Governors

I have lived in the Harting and the Petersfield area since 1994 and had been the Local Authority Governor for just over 2 years before becoming Chair of Harting in the 2012/13 academic year. Now as Chair of the Federation I am looking forward to all the benefits that can be brought to both schools.

My background is international business and on retiring trained and qualified as a secondary school mathematics teacher, GCSE and A Level, (PGCE).

Throughout my business career I encouraged learning at all levels, for self improvement and the good of the business. This desire for continual education, learning and development I hope I bring to Governorship and to the benefit of all the pupils of the Federation Schools.

As Headteacher of Harting I am proud to work alongside a fabulous team of children, staff, governors and families who ensure that children are at the heart of all that we do.

I began my career in education after graduating with a Batchelor of Arts in Jazz, with a specialism in Saxophone. This initially led me to begin working with children in Year R and 1 with special educational needs, using music as a way to express their thoughts and emotions. Following this, I began working as a peripatetic music teacher across all age groups in a number of schools in London and also led a youth
big band for a number of years. It was through these experience that I identified my passion for education and decided to become a qualified teacher. Since this time, I have worked in schools in both London and Surrey where I have held numerous leadership roles improving standards across school.

From my background, I value the role of the arts in education and its importance in developing children’s confidence across all areas of their development. This belief aligns with my vision for education where every child must be supported and challenged to reach their full potential.

My role within the Governing Body is one which I both value and enjoy. The opportunity to share my thoughts, ideas, vision and values, with other governors, who also hold our school close to their hearts, is incredibly exciting. Being able to develop and share long term strategies together, will ensure that Stedham Primary School grows and evolves into the small school of choice in the Rother Valley.

As headteacher, I regularly report on the progress that the school is making and, as critical friends, my fellow governors, support and challenge in all strategic areas. Being a parent of two energetic boys, time away from work is often spent outdoors and sport related. I run, cycle and play squash regularly and, like my sons, am an avid LFC fan despite my West Sussex roots! The infamous motto: ‘You’ll Never Walk
Alone’, fits in well with my position as headteacher and governor.

I am one of the reception teachers at Harting school and have taught at the school since 2016. I feel very lucky to be a teacher at such a wonderful school and now very happy to be a governor for the Weald and Downland Schools Federation. I am a big believer that small village schools are a wonderful start to any child’s education and look forward to seeing both schools go from strength to strength.

I have taught throughout the primary age range in Norfolk, Cambridge, Japan, Oman and Dubai. I have held a variety of positions within primary schools and a prep school including Head of Key Stage 1 and Head of Curriculum. I bring many years of experience and expertise in different types of schools to the governing body and I am very willing to support both schools in any way I can.

I moved to Minsted with my wife in 2019 after starting my career in Scotland and then having lived in Brunei, The Netherlands and Dubai with short stays in Kazakhstan, Abu Dhabi, Nigeria and other locations whilst working in the energy industry. We have two grown-up children.

I started as an engineer in various roles in the North Sea and Shetland and then when I moved abroad, I moved into project development, engineering management and business consultancy roles. Most recently I have been working on a number of renewable energy projects. People development and mentoring has always been a key part of my various roles, as was my own personal development. I led a team of Campus Ambassadors representing my company at my alma mater, Imperial College, for close to 20 years, where
we gave careers presentations, ran CV clinics and played business games with the students. I am a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

For 4.5 years I worked at the corporate learning centre in The Netherlands, initially as a Course Director and then leading a team of Course Directors and administrative staff delivering technical courses, interwoven with interpersonal skills development. I re-designed the main introductory course, added methodologies to test student learnings and improved the teaching skills of the technical presenters. Most of the courses
were held "in-house" although we did travel to Malaysia, Nigeria and Iran to deliver courses also.

Good schools are vital to the health of society. I think that small primary schools are more comfortable for children to start in, and are also a size that they and their parents can quickly feel part of. The school, the parents and the community all find it easier and benefit from connecting with each other. My primary school education helped me get off to a good start and I would like to help to make sure that today's children from Stedham and Harting also get a good start.

My name is Bev Hale. I have been resident in Harting for forty years. My children attended Harting School firstly in the building in the centre of South Harting and then in the current building. Living very close to the school I have seen many changes to the outside since my children left the school. I am looking forward to working to support the continued development of the school rather than remaining an external observer.

As Professor of Learning and Teaching at the University of Chichester I bring to the role of governor a lifelong commitment to education. Initially I trained as a mathematics teacher and later studied for an MSc and then an education doctorate in statistics education while my children were at school. For me, education is collaborative, life-changing, dynamic and underpinned by theory and research.

I moved to South Harting in 2001 with my husband and three small children and we have all loved being part of the Harting and surrounding community.

I studied Economics at Cambridge and have an MBA from Insead, France. My career has been in investment and investment research which has taken me all over the world and where analytical skills have been key along with strong inter-personal skills and communication. Continuous learning and development are central to success in the industry and I have been involved in mentoring many of the younger members of my teams.

Having first lived and worked in London my husband and I embarked to Hong Kong with two small children where I was head of the research department responsible for recruiting and growing a research team comprising 13 different nationalities. We then briefly returned to London (with three children by then) before moving to South Harting. After a career break to settle and raise the family I returned to work in the investment research field.

Since retiring I have been involved in fund raising for the Chichester Cathedral, have been on the committee organising the GOSH carol concert, their flag ship fund raising event, and am a trustee of the Endowment fund for the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum. I enjoy my garden, playing tennis locally and cycling up and around the Downs.

I have always had a very keen interest in education, and I look forward to contributing to the Weald and Downlands School Federation as a governor.

I have lived in Harting with my family for 8 years and have a background in Military, instruction, survival, coaching, protection and business.

My wife and I have our own local business located in Petersfield which enables us to life the lifestyle we want, having lots of family time and allowing me to be able to take my girls to school every morning and to be as involved as possible with their development and personal growth.

When they started at Harting school I joined the PTFA looking to help raise much needed money for the school and brake down social barriers amongst fellow parents trying to build a strong parent school community.

Now, as the parent governor, I'm excited to dive deeper into the school's operations and contribute to its continued success. My unique experiences and skill set will allow me to provide fresh perspectives and insights, ultimately benefiting the school and its students.

I aim to be an approachable figure for all parents, fostering open communication and a safe space for them to voice any queries they may have. .

I look forward to contributing to the happiness and success of our precious future generation at Harting School. With a collaborative spirit and a dedication to excellence, I'm confident that we can create an exceptional educational experience for all students.