Linda Burton - Chair of Governors / LA Governor / EYFS Governor
I have been on the Board of Governors of Milverton Primary School since September 2017, Vice Chair in 2020 and Chair since September 2021. I am a retired History and Classical Civilisations teacher; my last position was at Wellington School, where I taught for nineteen years during which time I was Head of Lower, then Upper School.I have lived in Milverton since 1985, have two adult sons and three grandchildren, one of whom has just started primary school.
The Chair’s primary role is to ensure that the governing board is effective in setting and implementing the school’s direction and strategy, therefore I am responsible for leading the Board and focussing on strategic matters, overseeing the school’s planning and setting high governance standards. I work in partnership with Mr. Stead, offering support, challenge, encouragement and helping ensure that his performance management is rigorous and robust. My role as EYFS Governor is to act as a link between the Governing Board and staff and to report to the Board on topics such as subject delivery, the impact of interventions, attainment and progress and transition.
James Pyne - Vice Chair/ SEND Governor - Co-Opted
Milverton Primary and Pre-school has been part of my life since 2015. My eldest child was educated here and my youngest still attends. My youngest has SEND provisioning, which gives me a good insight into the education system and how it supports all children. I wanted to give back to the community and our amazing school, so I stood to be elected as a Governor in 2021 and became SEND Governor on appointment. My background is in aviation, with expertise in training and management; the latter has proved surprisingly useful in the varied role of governor; I’ve been surprised by some of the overlap!
The SEND Governor’s role is to:
Provide a link between the Governing Body; it’s committees and the staff with regards to SEND
Meet termly with the school SEND to review strategic oversight and the school’s systems and processes for supporting pupils with SEND as well as discussing the school’s SEND provision, budget and resources. This is then reported back to the Governing Body.
Emily Weiss - Safeguarding Governor - Co-Opted
I have been part of the Milverton School community since September 2016 when my eldest daughter joined the school in year 1.
I became a Governor in 2019. I currently work in a Leadership role in another local school and as part of my remit, I deliver Safeguarding training and support policy implementation. I hopefully use my educational experience and knowledge to support Milverton in achieving its aims and objectives.
Working closely with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, the safeguarding governance role focuses on safeguarding processes and procedures ensuring they are reviewed on a regular basis. This includes ensuring the school has an effective safeguarding policy in place, that safer recruitment practices are followed and the safeguarding training for all school staff and Governors is relevant and up-to-date.
Staff Governor – Stephen Penny
I have taught at Milverton Community Primary and Pre-School since September 2013 and was elected as the staff Governor in 2015. I have worked in both Key Stages and am currently in Class 6. I am passionate about teaching and working with the children at Milverton.
My role as the staff Governor is to be a conduit between the school staff and the governing body. I am part of the education sub- committee in which I bring my professional knowledge and expertise as well as ensuring that the staff have a voice on the governing body. I thoroughly enjoy my role as staff Governor as I feel that it provides me with further opportunities to work alongside staff, families and our community to ensure that our pupils receive an enriching and inspiring curriculum.
Stephen Jones – Health and Safety Governor - Co-Opted
My wife and I have lived in Milverton for 7 years and get involved in community projects and support local events.
I started my working life as a buyer for J Sainsbury at head office in London and formed Somerdale International in 1990. I now run a food export company based in Wellington exporting British Cheese and Dairy products worldwide.
My daughters went to Wellington School and I have grandchildren in Devon and Australia!
Gwil Wren – Co-Opted Governor
I moved to Milverton in 1986 and brought my family up here. Both my children went to Milverton School in the early 1990s. I worked for English Nature and Natural England before retiring in 2014. As well as being a School Governor I have represented Milverton as a local Councillor since 2011 and was Parish Clerk until 2019. I am also very interested in nature conservation and help to run the locally based EuCAN Milverton Conservation Volunteers, which is always looking for new members!
Chris Mann – Co-Opted Governor
I was elected as a governor to Milverton Primary in late 2022. I have had a house in Milverton since 2007 and retired in 2023 having spent the last thirty years in education teaching Biology. My last position was at Harrow School in London where I taught for the last 20 years; it was here that I also gained significant experience on the pastoral side of school life. At Milverton Primary I sit on the Education Committee and am the link governor for Science and Physical Education.
Fiona Taylor - Co-opted Governor
I am a chartered accountant and the Director of Finance at Wellington School. I became a school governor in 2023 so that I could bring my own experiences of leading a school and hope to support Milverton Primary and Pre-school in ensuring that children at the school are receiving the best opportunities to shape their future.
Chris Barnes - Parent Governor
Having moved to Somerset in mid-2022, Milverton Community Primary School has quickly become a backbone of my day-to-day life with my daughter currently in class 2 and my son planning to join in 2025. The direction of the school is therefore hugely important to me and my wider family. With a background in project management I hope to actively engage with many school projects in order to help the school maintain its current position and grow into the future.
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