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The Governing Body
Members of Academy Trust:
Mrs Elizabeth Cairncross (Chair)
Mr James Oliver
Mr Paul Williams
Mr Melville Petrie
Foundation Governors:
Mr Richard Twallin (Chair)
Mr David Worlidge (Vice-Chair)
Mrs Jill Jarvis
Mr Owain Hughes
Mr David Landers
Mrs Mandy Kellagher
Mr Brian Hasell
Mrs Lynn Dowell
Mrs Helen Daniel
Rev Laura Bushell-Hawke
Ex Officio, also representing the Diocese of Truro:
Rev Richard Magrath
Elected Parents:
Mrs Natalie Pearce
Mr David Bennett
Elected Staff Member:
Mrs Kimberley Hawkings
Headteacher:
Mr Ed O’Hara
Chair of Governing Body:
Mr Richard Twallin (Contact via The Worshipful Company of Ironmongers)
Clerk to Governing Body (Trustees):
Mrs Debbie Pitman
Contact Details:
Sir Robert Geffery’s School
School Road
Landrake
Saltash
Cornwall PL12 5EA
Tel: 01752 851362
email: clerk@sir-robert-gefferys.cornwall.sch.uk
Clerk to Members:
Colonel Charlie Knaggs OBE
Contact Details:
The Worshipful Company of Ironmongers
Ironmongers’ Hall
Shaftesbury Place
Barbican
London
EC2Y 8AA
Tel: 020 7776 2304
email: clerk@ironmongers.org
Governor Meeting Papers
Agendas, papers and minutes for all Main Governing Body and Committee meetings are available for public inspection. Please request by emailing the Clerk to Governors – clerk@sir-robert-gefferys.cornwall.sch.uk
Governor Details 2022-2023
SRG Governing Body Scheme of Delegation 2022.23
Committee Membership List 2022-2023
Committee Membership 2022-2023
Register of Business and Pecuniary Interests 2021-2022
Register Pecuniary & Business Interests 2021-2022
Governing Body Meeting Attendance
Main Governing Body Meeting Attendance 2021.2022
Committee Mtg Attendance 2021-2022
Our Governors
Mr Richard Twallin
Mr Richard Twallin(Foundation Governor – Chair)
Richard Twallin is a retired company director, having worked in the ICT industry all his career. His company developed management systems for a variety of disciplines including information security, environmental and quality. He has been a member of the Court of the Ironmongers’ Company since 1996 and was Master in 2006. He is a Churchwarden of his church in north west Hampshire and a trustee of the local Church of England (aided) primary school.
Mr Ed O’Hara
Mr Ed O’Hara(Foundation Governor – Headteacher )
Ed O’Hara graduated from the University of Nottingham with a masters degree in Civil Engineering with French. He taught English in Ecuador and Tibet, then began teaching in primary schools in Warwickshire and Coventry where he held different leadership roles. Ed is passionate about helping children and adults alike develop an enthusiasm and a love of learning and also has a Masters degree in Education. In his spare time, Mr O’Hara enjoys playing music and being in the outdoors with his wife and son.
As his role necessitates, Mr O’Hara is on all of the committees.
Commander James Oliver FCMI
Commander James Oliver FCMI(Member of Academy Trust)
Royal Navy 1959-1989. Clerk Worshipful Company of lronmongers and Clerk to the Governors, Sir Robert Geffery’s School 1989 – 2005. Trust Manager, Ewelme Almshouse and Education Trusts since 2006. Lives near Marlborough, Wiltshire.
Mrs Elizabeth Cairncross
Mrs Elizabeth Cairncross(Member of Academy Trust)
Elizabeth Cairncross was Principal of Wells Cathedral School, having started her career as an English teacher. In retirement she continues to enjoy being a member of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers and, therefore, a member of the Academy Trust for this school!
Mr Melville Petrie
Mr Melville Petrie(Member of Academy Trust)
Mel is Clerk to the Worshipful Company of Scriveners in London and lives in Gloucestershire. He is married to Diana, a retired solicitor, and their two children, James and Georgina, attended the school when his Royal Naval service took him first to Cornwall. He was then a Parent Governor and is thrilled to be back with the Ironmongers as a Member of the Academy Trust. He has an MA in English from the University of Aberdeen and an MBA from Henley Management College where he specialised in eCommerce & international business and is a keen linguist.
Mr Paul Williams
Mr Paul Williams(Member of Academy Trust)
Paul brings a legal perspective to the Board, with 20 years’ experience at the Bar. His son and daughter were pupils but have now moved on to secondary education.
Jill Jarvis
Jill Jarvis(Foundation Governor)
Jill was appointed as a local Foundation Governor in 1999. She is a member of the Personnel Committee and is the Link Governor for SEN and Early Years. Until retiring she worked in banking and property development. Jill lives locally and her interests, apart from the school, are gardening, watercolour painting and boating. She is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers.
Mr David Landers
Mr David Landers(Foundation Governor)
David has returned to the Governing Body recently, bringing his financial expertise. He lives in the village and was a parent governor previously when his three sons attended the school.
David is undertaking the duties of internal audit on behalf of the governors.
A Member of the Finance, Pupils & Admissions and Personnel Committees.
Mrs Mandy Kellagher
Mrs Mandy Kellagher(Foundation Governor)
Mandy was a parent governor for 8 years when her daughters were at the school and has rejoined the Governing Body since moving into the village. Mandy is a member of both the Premises and Personnel Committees. She worked as a vet for 25 years since when, in semi-retirement, she has taught English to speakers of other languages. She enjoys many sports, sings in choirs and is a late beginner on the cello.
Mr Owain Hughes
(Foundation Governor)
Owain was a former member of the County Inspection Team and has many years’ experience as a headteacher and advisor. As a Governor of Sir Robert Geffery’s School, he regularly meets with staff to discuss assessment and the Development Plan.
Mr David Worlidge
Mr David Worlidge(Foundation Governor)
David is a chartered accountant and has over 30 years’ experience working as a corporate financier advising public companies on the London Stock Exchange in the City of London. He has an engineering degree from Cambridge University and is a Past Master of the Ironmongers’ Company (2016-17). David is Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee and is also a member of the Premises Committee. He loves the outdoors and is a keen cyclist and golfer when he is not working in the garden.
Mrs Kimberley Hawkings
Mrs Kimberley Hawkings(Elected Staff Member)
Kimberley has been a teacher at Sir Robert Geffery’s School since 2009, following the completion of a four year BEd degree at Marjons University Plymouth. She is the EYFS and KS1 lead and is a specialist leader of education in both Phonics and the Early Years. In addition, Kimberley has various other roles within the school including English co-ordinator and apprentice mentor.
Kimberley enjoys spending quality time with her family, who all live locally and especially going out on trips with her husband and young daughter. Amongst other things her interests include walking, travelling and reading.
Brian Hasell
Brian Hasell (Foundation Governor)
Brian was appointed as a Foundation Governor in November 2019, and a former parent whose son was very proud to have been Head Boy here. Brian also has three grown up daughters and an increasing number of grandchildren all living within Cornwall and Devon.
Brian is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, having qualified in Bristol. He has been in practice for over 40 years and is Senior Partner of a regional firm of commercial and business property and valuation surveyors, with wide experience in a varied style of commercial and residential property.
Having varied interests, mainly revolving around family, but also all things to do with the great outdoors – the countryside and the sea.
Brian is Chair of the Premises Committee and sits on the Personnel Committee.
Lynn Dowell
Lynn Dowell (Foundation Governor)
Lynn has recently joined the Board as a Foundation Governor. She has lived in Landrake since 1987 and worked as a Teaching Assistant at the school from 1991 to 2015, when she retired. Both of her children and four grandchildren have attended the school, and Lynn has returned on a voluntary basis to help in various classes, usually twice a week.
She has also served the village of Landrake in various ways and has come to know many of the village residents.
In her spare time she enjoys walking, gardening and spending time with her family, who all live in the village.
Rev’d Laura Bushell Hawke
Rev’d Laura Bushell Hawke (Foundation Governor)
Rev’d Laura is a Church of England Priest. She trained on a full-time three-year pathway at St Mellitus College, and was Ordained as a Deacon in 2020 and as a priest in 2021. Prior to Ordination, Laura ran her own business delivering First Aid and Health & Safety.
Laura’s previous leadership experience includes over 12 years of voluntary service as a Commissioned Officer with the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. Her final post was at the Senior Rank of Squadron Leader, Co-Chairing the National Adult Volunteer Recruitment campaign working with Ministry of Defence personnel and volunteers.
Outside of ministry Laura enjoys spending time with her husband George and children Isabella and Sebastian, as well as the family’s dog, Hope the Hungarian Vizsla.
Mrs Helen Daniel
Mrs Helen Daniel(Foundation Governor)
Helen‘s daughters attended the school and are now in secondary education. She was originally a Parent Governor but has now been co-opted as a Foundation Governor.
Her background is as a primary school teacher having taught in both KS1 and KS2. In her last post she was part of the management team and was curriculum coordinator for English. In her spare time she is the Treasurer of Caradon Swimming club and one of their Team Managers.
Helen is Chair of the Curriculum Committee and link English Governor. She also sits on the Pupils and Admissions committee and is our named Safeguarding Governor.
Mr David Bennett
Mr David Bennett(Elected Parent Governor)
David has been a parent Governor since October 2022. David has one child, a daughter, who is in KS1 and loving the SRG life. David’s background was in the Arts, working for 10 years at the Slade School of Fine Art, but following a belated gap year in France decided a career change into the area of psychology and mental health was needed. David currently spends his working days delivering therapy on an allotment site, come rain or shine.
In his spare time David is a keen cyclist and likes nothing more than impromptu cook-outs in an ageing campervan while exploring the grand land of Kernow.
Mrs Natalie Pearce
Mrs Natalie Pearce (Elected Parent Governor)
Natalie was elected as a Parent Governor in 2022. She has three children currently at Sir Robert Geffery’s. Natalie is a solicitor working locally, and has worked as a Local Authority Governor previously. As a busy mum of four Natalie doesn’t have a lot of spare time, but when time allows she enjoys exploring the countryside with her family and dog, and the theatre.
Mr Richard McGrath
Mr Richard McGrath(Appointed by the Diocese)
Richard is a Church of England minister, serving as Priest-in-charge of Saltash and of Landrake with St Erney and Botus Fleming. He read English and theology at Cambridge and, before ministry, worked in advertising, trust law, and financial services regulation. He lives in Saltash with his wife, daughter and two cats.