Meet the Governors

Caddington & Slip End Village School's Governing Body is constituted of eleven members. The board operates under the leadership of a Chair and Vice Chair with the help of a professional clerk.

The board meets three times per term which includes Full Governing Body meetings and meeting for the two committees: Curriculum and Standards, and Resources.

Governors (parents, staff, the local authority and the wider community) come from various backgrounds and we aim to fill vacancies with people who have a range of relevant skills and most importantly are committed to acting in the best interests of the children and their learning.

 

Please click on the Governor's names to see pen portraits for each Governor.

 

I have lived in Caddington for 6 years, and I am in my fourth year as Governor of the Federation of Caddington Village School and Slip End Village School, appointed by the Local Authority. I volunteered as a school governor because I am passionate about each individual child receiving the very best that a school can offer. I am currently Chair of Governors, and have particular interest in Curriculum, Development and Health and Safety.


I am retired, and have spent my entire career in education, as a teacher, a Maths Advisory Teacher, Primary School Headteacher, and School Improvement Advisor, mainly for Lancashire Education Authority.


I love spending time with family, music – singing, listening and piano, - and travel.

I have been a governor since 2022, developing an interest in supporting the federation when my daughter attended Caddington Village School.


My background is in law and governance, having been a Legal Advisor for two publicly listed companies for the last 15 years, specialising in corporate governance and intellectual property. I am currently studying to complete a Master of Laws in Legal Practice.


I have a vested interest in inclusion and diversity, having a long term health condition myself and regularly participate in raising awareness of hidden disabilities.


I am the Chair of the Resources Committee which analyses amongst other things, the use of school resources, including the school budget and the school premises.


The federation has a nurturing and positive environment and I enjoy assisting the schools to continue to improve and develop.

I have been a qualified teacher for the past ten years, gaining experience across all phases of primary education. I enjoy being creative, particularly through music, and inspiring young people to believe wholeheartedly in themselves and their potential. I believe in educating children on the fundamental aspects of being a valuable citizen in their local and wider communities. I enjoy being a governor as it allows me the opportunity to have a wider impact on life at another school in an area that I have lived. I have recently been elected the Chair of Curriculum and look forward to exploring this role and putting my experience to good use in the continued journey of improvement across Caddington and Slip End Village Schools.

I became a co-opted governor in December 2020, with both of my children attending Caddington Village School. I joined the governing body to understand more about the school and contribute in a supportive and challenging role. My passion and career in equine therapy for SEMH, supporting and encouraging children and young adults to fulfil and exceed their desires, is what drives me to be able to bring this to our federation governing board. I enjoy being a part of both schools and having the opportunities to visit them regularly, getting to know both staff, pupils and the wider communities.


I have recently been appointed Vice Chair and Staff wellbeing governor, the latter strengthening my passion to listen, raise awareness and encourage. Becoming Vice chair is an honour and a role in which I will endeavour to be my best for our federation.

I have been a teacher for 34 years. There was nothing else I really wanted to do. For me it was school, university, army and then back to school. During this time, I have taught in 2 countries, 6 different schools and across the primary school age range. I feel fortunate to have had several different roles and responsibilities in education ranging from Deputy Head downwards. I currently work in Year 2; am a member of the school’s SLT: lead on Maths and Pupil Premium and am mentoring an ECT within the school.


I am keen to use my skills and knowledge to ensure that children are given the best possible chance to succeed in life. Away from the school I founded (and still work with) a charity (CIO) which is based in Luton and works with over 200 families a week. As a FA licenced football coach, I enjoy helping children to develop and my work with the charity helps me to use my skills to enable this. I have been fortunate enough to receive an award from the mayor of Luton for this work and a Queens award for voluntary service in the community.


I am delighted to serve as a staff governor for the Federation as I understand how important the role is in supporting the headteacher in understanding and impacting on the wider issues which affect the children, staff and school.

As a parent of two children at Caddington Village School with SEND I accepted the SEND Governor role with a keen interest in understanding a child’s SEND pathway and making a positive difference.


I am extremely keen to collaborate with the school to listen, learn and most importantly, challenge, with the view of effecting positive change for the school, pupils and parents alike.


Regarding my skills and background, I have worked with a variety of top 20 accountancy firms and IT companies within the field of marketing, branding and communication for over 20 years. When my seond son was born, I started my own website and branding business which has kept me busy! I absolutely love the creative aspect of my work, the daily challenges and working with a wide variety of clients.


I believe with the combination of having a deep understanding of a parent/child’s viewpoint together with my commitment and skill set, I can help the school deliver their goals.

I feel immensely privileged to have a job that I love and I am very proud to work with the Governing Body and lead this federation. Having never anticipated a career in teaching, I was hooked from the first time I stepped foot into a classroom as a ‘teacher’ rather than as a pupil.


I studied French and Italian at Exeter University and spent a fabulous year abroad in Sicily, learning fluency in the Italian language and immersing myself in the culture – diving, cooking and exploring erupting volcanoes: all things ‘being Italian’! Having got the travel bug and with a few languages under my belt, the holiday industry was my first plan however I then decided to give teaching a go and completed a PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages at Oxford University. I spent 7 years teaching in secondary, working up to Head of Department, before starting at Caddington in 2010, originally as Assistant Head, then Head of School and now Executive Head.


For me, it’s all about the people: the children, our staff, our Governors, our parents, our community. Making a difference and building relationships to help everyone to be the best they can be. I have loved seeing many cohorts of children grow, thrive and achieve, and enjoy hearing about their future successes that have come from our strong foundation.


Schools and education are constantly changing and evolving. I am committed to continued school development and am proud to work with so many talented and inspiring people to create the best possible provisions for our young people.


My association with the Federation began in 2008 when my daughter merged over to CVS from Willowfield.  Since then CVS have nurtured all 3 of my children; I could not have been happier with their schooling, their progress and the approachable nature of all staff during those 14 years.

Once my boys were in their final term in 2022 I decided it was time to give back and joined the Governing Board.

By day I am a senior assistant in a fast paced Residential Conveyancing department; I have only ever worked in the legal sector since the age of 17. I bring my organisational and people skills to the Governing table but, most of all, I bring my heart and soul as a former parent who is proud to be part of a Federation who continues to strive for the sake of every child without exception. 

My responsibilities are: Assistant Staff Wellbeing, Vice Chair of Resources, Vice Chair of Curriculum as well as being part of the Equalities, Literacy and Maths team.

I hope to serve the Federation for many years to come as it is my absolute pleasure to watch the Federation prosper.


Hello. My name is Andy Young and I am the Head of School at Slip End Village School. Before joining the Federation, I held a variety of different teaching posts including Assistant Head for Inclusion, Digitial Technology Leader and Senior Teacher. Prior to pursuing a career in teaching, I trained as a Youth & Community Worker. Away from education, I have a passion for the outdoors, in particular running. As Head of School, I look forward to working with the governing body to continually improve the outcomes of children across the federation.