Meet Our Governors
You can contact our Chair of Governors:
- by email at admin@combsford.suffolk.sch.uk and mark ‘For the Attention of the Chair of Governors’
- or write to:
Chair of Governors
Combs Ford Primary School
Glemsford Road
Stowmarket
Suffolk
IP14 2PN
Governors 2022-2023
- Vanessa Kingsley: Chair of Governors - Vanessa came to Suffolk in 1992. As a Key Stage 2 teacher, Vanessa worked in three large Ipswich schools. During this time Vanessa became a Leading Maths teacher and worked with many schools to improve maths provision in primary education. In 2010 Vanessa became a Headteacher in Ipswich in a deprivation school. Vanessa worked with the teachers and pupils to build their self-confidence, resilience and belief that they could succeed. In 2018 Vanessa retired and has continued to support schools through her Governance work. Vanessa became a Governor at Combs Ford Primary School 2021. She has completed the National Governors Chairs qualification. She is also a Parish Councillor at Bacton, Suffolk. Vanessa enjoys music and drama and sings with the Bury St Edmund Bach choir. She has four grandchildren which keeps her very busy.
- Andrew Morrison: Vice Chair of Governors
- David Munro: Trust Governor - David has lived in Suffolk for 35 years. He moved from NE England where he started teaching. David taught Business, ICT and Computing in secondary schools in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket. He was also Governor and Chair of Governors at Stowmarket Middle School as well as a staff governor in Ipswich for 15 years.
Now finally retired David continues to keep fit and attempts to play golf. He is interested in all sports and likes to attend music and comedy gigs. David loves travelling especially to the USA to visit his grandchildren. - Andrew Page: Parent Governor - Andy has lived in Suffolk all his life. As a qualified accountant, Andy has worked within the insurance industry since the mid 90’s. Andy's roles have included positions as Financial Controller, Finance Director and latterly Chief Executive Officer for various insurance companies. Andy has a daughter at Combs Ford Primary and is keen to help support and drive the school forwards.
- Tracy Page: Parent Governor - Tracy attended Combs Ford Primary School herself and with many fond memories and now also having a daughter within the school, she is very keen to support the school. Outside of her Mum duties, Tracy is an accountant, and has held various senior finance roles within the financial services sector.
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Helen Thorpe: Trust Governor - Helen moved to Suffolk from Hereford in 1997. Initially working as a midwife, she decided to retrain as a teacher and took part in the first intake of a new SCITT in Harwich. Since then, Helen has worked in 4 Suffolk schools over a 16 year period, becoming a middle leader in her previous school 7 years ago. Helen’s current role at Whitehouse Community Primary School is year teacher and KS1 phase leader. Following a summer term secondment as acting deputy head at Combs, Helen was invited to continue links with the school as a Trust Governor.
- Rachel Snow: Staff Governor
- Janice Brown - Staff Governor
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Kathryn Day: Headteacher - After leaving behind careers in the wine trade and field archaeology, Kathryn initially trained to teach secondary computing in North Yorkshire. When she relocated to Suffolk she taught in Newmarket and Haverhill before spending 10 years as a Local Authority (LA) Education Adviser. It was there that she realised her heart lies in primary education and she left the LA to take up the role of Deputy Headteacher in Bury St Edmunds. From there she was headhunted into business, working for an Education Technology company based in Essex, but she missed the community of a school and the joy of working with children and young people and found a job back in school as an Assistant Headteacher in Stowmarket. When she’s not working, she shares her life with two teenagers and two rescue dogs. She loves reading, watching films, cooking, baking, knitting, walking, running and travelling – not necessarily in that order. She’s a musician too and is privileged to play as part of the RAF Honington Voluntary Band. When she has time, she can sometimes be found volunteering behind the bar at The John Peel Centre in the middle of Stowmarket.
Children’s Endeavour Trust (CET) Terms of Reference
The Children’s Endeavour Trust (CET) Terms of Reference set out the delegated powers between the different bodies involved in the governance and operation of the Multi Academy Trust (CET) and Combs Ford Primary School.
Combs Ford Primary School Governing Body
The Governors of Combs Ford Primary School have a Full Governing Body Meeting once each term and also attend committee meetings. They undertake a wide range of duties related to the running of the school. Our current Governors have a range of backgrounds, experience and differing areas of responsibility.
The Governors create a Governing Body Action Plan every year – you can read the most recent version of this year’s plan in the Governing Body Action Plan Combs Ford Primary School 2022-2023 (Updated Autumn 2023).
If you are interested in becoming a Governor, please contact any one of the Governors through the school or the Headteacher about any vacancies. Both the Government and Children's Endeavour Trust stress the need for active, committed governors, and we are very lucky here to have an excellent group of people working for your children. Parent Governors in particular are a vital link between the school and our local community.
Schools and Trusts are duty bound to publish information on:
- The membership of the Local Governing Body
- Meeting Attendance in the Last Academic Year
- A Register of Pecuniary Interests of Governors
This information can be found in the Combs Ford Primary School - Register of Interests 2022-23.
Page Updated on 17/11/23 by KJD.
