Sketchley Hill has a governing body that has a general responsibility for the conduct of the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement. There are 3 key roles and responsibilities that governors fulfil, in order to achieve that goal:
Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Governors are expected to be strategic, act as a critical friend to the school and ensure accountability in all areas, not simply finance.
(Leicestershire School and Academy Governors' Handbook February 2014)
The responsibilities and powers of governance have to be exercised in partnership with the headteacher and staff.
Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Governors are expected to be strategic, act as a critical friend to the school and ensure accountability in all areas, not simply finance.
(Leicestershire School and Academy Governors' Handbook February 2014)
The responsibilities and powers of governance have to be exercised in partnership with the headteacher and staff.
Governing Team
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Mrs Katherine Wilson - Safeguarding, Lead Governor
I am a co-opted governor and Chair of the board at Sketchley Hill. I live in Burbage and have had a great affection for our village community since moving here in 2006. I am immensely proud of our school and know just how much of a role in our children's lives it plays. I am passionate about the emotional health and wellbeing of children in school and believe that we should take a holistic approach to each child based on their individual needs. I believe Sketchley Hill does this really well. I am a qualified Counsellor working with adults, children and young people, and prior to this worked for 10 years in the charity sector in problem solving and area management. It was this experience that led me to stand for election as Chair of the Governing Body in 2017. I have an immense pride for our school, what it achieves and what it has the potential to achieve. |
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Mr Lawrence Lee - Headteacher
Teaching is without a doubt one of the best and most rewarding professions in life. It is for this reason that I became a teacher in 2003 having spent several years in Japan working with students to improve their use of the English Language. I have spent most of my career teaching in Leicester City and achieved my first Head teacher post in 2015. I see education as a means of improving the life chances of our children as well as providing them with the necessary skills and knowledge to become successful members of an ever changing society. Instilling a love of learning in a stimulating and supportive environment lies at the heart of my approach to school leadership, whilst giving every child the opportunity to shine. |
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Mr Jason Cader - Deputy Head
I have been teaching since 2006 and I can honestly say this is a career that I have loved from the moment I started. Every day is different and working with children on a daily basis is a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Since being the Deputy Headteacher at Sketchley, it has given me the best of both worlds. I get to teach my own class but also have the privilege to work with the amazing and talented pupils we have across the whole school every single day. We have a very supportive governing body and we work hard together to ensure that Sketchley Hill children have the best primary school experience they can! I have two young boys, Jack and Ollie and I am an avid sportsperson. |
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Mrs Cathrynne Baggott - Vice Chair
I have been a governor since 2017 when my daughter started in Foundation Stage. She has loved her time at Sketchley and I can’t believe she is in Year 6 already! I am keen to continue to support the governors and staff to build upon the successes that Sketchley has established over recent years. Having been a primary school teacher for over 20 years, I am passionate about children’s education, particularly the teaching of mathematics. I feel that I can use the skills and knowledge from this experience to fulfil the role of governor. |
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Miss Oleta Williams
I have been a co-opted governor since February 2023 and have been a primary school teacher for the last 7 years. I am delighted to be given the opportunity to have an active role within another school. I am excited to face a new challenge and apply my experience to a new setting. Most importantly, as a teacher, I am passionate about children’s learning, ensuring all children achieve their best, and they are happy at school. As a governor, I am looking forward to continuing to drive Sketchley towards its aim of inspiring curiosity in life-long learners. |
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Mr Chris Worthington
I have been teaching for over 20 years and joined the staff at Sketchley Hill Primary in 2001. I am currently based in Year 6 and have responsibility for the History curriculum across the school. For over 10 years I have been a staff representative on the Governing Body. It has been an interesting and enjoyable experience to see the running of the school from this perspective and my own professional development has benefitted as a result. |
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Mr Gary White - Chair of Pay Committee
I live in Burbage with Carly, my partner, who is a Teacher at Sketchley Hill, my step-daughter Tia and daughter Trixie. I am proud to work for National Grid as an IT Lead, developing and supporting teams that are using technology to enable the use of renewable energy across the UK’s electricity grid. As a co-opted governor I am looking forward to working with school leaders and the governing body where I hope my work and life experience can be used to help sustain and further develop an environment where children can fulfil their potential and teachers and support staff are able to excel in their roles. |
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Mr Richard Butler
I am a parent governor with a daughter who attends Sketchley Hill. My career has been spent working in IT and I currently work in an IT leadership role for a UK based manufacturer having previously worked in the Higher Education sector. I have a keen interest in our children safely accessing technology to support their learning and development to prepare them for their future careers and I am pleased to be able to work with the school to promote an environment where our children can achieve their best. |
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Mr Stephen Shipman
I am a co-opted governor with close links to Sketchley Hill. Having lived in Burbage since 2009 my son and daughter have both successfully gone through this school. I work in education as a Co-Headteacher of a local secondary school, with my areas of specialism being maths, data and timetabling. My wife was a long-standing and active member of the school PTA and I am looking forward to supporting the school alongside giving something back after both my children having such a good experience at the school. |
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Mrs Tara Steele
As a Parent Governor, I feel privileged to play a role in Sketchley Hill's continuing growth and success. I aim to help to ensure that every child thrives and has a happy experience at the school, in addition to a high-quality education. I believe that the staff and governors at Sketchley do a fantastic job of promoting a strong ethos of respect, inclusiveness, kindness and transparency; I'm excited to be able to support and strengthen this even further. I live in Burbage with my husband and two daughters, one in year 5 and one in foundation stage. |
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Mrs Nicola Baxter
I have been part of the Sketchley family as a parent since 2017 when we moved to Burbage, and my daughter started in year one. From the start, I have been impressed with how the teachers and staff put the children's educational and wellbeing needs first. My eldest is now in year 7, and I have two children attending Sketchley, in year five and foundation stage. In October 2023, I was delighted to be appointed as a parent governor. To the governing team, I will bring a corporate background in employment and contractual management to support and assist in the continuing success of our school community. |
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Dr James Jewkes
I am a co-opted governor with very close links to the school, having been a student here in the 1980s under the esteemed first headteacher of Sketchley Hill, Patricia Hyland; I'm delighted that my sons will also have the opportunity to attend such a wonderful school. I am an engineering academic at a local university, and have worked (internationally) in higher education for the past twenty years. My teaching consists of continuum mechanics-related modules such as thermo-fluids and aerodynamics; my research is in the control of turbulence, and the biomechanics of cardiovascular flow. As an academic, I have a passion for helping students, and witnessing their illumination when they grasp challenging concepts. I look forward to learning more about education at the primary level, and I'm hopeful that I can give formative and useful feedback on the delivery of STEM-related subjects at the school. |
