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Our Governing Body

School governors are people who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education. Governors are one of the most substantial volunteer forces in the country and have an essential part to play in raising school standards. The role of the governing board is key to the effectiveness of a school. The purpose of the Governing Body is to provide strategic management, and to act as a “critical friend”, supporting the work of the headteacher and other staff. School governing bodies are responsible for working with the school to ensure that it delivers a good quality education. Together with the head teacher, who is responsible for day-to-day management, they set the school’s aims and policies.
 
  • Kevin Marten (Chair)

    I joined Writtle Junior School governing body in 2015 and have really enjoyed, being part of the WJS team. I am currently Chair of the Governing Body.

    My core skills are in Construction, and I have been a Building Surveyor for 15 years.

     

     

     

     

  • Aedin Lipski (Vice-Chair)

    I am currently Head of School at Highwood Primary School.

    The core skills that I bring to the Governing Body are centred around education.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Tony Cant

    Tony was born and raised in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, travelled on a surfing trip to New Zealand in 1979 where he met his wife, and also God. They had 3 children and moved back to Australia in early 1994. Tony and his family spent 5 years in Australia doing a mix of pastoral and schools seminar work before moving to the UK in mid 1999 until going back to Australia in January 2019, and then back to the UK 10 months later.  Tony has held many posts over the years including: factory worker, fisherman, dairy farmer, youth and community development worker, seminar presenter and pastor.

    Tony was ordained in 2004 in Chelmsford Cathedral and before returning to Australia in 2019 he was the Chaplain to Anglia Ruskin University between 2010 – 2018. During this time he developed and ran the International Community Experience (ICE) volunteering projects, and grew a multi faith Chaplaincy team

    Prior to this Tony lived in East London for 11 years, working as a youth and community development worker. He was the local Farmers’ Market Manager in Walthamstow with a church stall selling refreshments and looking after the farmers and having conversations with locals about anything and everything, while the profits of their stall went to a local youth work charity.

    And now, Tony is the Vicar at All Saints church in Writtle, as well as having responsibility for the Anglican churches in Roxwell and Highwood.

  • Suzanne Evans

    My name is Sue Evans and I am thrilled to have been appointed as a governor of WJS!

    As a retired teacher of some 30+ years’ experience, latterly as Deputy Head at WJS, I feel I have a lot of valuable expertise to offer the Governing body. I now work part time in ITT mentoring trainee teachers for Essex Primary Scitt. This involves supporting trainees on their journey to QTS and in their ECT phase. Mentoring young teachers has always been a passion of mine and I love having the opportunity to visit a wide range of different schools across the county.

    I have lived in Writtle all my married life and have one daughter, two horses and three dogs! In my spare time, I love travelling, judging at horse shows, and supporting my daughter when she is competing in equestrian events.

    I am excited to be part of the Governing body and look forward to being involved with the ‘TEAM’ at WJS, a school that has a special place in my heart!

  • Alwyn Thomas

    Alwyn was born in Carmarthen, South Wales growing up on the family dairy farm with his parents and three siblings.  He has studied in both the University of Wales Aberystwyth and graduated with a BSc in 1995 from Writtle University College.  He has worked in Wales, Ireland and England in data roles, currently employed as the Head of Data Strategy for The Financial Times.  

    Alwyn returned to live in Writtle with his wife Angela and family in 2012.  His three boys attended WJS, the older two have now left with the youngest in year 3.  He is a keen advocate of growth and development and is a volunteer coach for two of his boys with Chelmsford Rugby Club. In his spare time you will usually find Alwyn discussing rugby with anyone who’ll listen or trying to keep active with some running. He has been a member of the London Welsh Male Voice choir with a highlight singing in the closing ceremony of the Olympics in 2012.

  • Luke Dudley

    Biography to be added - July 2026

In addition to the above governors, there are the following members:

Nick Taylor (Headteacher)

Claire Storer (Deputy headteacher)

Stuart Lambert (Staff Governor)

Governance Statement - July 2026

Annual Governance Statement (HIVE Academy Trust)

1. Governance Structure and Framework

Writtle Junior School operates under the  governance framework of the HIVE Academy Trust (HIVE Family of Schools). Following the academy conversion, statutory governance powers are entrusted to the HIVE Board of Trustees. Responsibilities are delegated to the Writtle Junior School Local Governing Body (LGB) through the Trust’s formal Scheme of Delegation.

The framework balances strategic multi-academy trust requirements with school accountability. It ensures that the operational core values of Writtle Junior School developing academic, social, and creative skills are met.

2. Composition and Core Responsibilities of the Local Governing Body

The LGB consists of a balanced representation of parent governors, staff governors, and co-opted community governors all providing key professsional skill sets to support the school locally. The body works in partnership with the Executive Headteacher, and the Trust Executive Team to execute three primary core values of school governance:

  • Strategic Direction: Contributing directly to and monitoring the school’s implementation of the School Development Plan (SDP). This aligns with the HIVE strategic mission of being a fully inclusive family of schools.

  • Educational Accountability: Scrutinising and understanding school performance data, tracking progress indicators across all Key Stage 2 cohorts, and checking the quality of learning experiences. with timely classroom monitoring visits.

  • Financial and Resource Oversight: Collaborating with the HIVE central finance team to evaluate the local impact of targeted spending. This includes the monitoring of the Pupil Premium allocation.

3. Committee Structure and Local Delegation

To carry out its duties efficiently,  and detailed reviews are actioned and are reported back to the full LGB and the Board of Trustees:

  • Finance and Premises: Evaluates resource management, premises compliance, local site safety, and checks internal financial controls alongside the HIVE Chief Financial and Operations Officer (CFOO)

  • Pupil Discipline, Staffing, and Complaints Panel: Convenes as necessary under standard HIVE statutory guidelines to handle escalated regulatory matters, exclusions, or parental appeals.

4. Strategic Priorities and Impact Assessments

Over the current academic year, the local governors will need to focus their evaluation of the school development plan, and our key strategies for learning, information governance, and ensuring strict compliance with Data Protection policies through the designated Information Governance Support framework.

Priorities include continuing our valued partnership with the infants alongside clear strategies for Year 6 being "secondary-ready". Governors continuously review their own training and development with the increased expanding expectations of multi-academy trust governance.

Safeguarding

The Governing Body is committed to:

  • Safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety, and the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of children and young people
  • Promoting equality of opportunity and community cohesion where the diversity of different backgrounds and circumstances is appreciated and positively valued
  • The fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs
  • Expecting all staff, volunteers and other workers to share this commitment.

Governors place great value on safeguarding and equality, we have a Nominated Governor for Safeguarding (Mr Marten) who gives a termly report to the governors about all such matters where applicable.  All governors have taken part in prevent training. 

Attendance record of governors

Governors have good attendance at meeting. See details of individual governors’ attendance at meetings below.

How you can contact the governing body

We always welcome suggestions, feedback and ideas from parents – please contact the Chair of Governors, Mr Marten, via the school office. (Minutes of meetings are available on request).

Writtle Junior School Governing Body during the last twelve month period September 2025 to July 2026

Information being updated - July 2026

School Governors - committees to which they belong, attendance record and number of courses attended September 2025 to July 2026

Information being updated - July 2026

Register of relevant business and pecuniary Interests during the last twelve month period September 2025 to July 2026

Information being updated - July 2026

Note: - Governance arrangements should include at least the following information:

The structure and remit of the governing body and any committees, and the full names of the chair of each; for each governor who has served at any point over the past 12 months:

• their full names, date of appointment, term of office, date they stepped down (where applicable), who appointed them (in accordance with the governing body’s instrument of government), relevant business and pecuniary interests (as recorded in the register of interests) including: governance roles in other educational institutions; any relevant material interests arising from relationships between governors or relationships between governors and school staff (including spouses, partners and close relatives); and their attendance record at governing body and committee meetings over the last academic year.

Together Everyone Achieves More

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