Meet our Governors

Mrs Diane Osborne (Co-opted)
I am Chair of Governors.  I have been associated with St Swithun’s School for 38 years beginning with my two daughters attending the school. I then became a Teaching Assistant at the School – a post I held for nineteen years – and for the last twelve years I have served on the Board of Governors. It has been a privilege to be a part of so many children’s education in Sandy. Currently I am the Chair of Governors which is a challenging but extremely rewarding role. Two of my grandsons are now pupils at the school.

Maureen Munro (Foundation Governor)
This will be my ninth year on the Governing Board. After completing the maximum two terms as a Foundation Governor my role now is to act in a supportive capacity,  especially during any SIAMS inspection, and to give every assistance I am able to our outstanding and hardworking Chair of Governors and the other members of our dedicated Governing Body.  Christian Distinctiveness and , as a former teacher, Mathematics are my areas of specialism.

Councillor Frank Firth (Local Authority Governor)
I am the Northill Ward member on Central Bedfordshire Council and I am  the Local Authority appointed Governor, and Chair of the Finance Committee.   I moved into Northill in 1985 having served  in the Royal Navy – Fleet Air Arm for 24 years, to take up employment initially at BAe Hatfield, before returning to the Ministry of Defence (Procurement Executive) in London. I retired from the MoD in 2003. My background is  Aeronautical Engineering, and along with my Managerial and Administrative skill from the RN I have experience in Procurement, Project Management and Quality  Assurance.

Mrs Julia Battersby (Parent Governor)
I am a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and have been a practising HR professional for over 20 years, with experience in the public and private sector.  This experience in local government has provided me with a good understanding of the school environment, infrastructure and staffing arrangements.  I am familiar in working with and interpreting policies, procedures and employment law.  My background in HR helps me to contribute to the committees of the Governing Board and compliment the skills of other governors.

Mrs Zowie Salvatore (Parent Governor)
I have recently been appointed as Vice Chair of Governors. I became a St Swithun's parent in 2012 when my first child joined the Nursery. I have been a Parent Governor for the last four years and enjoyed being part of the parental voice but my children moved on. I was keen to continue my role as a governor at St Swithun's and was recently elected as a Co-opted Governor. I am a qualified Primary School teacher with over 20 years experience in schools. My experiences as a teacher and my personal skills help me contribute to several committees on the Governing Board. I enjoy being part of the Governing Board. We work as a team, putting  the interests of the children first.  I enjoy the challenges, opportunities and responsibilities in helping to support a positive learning environment for all children at St Swithun's.

Mrs Bridget Fordham (Parent Governor)
I was appointed as a Parent Governor in 2019. I chose St Swithun's CE VC Primary for my child as I wanted a school where the values and ethos are fully embedded in the school. When you enter the school you can feel the values as you come through the door. I am a qualified teacher with over 20 years experience of teaching in Secondary and Middle Schools. I currently work in a Church School myself and I understand the Christian Ethos and the requirements of the SIAMs inspections as well as the new Ofsted framework. I come to the governing body with a range of other experiences including working for the local Music Hub and as a Union Branch Officer for one of the teaching unions. This is useful in my role on the Policy Committee as I am used to reading policies and identifying ways to improve them for all stakeholders. As a governor I feel my role is to support the school values and ethos to enable every child to reach their potential but to also be a critical friend questioning the school leadership to develop the school even further.

Mrs Elizabeth Adams (Co-opted Governor) 

I became a Co-Opted Governor just prior to lockdown so am still in the learning process of being a Governor.

I have recently retired from the NHS after 49 years, although only 44 as a registered nurse.

I am a member of St. Swithun's Church and have always had an interest in St. Swithun's School as my two sons attended many years ago. ( they are now 41 and 38}. I have always enjoyed the fact, that being a church school, they have a close relationship with the church but also are mindful and encouraging of all cultures and religions.

I was a school nurse in the late nineties with a special interest in Special Needs, having been involved with Sunnyside and Hitchmead, as they were known then.

I have been involved in Health, Safety and Welfare in my role as a ward sister. Within this role, I undertook appraisals and supervision as well as interviewing potential new staff. I have a particular interest in the Health and Welfare of the whole school, both pupils and all staff whatever their role. Also the welfare of parents and carers.

I am looking forward to getting to know all the staff in the coming year and working more closely and supporting them in the education of all the children as they assist them to reach their potential.

Revd Huw Davies (Foundation Governor)

Mrs Clare Little (Foundation Governor)
I have been working at St Swithun’s Primary School for 10 years now. Firstly as a Lunchtime Supervisor and then as a Teaching Assistant in Early Years Foundation Stage. I am a Christian and attend St Swithun’s Church in Sandy regularly. I feel strongly about keeping the Christian values within the school community and to promote them.

Miss Selina Jita (Staff Governor)

I completed my Teacher training at St. Swithun’s in 2018 and during this time I admired the community feel of our School and the ethos that was enriched throughout it; I am now in my fourth year teaching here. I am the PSHE lead for our school and I’m passionate about taking a holistic approach to best support the wellbeing of our pupils. I am always looking for new ways to support the Social, Emotional and Mental Health wellbeing of our community and I am active in implementing these strategies within our school. 

As staff governor I am responsible for ensuring that the views of staff are represented during governors meetings. I am passionate about supporting the school to continue to go from strength to strength, to be the best possible learning environment for our pupils.

 Anita Whitehurst (Headteacher)
I am part of the Governing Board in my role of Headteacher.  I have been Head at St Swithun's for 9 years and have held numerous roles in school for the past 16 years. I provide the Governing Board with the information they need to complete their roles effectively.