Welcome to the Governors Page

Crudwell Church of England Primary School’s Governing Body provides non-executive leadership to the school. Its role is to operate as a board akin to the board of trustees of a charity, or the board of directors of a company. The Governing Body operates at a strategic level, leaving the Headteacher and senior school leaders responsible and accountable to it for the operational day-to-day running of the school.

The three core functions of the Governing Body are:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

All governors are volunteers.

The Governing Body meets as a full board six times a year and also in committees which are currently Curriculum and Standards, Staffing, and Resources. Some governors have additional specific responsibilities such as Safeguarding and SEND. Individual governors are also linked to each subject area of the curriculum and also monitor each of the various strands of the annual School Development Plan (SDP). The SDP is reviewed and set for each academic year by the school leadership team and the Governing Body.

For further information about the work of the Governing Body and its committees please see our Scheme of Delegation.

Meet our Governors

Tim Kaner, Chair and Co-opted Governor

Whistleblowing Governor.

I have lived in Crudwell since 2016 and became a governor in 2020. I was elected Chair of Governors from January 2026.

I am an executive search and marketing consultant with a specialisation in higher education and extensive prior experience in the commercial sector. I was previously a member of the Executive Board at one of the UK's leading universities.

I am a firm believer in the value of the power of education to transform lives and I hope I can bring a range of useful skills and relevant experience to the school and its governing body.

Julian Lomas, Vice-Chair and Foundation Governor

Serves on the Staffing Committee and heads up the Curriculum and Standards Committee.

More Able Learners Governor; Pupil Premium Governor; Children Looked After Governor.

I moved to the village in 2022 and became a governor in 2024. I was elected Vice-Chair of Governors from January 2026. I was previously a governor at a CofE secondary school in Kettering and have been a trustee of many charities over the years, particularly charities supporting children and young people. I believe wholeheartedly in the power of education to transform lives (at any age). I have three adult children.

Since 2007 I have run my own small consultancy business supporting small charities and non-profits, specialising in governance, strategy, collaborations and fundraising. Before that I was a local government director, senior civil servant and a research chemist. I hope my experience brings useful skills to support the school (perhaps not so much the chemistry!).

Ian Churchill, Local Authority Governor

Heads up the Resources Committee.

Safeguarding Governor; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Governor.

I became a governor at the school not long after moving to the village – in the last millennium. All three of my children benefited from a wonderful and broad education at the school and I continue to be a governor because I think an excellent primary education is the greatest thing a community can give to its children and I wish to play my part in achieving that. Although I am officially the Local Authority Governor, we are very fortunate at Crudwell that there is no political involvement in the school; I took the role as it was the governor vacancy at the time.

In my professional life I work as a pilot and an instructor in an airline. Although there is some overlap in terms of teaching and learning, I find the education of young children is much more interesting.

Jo Lee, Headteacher and Staff Governor

Serves on the Curriculum and Standards, Staffing, and Resources Committees.

I am Headteacher at the school where I have worked since 2002! I have been a governor since 2013.

I am passionate about teaching and love to see children learn. I dedicate my time to planning fun lessons and providing a safe and happy classroom for my children to flourish.

Rob James, Foundation Governor

Serves on the Curriculum and Standards Committee.

Attendance Governor.

My wife and I, together with our children, moved to Crudwell in 2019 and were keen to support the local community. The village revolves around its primary school and when the opportunity arose in 2020 to be a governor it seemed like the perfect fit. Having the opportunity to get stuck in to support the school is great fun and knowing the work helps enrich the life of children and the local community is a gift. Since my arrival I’ve been really impressed with the children, the passion of the teachers and support staff, and the willingness of the parents and carers to support the school.

If you don’t want to talk school business I’m always open to a good conversation about food or rugby, particularly of the Welsh persuasion.

Rob Walker, Parent Governor

Serves on the Resources Committee and heads up the Staffing Committee.

Staff Wellbeing Governor.

I live with my partner and two young girls in Malmesbury. In my professional life, I am a strategic consultant within financial services. I became a governor in 2022 when my eldest daughter started at the school. With my first daughter starting her education, I was very keen to get involved and help support the community that is helping to fulfil my daughter’s potential. 

I'm very excited about this opportunity and hope to help support this already great school. 

Fun fact: I delivered our second daughter, at home. It wasn't planned; my partner couldn't hold out and the paramedics decided they had time to stop at Costa for a coffee, so didn't arrive until 15 minutes after my daughter was born!

Ben Preece, Parent Governor

Serves on the Staffing Committee.

I have lived in the village since 2018, and my twin boys attend the school. I became a governor in 2023 and volunteer to do this because I want to contribute to the development of the school within its community setting, while ensuring that pupils of all levels achieve the best that they can.

My background is in IT, with experience in start-ups and also large organisations. I left higher education without a degree, but returned later to achieve a Masters. In my spare time I play football and cycle, although not at the same time.

Vicky Owen, Staff Governor

Serves on the Curriculum and Standards Committee.

I love being a teacher and have over twenty five years experience of teaching children from 4-11. I have had the pleasure of teaching at Crudwell since 2020 and became a governor in 2025.

I am the Early Years Lead and teach Maple Class. I love welcoming the youngest members of the school into our Crudwell family and supporting them to grow and blossom.

Nicky Smith, Co-opted Governor

Serves on the Resources Committee.

My working background is in business. I am now retired and pleased to be able to serve on the board of governors for Crudwell school. Both of my children went to Crudwell and it gave them a great start in life.

Clemmie Morton, Parent Governor

Serves on the Curriculum and Standards Committee.

I have been teaching in comprehensive secondary schools for over 10 years and currently work as a Head of English. I am passionate about reading, inclusion, and helping all students feel confident and supported in their learning. Teaching is a real joy for me, and I wanted to become a governor to give something back to the school and support the staff in creating the best possible environment for pupils. Crudwell is a wonderful school because of its focus on inclusivity, fostering a love of reading and learning, and encouraging children to explore and play as they grow. My son currently attends the school, and my daughter will be joining him soon, which makes me even more motivated to contribute to its continued success.

Jess Hunter, Co-opted Governor

Serves on the Curriculum and Standards Committee.

FOCS Link Governor.

I moved to the village in 2021 and all three of my children have attended Crudwell Church of England Primary School, with two still happily at the school. I run Wildlings, an early years setting in the village, and I am a qualified teacher with over 25 years’ experience working with children and families in early years and primary education. I am passionate about outdoor learning, am a qualified Forest School Leader, and have volunteered my time running the school Gardening Club for the past two years. I have also been an active member of the FOCS team, helping to organise fairs and fundraising events, but I am now focusing my time on supporting the school as a governor, bringing both professional experience and a deep commitment to our school community.

Nicola Bailey, Co-opted Governor

Serves on the Staffing, and Resources Committees.

I have lived in Crudwell since 2004 and have been involved over the years with various aspects of village life. Crudwell Primary School has always been at the heart of our thriving village community so I am delighted to be a governor. I worked as an NHS Finance Director for many years until retirement and subsequently took on the role of a Practice Manager for a large inner city GP Practice. I have now definitely retired and look forward to supporting the school by utilising the skills I have acquired.

Mark Hills, Associate Member

Serves on the Resources Committee.

I moved to the Malmesbury area in 2004 and have been a governor/associate member at the school since 2017. Both of my children (now at secondary school) went to the school. I became a governor because I wanted to give something back to the school that my children were attending.

I am an actuary and work for one of the UK’s largest insurance companies. My finance and commercial experience along with my analytical and other business skills allow me to contribute to the school’s continued development and success, particularly in matters relating to leadership, strategy and finance.

      Caroline Bell, Associate Member

      Serves on the Curriculum and Standards Committee.

      I moved to Wiltshire in 1996, when my two children were little. It

      doesn’t seem that long ago, however they are now adults living 

      and working in London. I feel fortunate they grew up in a rural

community and were able to benefit from attending their local village school which enabled them to flourish. I’m a firm believer that education provides children with opportunities to build positive relationships, develop social skills, learn important life skills, as well as learning the academics. From a work perspective, I have been involved in education for about 20 years in various roles and my specialism and passion is for special educational needs. I feel it’s so important that all children can be fully included in their local school so they can have the best possible start in life and reach their full potential. I therefore feel very privileged to be linked with Crudwell Primary, a school which aims to encourage children to be the best version of themselves and is at the heart of its community.

I live in Lea and enjoy reading and spending time with my young granddaughter, taking inspiration from her as she explores the world around her, full of newfound wonder and curiosity.

The Governing Body is ably supported by our Clerk, Nicki Warne.

Please feel free to approach any of us if you have ideas, questions or thoughts that are relevant for the future development and success of our school - we are always pleased to hear from you.

Volunteering to be a School Governor

The links below give more information on what being a school governor involves.

If you are interested in becoming a governor at Crudwell CE Primary School, please contact the Clerk via email at clerk@crudwell.wilts.sch.uk.

Governor Details and Attendance Record

Current school governors

Governors who left office since 1 September 2024

Attendance record of governors

This record shows the attendance of governors at Full Governing Body (FGB) and Committee meetings during the 2024/25 academic year (6/6 = attended six out of the six meetings held).
NB: This includes three Extraordinary Full Governing Body meetings held in connection with the appointment of a new Headteacher.

* Non-attendance at two meetings due to a conflict of interest.

Governing Body Diversity

Members of the Governing Body are drawn from the local community and, where elected by the Governing Body, they are selected on the basis of their willingness to make a full contribution and their skills and experience. We also try to ensure that we have a diverse range of perspectives around the table as we believe this supports robust decision making.

We collect data on the diversity of the Governing Body, including age, ethnicity and gender, and use this data to inform our recruitment and training needs. We do not publish this diversity data online as individual governors could be identified and we have a legal obligation to protect their personal data.