Meet the Governors

Appointing body: Governing body

Term: 2021-

Responsibilities: English

Register of Interests: N/A

Profile:

I have been a member of the teaching team at Pomphlett Primary School since October 2017 and I joined the Governing Board in May 2021 as a Staff Governor.  I currently teach in Foundation Stage. I have a keen interest in outdoor learning and enjoy offering children experiences and teaching them skills in an outdoor environment. 

Being part of the Governing Board enables me to share my experiences as a member of staff with the Governors, as well as being an advocate for the other members of staff. 

Outside of school, my hobbies include, walking on the moors and spending time with my friends and family.

Category: Parent governor

Appointing body: Governing body

Term: Feb 20 - 

Responsibilities:  Curriculum

Register of Interests: N/A

Profile:

I have had the privilege of being a Governor since January 2020. 

I am very impressed at the amount of hard work and commitment that goes into the whole education process behind the scenes. The governors have a lot of good ideas and plans to try and help the school go from strength to strength, improving all our children’s pathways through the school and I am very excited to be able to be a small cog in this process. 

As a parent Governor, please do stop me if you see me around the playground, with ideas of any improvements we can make together, to make Pomphlett the best place for all our children and staff. 

Category: Co-opted (Chair)

Appointing body: Governing body

Term: March 20 - 

Responsibilities:  Safeguarding

Register of Interests: N/A

Profile:

My name is Sam, and I have been serving as the Chair of Governors since July 2022. It's a privilege to be in this role, where I can represent the vital perspective of parents within the school community. With my background in the education sector and my passion for fostering strong school-family partnerships, I aim to contribute positively to Pomphlett’s continued growth.

As a mother of two young boys of which both now currently attend Pomphlett, our family values the importance of learning and creativity. The emphasis on wellbeing at school is also something which always stands out at Governor’s meetings and shows across all year groups. 

Category: Parent governor

Appointing body: Governing body

Term: March 22 - 

Responsibilities:  Early Years

Register of Interests: N/A

Profile:

I have two children, Billy and Charlie. Charlie attends year 4 at Pomphlett Primary School and Billy is now in secondary school. I am extremely passionate about improving the education of not only my children but every other pupil and future pupils of Pomphlett.

I have extensive experience working in Education at a strategic level. I am the deputy business manager at Devonport High School for Boys where I deputise the Business manager, controlling the finances, governance and HR for the school. Formerly I was the in-house Legal Officer for City College Plymouth, where I was responsible for the College’s legal interests, governance, and risk management.

I served for 15 years as a police officer with Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and Essex Police. I left the police as a Detective Inspector working on Major Crime. While in the police, I also held roles in emergency response, community policing and as the Staff Officer for the Assistant Chief Constable, advising and influencing policy and governance across their portfolio which included performance management and Human Resourcing. I have recently completed my Masters in Law.

I have been involved in school governance for a number of years having held roles as a Chair of Governors of a primary school within a large multi academy trust and a Trustee of a Secondary School. In a wider context I have sat on Audit and Risk Committees, chaired various educational committees concerning performance and chaired city wide disciplinary panels.

Given that the school plays such a central role within our children's early formative years, I am a firm believer that educating children is more than just the three ‘R’s. I am a strong advocate of social mobility and believe that every child should have the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

I hope to bring my skills, experiences and passion to the Governing Board and help in supporting the school as a whole and being a critical friend to the Senior Leadership Team to ensure the school remains accountable and upholds their excellent ethos and standards.

In my spare time I coach rugby, enjoy fishing and spending time with the family.

Name:  Paul Decourcey

Category Co-opted governor

Appointing body: Governing body

Term: 2023-

Responsibilities: SEND

Register of Interests: N/A

Profile:

My name is Paul, I have three children who currently attend Pomphlett - they are in pre-school, Yr1 and Yr3.

My children enjoy their time at school and have found Pomphlett to be a brilliant and supportive place to learn. The staff make it a very enjoyable time and ensure that every pupil remains enthusiastic. I am a new addition to the governing body and I'm pleased to have been offered the opportunity to be a part in making a difference in the most important years of a child's education. As a governor, I have responsibility for the SEND support of the children at school. I will be working closely with the SLT and teachers to ensure that the children are getting the support they need in health, education and socialising. I hope to bring my skills and experiences from my previous role, within a Mental Health Team, to the Governing Body and to be able to support the school as a whole. In my spare time I enjoy playing rugby for a local team and spending time with family.