Meet the School Governors
Believe and Achieve
Chair of Governors - Dr Birgit Smith
Vice Chair - Mrs Ali Mason
Clerk to the Governing Body - Ms Judith Austin
clerk@nutleyce.e-sussex.sch.uk
Local Authority Governor
Neil Lovett
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Foundation Governor
Rev Ben Sear
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Co-opted Governor
Marcia Goodwin
I live in East Grinstead and work as a School Improvement Partner in Surrey.
I have been a school leader for many years, first in West Sussex, Surrey and East Sussex. I left the role of Headteacher to work as part of a Hindu Faith Trust and to set up a free school for them in Croydon. Following this, I went on to train as an Ofsted inspector and later became a lead inspector. During this time, I also worked as Interim Head at Nutley School for a brief period and my interest and involvement in the school began.
I hope that my experience and skills will prove useful to the Governing Body in its support of the school.
Parent Governor
Angela Saffery
Whilst I live in Crowborough with my husband and son, our son attends Nutley Primary School, which was our first-choice selection. We chose the school due to the warmth of the teachers and staff, the school philosophy and ethos which aligns with our own, good ratings for maths and English, a strong outdoor approach and the fact it is a small village school. Professionally, I own and run an accountancy practice with personal passions for my son's education, reading, puzzles of various types and the great outdoors (as long as it's not raining!) I'm honoured for the opportunity to be a part of the Governing Body and hope my various skills and experience will be useful for the position of Parent Governor and the school.
Staff Governor
Amy Marshall
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Co-opted Governor
Jolene Price
My family and I moved to Nutley in July 2023. My two boys are football mad so we make the most of the summer on the beautiful cricket pitch, in the park or walking our Labradors on the forest. I have been bowled over by the friendly welcome we have received and I knew instantly that I wanted to be really involved in village life.
On the weekends, I enjoy watching my boys play in football matches and riding my horse, Bruno, on the forest.
I am the Assistant Headteacher in a Crowborough school, so what better way to get involved in the village, than offer my services as a governor to the school. I am passionate about education and providing enriching opportunities for children and hope to enrich the lives of pupils at Nutley Primary School in my role as governor.
Ali Mason
Parent Governor/Vice Chair
I live in Nutley with my husband, two children and our dog. We truly found a welcoming and amazing village here since 2014. We adore the outdoor lifestyle and the gift of bringing our children up surrounded by the forest. Our children both went to Nutley Preschool and onto Nutley School in Reception class (2015 and 2018). I am committed to our school, village and community which I hope to be reflected in my role as a Parent Governor.
My professional background is in Marketing, Communication and Sales with a proven track record throughout my career and voluntary roles. In my spare time I am passionate about health and fitness, and the life changing benefits it brings to body and mind.
I hope to bring a wide range of skills to the Governing Body and make a difference to our school, the children and families that are all part of Team Nutley.
Dr Birgit Smith
Chair of Governors/Co-opted Governor
After retiring from my post as Head of Department of a very successful Languages and Cultures Department in one of the top ten universities in the country, I moved to Nutley about 18 months ago to be closer to my grandchildren. I have been involved in education at HE level since the 1990’s achieving excellent results. For example, under my leadership, German improved to the 3rd place in the UK national league tables.
Being retired has given me flexibility and the opportunity to be involved in Nutley CE Primary School. I have seen how Nutley is more than a school; it’s a community where everyone plays a vital role.
A governing body sets the school’s aims and objectives, the strategy, targets for achieving and measuring those aims in collaboration with the school. This starts with academic aims – standards of achievement and progress in reading, writing and mathematics, but it also includes attendance, emotional wellbeing and the general health of the school.
These aims are close to my heart and I would really like to give something back to the community. My professional skill set enables me to simplify complex issues, be an advocate for a particular point of view and reach negotiated solutions. I was recently appointed as Councillor on Maresfield Parish Council.
I would hope to be an asset to the school, dedicating my time to being a proactive and effective school governor.
Emma Robinson
Staff Governor
I joined Nutley CE Primary School a couple of years ago as the Year 5/6 teacher and I am delighted to be the deputy head . I have over ten years’ experience of teaching in small village schools with mixed age classes as well as experience teaching in a large two-form entry primary school in London. I have enjoyed being part of the senior leadership team in my previous village school. My own children have attended a primary school in Uckfield and it has been valuable to acquire a parent’s perspective on primary education. I attended Church of England primary and secondary schools as a child and greatly value the strong moral and spiritual foundation that this experience gave me.
I have not always been a teacher. I have experience in residential property having worked in sales, lettings and property management for estate agencies in central London. Before this, I worked for Reuters as a media assistant. I have also had experience in theatre, working voluntarily as part of the set design and construction team at a theatre in Reading. I have also sung in a hospital choir to raise money for charity.
I like being a staff governor because I’m interested in children’s education. I would like to offer my experience to help guide the school strategically forward to achieve the very best education for the children as well as the unique nurturing experience that being at a small village Christian school brings.