Welcome to the Governors' section.
If you need to contact the Governors then please contact the Chair in the first instance by email on hannah.thomas@otford.kent.sch.uk
Governor Biographies
Helen Roberts is the Headteacher of Otford Primary School and has been in post since June 2016. Prior to this, Mrs Roberts was in leadership positions in a variety of schools in both London and Tunbridge Wells, these roles included being Acting Headteacher on two occasions, a Head of School and a Deputy Headteacher in two large primary schools. She is also a parent with two children. Mrs Roberts has worked in many schools over the past 31 years, her first role was as a Year 2 teacher in her home county of Yorkshire.
Hannah Thomas was born and brought up in the local area and her oldest daughter now attends Otford Primary School. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in Japanese, Hannah spent nearly 15 years working in NHS leadership roles focused on developing and improving patient services. She has advised executive leaders on strategic development, efficiency savings and business development. Her work has included projects to improve wellbeing and engagement and she has a personal interest in wellbeing, SEND and inclusion. Following a career break, she now works as a freelance writer and editor and has held a number of voluntary roles in the local area. She has lived in or near Otford for most of her life and has two children at Otford Primary School, where she has been a co-opted governor since 2019.
Paul Jackaman qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1997 with Deloitte’s, having obtained an honours degree in Business Maths from Kent University. In a 25 year career primarily in banking and commodities he has spent time living and working in London, New York, Tokyo, Australia, Singapore and most recently Hong Kong where he was the Chief Financial Officer of a listed company, from where he recently returned and now lives in Eynsford with his wife and three daughters.
Joe Blunden is a multi-award-winning marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years of experience across a range of industries. He has worked for the NHS for the past 10 years, including marketing, communications and engagement roles in both acute and community settings.
He is a compulsive learner and recently completed an MBA (Distinction), having gained a Professional Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a Diploma in Managing Digital Media and a degree in business. Joe directed the successful campaign to get the NHS Choir to Christmas number one in 2015, raising over £300k for charity in the process. He also led NHS Voices in 2018, bringing together 30 celebrity singers to record a song for the NHS, which was made into a documentary by ITV. Joe specialises in strategy development and digital communication and has extensive experience in PR, stakeholder engagement and campaign development.
Jackie Hill has been the Early Years Leader at Otford Primary School for 10 years. She branched out to take on a new role as an Early Years moderator which she enjoyed for two years. She previously taught in Bexley for 7 years, moving to Otford to join a village school with a community feel to it. She has lived in the Sevenoaks area for the last 30 years and has two grown children, one of who attended Otford Primary.
Charlotte Knight is a business development manager for a top City law firm, specialising in environmental, social and governance. She has over ten years experience working with lawyers and their corporate clients to shape business development strategies and executing marketing campaigns, events and social media channels. Having grown up near Colchester, Essex, she recently moved to Otford from south east London, and lives with her husband and toddler daughter.
Frances Plowman is the Senior Administrator at the London Policing College. Before her current role she worked for 15 years in primary education in Kent and Surrey, with the last 8 as a school business manager responsible for setting us the administration function of a brand new primary school. She is experienced in school budgets, health and safety and personnel. She has lived in the Sevenoaks area for the last 20 years and has two adult children who attended local primary and secondary schools.
The Committee Model
At Otford Primary School, we have a dedicated Governing Body which strategically supports our school. The Governing Body follows the committee model. The two committees which Otford Primary has are:
The Finance, Resources and Personnel Committee (Paul Jackaman)
The Curriculum Committee (Chair – Hannah Thomas)
The Full Governing Board and each of the committees meet a least 3 times a year. Governors work with the staff and the Local Authority to help secure the best possible education for the children and has general responsibility for the conduct of the school with view to promoting high standards of educational achievement.
An agenda for each meeting will include all the tasks which the governing body is required to consider, and the governing body will ‘commission’ assignments or activities arising from the business of the meeting, which will be recorded in the minutes.
In addition to ‘commissioning’ activities or actions on their behalf, the governing body has delegated monitoring activities to ‘monitoring pairs’ or ‘individuals’. This applies to statutory functions, and the priorities of the School Improvement Plan.
There are three core functions of a governing body as reflected in OFSTED's inspection handbook are:
• Setting vision, ethos and strategic direction, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring statutory duties are met.
• Holding heads to account for teaching, achievement, behaviour and safety; challenging and strengthening leadership; contributing to school evaluation.
• Ensuring financial solvency and probity with effective management of financial resources, including the Pupil Premium, to raise standards.
If you are interested in becoming a Governor at our school, for more information please contact Mrs Roberts (Headteacher) or Chair of Governors, Mrs Hannah Thomas. Contact details for governors are available from the School Office.
Otford Primary School Governing Body Details
Name | Category | Appointing Body | Term of Office | Positions of Responsibility | Relationship to School &staff |
Mrs Catherine Hampton | TEP Clerk | ||||
Mrs Helen Roberts | Headteacher | Ex Officio | 1.4.16 |
| Employee |
Mrs Georgia Bruce | Parent Governor | Governing Body | 09.07.2024-08.07.2028 | Parent of Pupil | |
Mr Joe Blunden | Co-opted | Governing Body | 26.03.24 - 25.03.28 | Employee | |
Mrs Jackie Hill | Staff | Governing Body | 30.11.2023 - 30.11.2027 | ||
Mrs Charlotte Knight | Co-opted | Governing Body | 18.07.22 - 17.07.26 | ||
Mrs Hannah Thomas | Co-opted | Governing Body | 11.9.19 - 10.9.23 | Co Chair | Parent of Pupil |
Mr Paul Jackaman | Co-opted | Governing Body | 03.02.21- 02.02.25 | Vice Chair Finance | |
Mrs Frances Plowman | Co-opted | Governing Body | 22.09.22- 21.09.26 | Safeguarding | |
Previous Governors
Mrs Amanda Flaherty
Co-opted
18.7.23-3.7.24
Mrs Philippa Taylor
Parent Governor
13.12.17-10.7.24
Mr Ben Harrison
Co-opted
KCC
19.4.17 – 27.05.23
Safeguarding, SEND, LAC, Pupil Premium and Sports Funding
Mrs Rachel Philips
Co-opted
Governing Body
12.4.13 – 21.4.15
Mr Paul Gaskin
Co-opted
Governing Body
12.4.13 – 7.7.15
Mrs Rebecca Wilde
Parent
Parent Body
5.12.14 – 13.4.16
Mr Rob Wilson
Co-opted
Governing Body
12.4.13 – 13.7.16
Mr James Wall
Co-opted
Governing Body
12.4.13 – 26.9.26
Ms Hannah Chalkley
Staff
Staff
07.13 – 07.17
Employee
Mrs Marie Simms
Parent
Parent Body
2.12.16-1.12.20
F&R, Training
Mr Keith Gristock Co-opted Governing Body 7.7.15 – 6.7.19 F&R, Policies Mr Paul Cluley Co-opted Governing Body 14.7.15 – 13.7.19 (resigned 11.7.18) L., Data Mr Carl Roberts Co-opted Governing Body 19.4.17 – 18.4.21 (resigned 11.7.18) Chair of Finance and Resources, S, Staffing, HTA Mrs Tula Fitzpatrick Local Authority Governer Kent County Council 19.4.17 – 18.4.21 (resigned 18.9.18) S, F & R Mr Johan Bjorkland Parent Parent body 2.12.16 - 1.12.20 (resigned 10.5.19)
L, IT Parent of pupil Rev’d Richard Worssam Co-opted Governing Body 2008 – Aug 2019 L, Safeguarding Mr Jerry Hansford Co-opted Governing Body 5.12.16 - 4.12.20 (Resigned Dec 2019)
F&R, Safeguarding Mr Christopher Woolard Co-opted Governing Body 19.4.17 – 29.9.20 Chair, S, HTANone Mr Colin Parks Co-opted Governing Body 19.4.17 – 29.9.20 Vice-chair, S, F&R, Py, School Expansion and Health and Safety Mr Joseph Kershaw Co-opted Governing Body 15.05.19 - 25.11.20 Safeguarding, Health and Safety Rev'd David Guest Mrs Tracey Balcombe Staff Staff 13.7.17-17.12.21 Training and Development Employee