Meet the Governors
What is a Governing Body?
The Government requires that each school has a management team known as a governing body. This team is made up of the various stakeholders that the school serves (parents, local authority, staff and community). Governors are either elected or appointed, e.g. parent governors are elected from the parent body; the local authority (LA) appoints governors, the governing body appoints community governors.
The Governing Body has three core functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Structure of the governing body:
At Yattendon we meet as a Full Governing Body on at least seven occasions throughout the year. Unlike some schools, we no longer operate with separate committees focusing on resources and pupil standards but instead work collaboratively to monitor these through an ongoing cycle. In addition, where working parties are required to monitor particular areas of school life, these are formed as necessary. We do however operate a pay committee and a headteacher’s appraisal committee.
Yattendon Governors
If you are interested in helping to make Yattendon the best school it can be and want to be more involved in school life then please contact us (governor@yattendon.surrey.sch.uk) for more information.
If you would like to contact any of our governors or our chair of governors please do so via: clerk@yattendon.surrey.sch.uk
 | Ashlee Woodruff Chair
I joined the governing board in early 2023. I believe that being a school governor is a valuable way of serving the local community, whilst having an opportunity to support the school, the parents and importantly the children. Elected as the Chair of Governors in October 2023, I am committed to leveraging the skillset I have gained in an executive capacity to lead the governing board in ensuring it fulfills its duties well. I look forward to working with Mr. Perkins and the school’s leadership team and all whom have an interest in the success of the school. I am invested as a parent of three boys at the school, and look forward to supporting the strategic direction of the school. One that supports the highest aspirations and teaching standards for our children in order for them to achieve the best possible outcomes. I am a mother of four wonderful and very active children I spend a lot of my personal time watching football and attending swimming galas. A Secretary in the Executive Committee of Redhill & Reigate Swimming club. An accomplished senior data transformation, operations, and client services executive for the shipping sector. Providing expertise to industry bodies, to impact global initiatives. An expert on behalf of S&P Global, a recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) for the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Founder of Women in Maritime, responsible for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy within the S&P Global Market Intelligence, Research, Advisory & Specialty Solutions business. |
 | Guy Perkins Headteacher Having taught for a number of years in Surrey primary schools, I joined Yattendon in September 2010 as Deputy Headteacher and was appointed Head Teacher in 2016. I have always had a passion for education, and I am particularly keen to develop in children a sense of responsibility and enthusiasm for their own learning. I live fairly locally near Dorking and have a daughter of eighteen and two young sons. Parenting is not easy in the twenty-first century. Pressures that come with being a working parent can mean that engaging with your child’s education is particularly challenging. I am keen to involve parents and carers as much as possible, and help them feel part of the school community. |
 | Neil Hughes Co-opted I was appointed to the Board of Governors in September 2022. I am now retired but worked for 40 years in financial regulation in London, so gained much experience in budgeting, analysis, management and setting policies and strategy. I hope that these skills will be useful to the governing body as well as to the Head and Bursar. I have lived in the area for some 35 years and am very glad to be able to contribute to the community, especially to the education of the younger members of society. A good all-round education is one of, if not the, most important advantage we can give our children.
|
 | James Butcher Staff It was my pleasure to join the governing body at Yattendon in November 2023. I have been a member of staff here for three years and during that time have taught in Year 5 and Year 6 alongside leading English. When I started, my introduction was largely via Zoom and ‘bubbles’ as we were in the depths of the Covid pandemic. Even though this was the case, I felt the warm community spirit and the family atmosphere straightaway and very quickly felt very much at home. In my role as a governor I hope to support the school in a slightly different way and be part of the strategic steering of our school as we enter the new and exciting chapter of the Greensand journey. |
 | Nicola Pearce Parent Governor My son is currently in Year 4 and I have a younger daughter who will join the school in the near future; I’ll also admit to being a previous Yattendon pupil myself! I’m passionate about race equity, diversity and inclusion and am particularly keen to ensure through my role as governor that all children at Yattendon have access to education and opportunities to thrive at school regardless of background, race and needs. |
 | Sarah Pemberton I became a governor at Yattendon in spring 2023. When I moved to Horley I was keen to become a school governor as a way to become involved in the local community. I have also been interested in the education sector for a number of years and have worked in it in various ways previously. I have been a civil servant for over 10 years and am currently on a career break looking after my young son.
|
 | Patrizia Rudisser-Street |