Malcolm Bailey 

I moved to Marks Tey in 1991 after spending most of my early years in the Hornchurch/Upminster area. After working over 39 years in the Banking industry, I retired in 2016 and during my time working I led a number of teams in the Retail and Commercial sectors. I first became interested in the role of a school Governor back in 1997, when I joined the Board as a parent Governor at St. Andrew’s Church of England Primary School, Marks Tey where my eldest daughter was in Year 1. She is now a primary school teacher at a local school. In order to broaden my knowledge of Governorship, I joined the board of a Secondary school in Halstead in 2014 and have since taken over the role of Chair of Governors. I firmly believe in supporting people, young or old, to reach their full potential and the basis of primary education is to lay strong foundations for a well-rounded, kind and confident child. I feel privileged and honoured to work with my Co – Chair, Hannah to help support the work of the fantastic governing body of Stanway Primary. It was evident from my initial contact with everyone associated with the school that they shared a passion to support the children to ‘Be the Best that you can be’. I am also the Vice Chair of Marks Tey Parish Council.

I am married with two daughters and two step children. My hobbies include running, swimming, watching football (I am a passionate supporter of Colchester United) and Cricket (where I am a member of Essex CC). I also enjoying reading and listening to music.

 

Tim David

I moved with my family to Stanway from London in 2006, and both our children went to Stanway Primary. I have worked in the automotive industry for over thirty years, and now give something back to assist the school as a Governor.

 

 

 

 

Hannah Sargeant

I have been married to Chris for 20 years and we have one son, Ben, who is 18 years old and is studying Sports BTEC at the Sigma Sixth College.  We moved to Boxford in Suffolk from Colchester in 2018 and have spent the last few years renovating our home.  I am a keen gardener and enjoy baking, the theatre, reading and spending time with my parents, 2 sisters, 1 brother and 7 nieces and nephews and our friends (although more often than not I can be found at the side of a football pitch cheering on Ben and his team at Harwich & Parston!).  My core values are trust, authenticity, loyalty, fairness, honesty, and courage – these apply to every aspect of my life, both inside and outside of work.

I have worked for Sainsbury’s for 29 years spending 27 of these in the HR Function, fulfilling several roles during this time.  I am currently Director of HR Change and Colleague Experience and have the privilege of leading a team of over 60 colleagues.  I am part of the Group HR Leadership team, reporting into the Operating Board and my accountabilities include delivery and management of the People Change strategy and plan, Colleague Wellbeing, and the end-to-end Colleague Experience (including colleague voice, recognition, colleague engagement & involvement).

I have spent the whole of my career in a corporate environment and for some time now I have been keen to learn and understand different perspectives and experiences.  One of Sainsbury’s Valued Behaviours is ‘Making it Better’ - at the heart of this is gaining different perspectives, testing & learning and challenging the status quo – and I strongly believe that being a School Governor is a great way to challenge my thinking and give me experience in a different environment. 

More importantly I am extremely passionate about being able to use my skills and experience to support the education and development of future generations.  Stanway Primary School has a special place in my heart, as this was my primary school (many years ago!) and that of my sisters and brother – I am extremely grateful for the education, care and support that we were all given to enable us to be the best we can be.  Being Co-Chair, along with Malcolm, on the Board of Governors and supporting Stanway Primary School is a huge privilege and something I feel honoured to be part of.

 

Eric Blowes

By way of introduction, my name is Eric Blowes. Judy and I have lived in and been part of Stanway for nearly 45 years.  We are blessed with 4 children and eight grandchildren, and last year we celebrated our Golden wedding anniversary.  I have been involved at Stanway Primary School for most of this time as all of our children attended the school as two of our grandchildren currently do now. My career was with J Sainsbury’s, as the Meat Manager working at the local Stanway stores, medically retiring after 30 years with them,  a job I loved and my only one.

We attend Stanway Evangelical Church of which I was the Pastor for 30 years; we are still very actively involved even though I have since retired as the Pastor. It has been and it continues to be my privilege to serve as a Governor of the school for almost 40 years, 30 of which I was Chairman.  I also have links with the other Stanway Schools. As my own education experience was a very negative one, I am passionate that Stanway Primary School offers the very best opportunities and environment for our children to flourish in. As a result of being part of Stanway all these many years it is a delight to see the children of the children who have attended our school over the years, attending the school now.

Stanway is a special place, I know so many of the people who live and work here, and it always humbles me whenever I meet past and present pupils of the school, many of whom are now adults. My overwhelming desire is that Stanway Primary School continues to provide the most enriching and enjoyable experience for all of our children, and staff now and in the years to come. Now in my 70th year I remain fully committed not only to the school but to Stanway as a whole.

 

Catherine Rice

I lived in Stanway for 8 years and I have a child starting their final year in September.

In my working life I run my own independent business and I currently work in a local Special Needs School. I previously worked in an infant/primary school as a Teaching Assistant.

As a parent with a child in the school I wanted to be part of the success of the school and make positive changes. I was part of the PTA and enjoyed helping out on school trips prior to being elected as a parent governor.   

I have worked in London for many years in a fast paced office environment where I learnt the importance of confidentiality, planning, discussion, querying, data analysis and working as part of a team. I am not afraid to ask difficult questions if necessary on behalf of the children that this school serves. 

I feel my professional skills combined with my passion for making a difference to children's lives makes me a great volunteer as a parent governor.

 

Lisa-Marie Smith

My name is Lisa-Marie Smith and I started the role of Parent Governor at Stanway Primary School in June 2022. I have two children at the school who are currently in Reception and Year 5, so far they are thoroughly enjoying their time here. I was keen to join the governing body as it links closely to my career and interests in education. 

I have been teaching since 2004 and my current role is a Lead Practitioner of Teaching and Learning at a secondary school in Essex. My role focuses on developing teachers in order to best support the young people in education. I enjoy keeping up to date with current education research to improve and drive standards. At Stanway Primary School my main focus is SEND and inclusion which sits at the heart of education. Having an inclusive classroom is the key to pupil success and outcomes, and I am proud to support the school in remaining consistent in this area. 

In my spare time I enjoy running and spending time with my family and friends. 

 

Zoe Proctor

My name is Zoe, I am married with two children and we live in a village just outside of Colchester. My son attends Stanway Secondary School, and my daughter is in her final year at Stanway Primary. We love exploring our local area and like to walk to the river or visit the cows and horses. My son is an avid footballer, so many Sundays are spent on the supporters line cheering on him and his team. My daughter is a keen gymnast, so week nights are spent supporting her.

I have a great interest in mental health, well-being, and education. I am lucky enough to have a job in this field at another local school. I chose to become a governor to help support in those areas, but also to develop and gain knowledge about other working aspects of a school. I feel it is also important to work collectively to learn from each other, to benefit the school.

Outside of work, being a mum and a governor, I enjoy walking, visiting the beach, swimming, and socialising. Those who know me well will know I also love cake and talk about it regularly!

 

 

Sharna Firth

As one of the longest standing members of the teaching staff here at Stanway Primary, I am extremely excited for the opportunity to support our community in the role of Staff Governor.

I strongly believe that one of our greatest strengths here at Stanway Primary is our dedication to championing every child so they can achieve their full potential, something which I am proud to be a part of. 

Having joined Stanway Primary in 2013, I’ve enjoyed a 10 year career teaching in Key Stage One, developing my practice and supporting children through their learning journey. A personal passion of mine within education is reading. As Phonics Lead, I am lucky enough to be able to create opportunities to promote reading skills to ensure the children’s confidence flourishes and in turn create a love of reading. 

Another passion of mine is well-being amongst us all and the importance of educating ourselves on this. I have learnt a lot from my partner, who is a former teacher, but now coaches teachers to live their healthiest, happiest lives by building healthy habits both in and out of school. This is something I advocate and want to ensure is occurring at Stanway Primary.  

Outside of school, I love to spend time with my friends and family, especially enjoying exploring the great outdoors. I, myself, enjoy reading fiction books, watching a variety of sports and from time to time trying my hand at baking… I’m not quite Mary Berry yet though! I also enjoy setting myself challenges and this year I set the challenge to learn Spanish, which I am rather enjoying and now… Hablo un poco de espanol!