OUR SCHOOL GOVERNORS
Our School governors are people who help to take care of our school. The governing body at Ospringe CE Primary School is made up of members of the local and school community. The governors work as a team to make sure the school provides a good quality education for all of us! They work in partnership with our teachers and each class has their own governor to offer support. They also help with other areas of the curriculum and school life, including: reading support, school trips, sports events, assemblies and lots more. Governors hold important meetings to help make big decisions about the school's long term goals. They are a very important part of our school community.
To contact the Chair of Governors please write to Mr Justin Lovell, c/o Ospringe School, Water Lane, Faversham, Kent ME13 8TX
Steve Bassett
Steve Bassett has been a Governor at Ospringe for eleven years.
Steve is a senior police officer and has served in many different roles, predominantly in uniform. He is currently a uniformed officer at Swale where he serves as a Public Order Public Safety Commander and Advisor, Police Liaison Officer and an Operational Football Officer. He has experience of policing all over the country, including the 2011 London Riots, the Olympic Games, various high profile football matches and protests. He has led specialist officers at a multitude of policing operations, including being a Commander at the COP26 Conference in Glasgow, where his Unit was tasked as the escort to US President Joe Biden.
Prior to joining Kent Police, Steve graduated from the University of Kent with a degree in British Constitutional Politics.
As well as being a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, Steve is an experienced martial artist, having practiced Wado Ryu karate for over 30 years, the last 23 of them as a 3rd Dan black belt. Steve is married with two daughters (both at the school) and two black Labradors called Jet and Dexter.
Nicola Batey
Nicola has lived in Faversham since 1991. She has taught in primary schools for over 30 years. Both her sons spent happy years at Ospringe school.
Nicola has for many years been an active member of the congregation at Ospringe church.
She enjoys creating fused glass art, cycling, gardening and being taken for walks by the family dog!
Nicola is a member of both the Pupil progress and Pastoral committees and also sits on the Headteacher Appraisal panel.
John Higgs
John Higgs has lived in Faversham since 2012 and became a parent governor in June 2022. Currently he has one child attending Ospringe in Key Stage 1 with his youngest due to join the school in September 2024.
Previously, he worked as a Senior Physiotherapist in the NHS, but traded his career to support his wife's veterinary business as an administrator on a part-time basis, whilst being a house husband for the rest of the time. During his time in the NHS, he completed a lot of work on safeguarding practices, leadership and risk management.
In the past, John was a member of Kent Search and Rescue (2014-2021) and a leader with the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award (2004-2009).
He enjoys being active and taking part in outdoor pursuits, but his biggest passion is woodwork/DIY projects with which he creates content for his YouTube channel and other social media platforms.
Barry Hostead
Barry Hostead joined the Governing Body as a Parent Governor in 2014 and has since become a Co-opted Governor.
During his time on the Governing Body, Barry has assumed various positions including; Online Safety Governor, Chair and Vice Chair of the Finance and Estates Committee and is currently Chair of the Finance Committee and Co-Vice Chair of the Governing Body.
Barry works for The John Lewis Partnership as Director of Data Management and Intelligent Platforms. Barry brings a deep knowledge of technology to the governing body with a key focus on data and analytics.
Barry lives in Faversham with his wife and 2 boys, one of which is still at the school and loves the nurturing environment the school provides.
Justin Lovell
Justin Lovell has been a Governor at Ospringe since 2009 and is our current Chair of Governors and a Local Authority Governor. Justin works in the UK Financial Services Industry, in the Insurance Broking sector, with 30 years’ experience in senior compliance and risk management roles.
Areas of expertise, supporting him in his role as governor, include; leadership, strategy, finance, policy management, regulatory / legal compliance and risk management.
Justin is married and the father of two grown-up daughters, both of whom were previous Ospringe pupils. He enjoys both the local countryside and its rich history and is particularly fond of live music.
Antony Manchester
Antony has lived in Faversham with his wife and three children since 2019. His youngest daughter attends the school, as did her sister before moving up to secondary school. His son is now at university. Antony works at a large financial services firm in the City as the co-head of public policy for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is also a Common Councillor in the ward of Broadstreet in the City of London. He lived and worked in Brussels in Belgium for a number of years. There, he was Head of the Economic, Financial and Tax department of the UK Embassy to the EU. He has also held several other civil service roles, including with the Treasury, the Cabinet Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He has a degree in History from Durham University. Antony enjoys walking and cooking.
Sally McCourt
I first joined Ospringe CE Primary School in January 2009, taking on the role of Assistant Headteacher and teaching my own class. Over the course of the years spent as a senior leader and class teacher at the school, I have developed a very good understanding of the challenges the children, families and staff face and overcome on a day to day basis.
My family are all grown up and are currently settled in their own homes located across the UK and abroad and I love to visit with them and travel in my spare time too. My experiences, both from my personal life and within the teaching profession, enables me to see the many strengths the school offers the children and families within the community of Ospringe. Since leaving Ospringe School in 2017, after attempting retirement, I found I missed the work so much that I took a classroom teaching role in a school local to my home address. There I gained further teaching experiences in different school environments which included developing a different, rich and creative curriculum more suited to the children in those schools. The work in these schools added to my understanding of the rich opportunities a creative curriculum offers so many different children.
As a Governor I enjoy being able to support the school by working with the excellent team of teaching staff, Governors, children and families as the school continues on its seemingly endless journey, providing excellent opportunities for growth and improvement for the whole school community.
Carly McLean
Carly is a parent governor and has a son in year 2, she is Canadian (holding a dual citizenship). Carly completed her education in Ontario, with a BaH in English (Queen's University) and a BEd in Secondary Education (University of Toronto), with a focus on inner city education.
She currently works at Thamesview School in Gravesend, as part of the English department, with a main responsibility for Key stage 5. She is also the Whole School Literacy Coordinator, and has spent much of the last 5 years focusing on Disciplinary Literacy and Literacy gaps, including phonic gaps at the secondary level, ensuring all staff embed literacy into their classroom practice. She oversees the schools award winning library and all curriculum that comes through the library space.
Carly has been interested in a governor position for a few years now at her own school, however has not been able to apply because of maternity leave for her two children. She has a keen interest in SEN and Pupil Premium and how they intersect with Literacy. She also has a background in Outdoor Education, having worked at a residential summer camp in Canada for 7 years, where she designed, and facilitated programming for campers, and managed staff.
James Medhurst
James has lived in Faversham since 2008 and was elected as a Parent Governor in 2021. He has one child at the school. James works locally as a driving instructor having previously worked in education as an assistant headteacher and a teacher of physical education and science. James brings experience of behaviour management, pastoral care and safeguarding to the role. James has a keen interest in sport, playing and coaching cricket for a local club and enjoying an occasional game of golf. He volunteers at a local football club, helping with the running of a junior team.
Sue Shepherd
Sue Shepherd has been involved with Ospringe School since she first became a pupil here in the 1960’s. She has maintained links with the school through her mother who worked in the school and other family members, partaking in various fundraising activities and social functions. Sue’s four children attended the school and now her Grandson has just started. She continues to help with the 'Friends of Ospringe School' fundraising activities and other school events. She became a governor in 2009. Sue is regularly in school as she assists with the Better Reading Partnership scheme, which helps provide additional reading opportunities for pupils in the school who need extra help. Sue is also often involved in the school plays and productions, both backstage and with the props. Sue is also a driver of the school minibus whenever she is needed. Sue works as the Welfare Officer at the Faversham Gym Club and as an Assistant Coach specifically with the pre -school children. She is also is a qualified Youth Worker, with over thirty years’ experience. Sue has an interest in prop making and is part of the Up the Creek Pantomime Society.
Clare Walsh
Hi my name is Clare Walsh and I have been a member of the Ospringe staff team since my appointment as a teaching assistant in 2012. I have always worked with children but before starting here my experience was gained in early years education in which I spent 18 years in various nursery settings and gained a Foundation Degree in my specialism. I am currently studying for my Higher-Level TA status to further develop my knowledge and skillset which is adaptable across both key stages. I am passionate about every child being given the quality opportunities they need to be able to grow and learn, and that for them to be able to access them effectively and safely to their individual requirements. I feel within my role as staff governor I can contribute by sharing my knowledge of the school community, the teaching and learning that goes on within and hopefully assist in making informed decisions which will have positive outcomes for all.
I live with my husband, two adult children and a rescue dog who is slightly scatty. I am lifelong resident of Faversham and like to enjoy what our town has to offer especially the swimming pool and pubs! My passion is books, I will read any literature my particular favourite though is Royal history. I have a love of good food and enjoy creating my own culinary delights’ in the kitchen but do prefer a meal out with family and friends.
Murray Wilkinson
Murray was appointed Ex-Officio Governor in May 2020. He chairs the Pastoral Committee and his key responsibility is Religious Education and Collective Worship. He has recently retrained as a physics teacher, and has just started teaching at a college in Canterbury. Murray has a degree in Zoology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, but spent fifteen years working for the Church of England in various ministry roles.
Murray’s career in youth and children’s ministry included working at a small suburban Methodist Church in Cape Town, then a village Church of England parish in West Kent where he was also appointed as lay Chaplain of Brenchley & Matfield CEP. He worked as bishop’s adviser for the Diocese of Canterbury from 2010 to 2019 where he was able to raise the profile of youth and children's ministry in the Diocese, and was the National Growing Faith Enabler for the Church of England's Education Office, in which he worked with the dioceses across England to bring the 'three spheres' of church, household and school into partnership, for the spiritual development of children and young people.
Murray has two daughters at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham. He is married to Gina, a Secondary school Maths teacher, plays guitar and a little piano, still enjoys the delights of LEGO® and watches more films than his diary suggests possible.
Rocyn Williams
Rocyn Williams is a Foundation Governor appointed by the Diocese of Canterbury. He has held governor roles since May 2017. Born in Swansea, in the last century, he attended a small country school on the Gower peninsula.
He graduated from the University of Wales, Cardiff, in Applied Science.
The majority of his career was spent based in Belgium working around the world. He ended up heading a worldwide team selling light sources for specialised applications.
He specialised in organisation process improvement, budget management and organisation evolution.
Along the way he collected a working knowledge of several foreign languages.
A role swap with his wife, Sarah, in 2003 lead to him working as a consultant with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on specialist projects in Poland and Russia.
They returned to the UK in 2003 when Sarah became a priest in the Church of England.
His experience convinces him that smaller schools can deliver quality education. Also that children should be actively encouraged to be comfortable with sciences and foreign languages.
As a regular member of Ospringe Parish Church the links between the parish church and the school are also important to him. Rocyn is also linked to the school's Opal play programme.
Cheryl Winton
Cheryl Winton has been a governor at Ospringe school for 24 years joining as a parent governor and now as a co-opted governor. Cheryl is co-owner of Teddies pre-school and has worked there for the last 20 years and so is very knowledgeable regarding the Early Years Foundation Stage which is also used in reception. Cheryl has a long association with Ospringe School with all five of her children going through the school. Two of her grandchildren are now at Ospringe. She also still helps at events that the school holds. Cheryl spends most of her spare time with her children and many grandchildren who keep her very busy.