Governors

The School’s governing body is made up of twelve governors, consisting of:-

2 Parent governors

1 LA governor

1 Staff governor

6 Foundation Governors (4 vacancy)

1 exoficio governor 

1 headteacher

The governing body also has two associate members appointed for their expertise and experience in the education environment. Associate members within the governing body have no voting rights within full governing body meetings, or on any of the committees to which they have been appointed.

The Chair of the governing body is Mrs Sarah North and to maximise effectiveness the full governing body meets 9 times per year, with a clear focus on strategic issues.
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The governing body work strategically, using the school development plan to organise special areas of interest. This streamlined arrangement supports the school in improving, as well as allowing governors to have both a wide-angle view of the school as well as a narrowed, more specialist viewpoint.

To fulfill our responsibilities we have developed sustainable and flexible strategies that are included in an integrated model of governance that is embedded within the school teams, with our principal focus always being the progression, development and safety of children in our care. In support of that, attracting and keeping the best people is at the heart of our recruitment and retention program, ensuring that we understand the school and its needs and make the very best use of our finances so that we know we are getting and offering the best value for money possible. We also recognise that the relationships between parents and school has a direct impact on learning. To be truly successful teams need to maintain a positive two way dialogue and accordingly we continuing to improve and develop effective communication. If you would like to talk to any of our governors then I would encourage you to contact any of us at any time.

The School’s governing body is made up of twelve governors:

Parent governors:

Sarah North

I am a Parent Governor and have two Daughters at Appleton School and live in the village. 
I was brought up in Appleton and I attended the School as child. My Dad and his Sisters also attended the School and my Nan was the School Cook for many years so my family have always had a strong connection with the school. 

For the last 23 years I have worked in the Banking Industry and for the last 7 years I worked as an Agricultural Bank Manager for a large High Street Bank. At the beginning of this year (2024) I decided to take a break from Banking and now work as an Estimator and Accounts Assistant, which gives me more time to be with my girls. 

My motivation to be a Governor is driven by wanting to give something back to the School and I feel with my finance background I have skills that are useful to supporting the school. 

 

David Woodhouse

 

1 LA governor 

Rebekah White

Rebekah lives in the village and has two children at the school. She enjoys being a part of the school community and loves spending a day in Year One each year teaching the students about Australia. Since completing a DPhil (PhD) in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, Rebekah has continued to work in the University; combining roles in Student Welfare, teaching and research. In her spare time, she loves running and taking photos of beautiful things!

Staff governor

Kate Griffiths

Kate has taught at Appleton Primary school for the last ten years. She enjoys building relationships with children and families and is passionate about inclusion which has led her to her current roles of SENCO and Mental Health Lead. Kate is currently undertaking the NASENCO training at Oxford Brookes University. Before she became a teacher she worked as a hydrogeologist. She has three children and, when she gets chance, enjoys being outside, travel and reading.  

Foundation Governors

Liz Gilkes

Liz's own four children all attended Appleton School in the past so she knows the school well and value its importance within the community. Her professional background and career was in children's Social Care, which has provided her with valuable insight into the huge importance  of high quality education for every child.

I was appointed as a foundation governor at Appleton in 2023. I come from a background in education, having worked as a primary school teacher for over ten years. This has given me valuable insight into the role of school governor.
My four children have all attended Appleton, the two youngest still do. I have watched them all thrive during their primary years and as a governor, I hope to play a role in the continued success of the school.

Lucy Katz

I have been a Foundation Governor at Appleton since Summer 2024 and am delighted to be a part of the board. The school is a very special place.

I also have 11 years’ experience as a governor in other Oxfordshire schools which have been large and small, and primary and secondary.

Families and their children who are part of our school community deserve the very best from Appleton School and I see it as my role to make absolutely sure this is what the school is providing.

What does “the best” look like at our school? 

I strongly believe that children develop a love of learning very early in their school careers, and that, if the school gets this right for them, it will set them up for life.  In order to achieve this, all lessons must be engaging and enjoyable, with teaching of the highest quality. 

 I’m also committed to giving children an education outside the classroom, with a rich range of opportunities beyond academic results.

 I also believe that school should prepare pupils to be positive members of the communities they live in.  My goal is to make sure that pupils are offered opportunities at Appleton School which meet these aims.  

 I am one of the Link Governors for AEN (SEND) and for Safeguarding.  It is my role to ensure that all pupils are safe in our school and beyond.  It is also down to me to advocate vigorously for all students, ensuring that our full education provision is accessible to everyone.

3 foundation governor vacancies

Head Teacher 

Amy Carnell

Amy is in her 35th year of teaching. She left her secondary school career as an assistant head in 2010 to follow her passion of working with the younger age range. Amy is an experienced headteacher, her 13th year in headship and her 9th year at Appleton. 

Exoficio governor: Father Wealands Bell

Wealands Bell is from Durham, where he was a cathedral chorister as a child. He read English at York and taught English and Drama for a decade in England and Greece, before studying for ordination in Yorkshire. He has worked as a priest in parishes, a monastery, several schools, and a cathedral. He came to Appleton as Rector in July 2024. He is married to Anna, a Primary School teacher. They have two teenage sons, a puppy, and a very timid cat.