an opportunity to arrange meetings with pupils, staff and parents about what they think of the school and how it is changing.