Meet the School Governors
Believe and Achieve
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Chair of Governors - Dr Birgit Smith
Vice Chair - Mrs Ali Mason
Clerk to the Governing Body - Mrs Joanna Keith-Lucas
clerk@nutleyce.e-sussex.sch.uk
Neil Lovett
Local Authority Governor
I am a chartered accountant with 4 grandchildren, 2 of which attended Nutley School. I have now been a governor for 8 years and am a passionate supporter of the school. I regularly listen to children read on a weekly basis.
Amy Henriques
Parent Governor
I moved to Nutley in 2021 with my husband and daughter in search of a calmer, more outdoorsy lifestyle. My daughter had come from a busy, over-crowded, large town school and the class sizes and teaching at Nutley was refreshingly more personal. Relocating our family during covid was ... interesting...(!) but staff at the School went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed and that my daughter could smoothly transition.
We have since added another daughter and a noisy dog to our team, my youngest having recently started at the Preschool.
We love everything the village offers and how everyone works together to support and keep our gorgeous community thriving.
Professionally I spent a over a decade working in legal operations before more recently moving into a strategic advisory role for a large insurance broker.
I spend my days organising, taking care of and planning the future of my team and my evenings being bossed around by my children!
I hope to be able to use these skills to support the Governing Body and help develop the school to be the very best it can be. I am passionate about enriching our children's futures and believe the School is integral to that success.
Rev Ben Sear
Foundation Governor
​I became the Vicar of Nutley Church in 2019, though I was a member of the congregation previously until 2012. I originally studied biochemistry at university and worked for the Medical Research Council before starting my theological training. Prior to our arrival in Maresfield, I was based in Patcham (Brighton) for four years during my on-the-job training.
I am married to Claudia and have two daughters. I am very glad to be part of village life and to have this opportunity to support the school and develop its links with the church.
Lisa Butterworth-Salmon
Co-opted Governor
I live just outside Nutley with my husband, two daughters, two dogs and my cat. I have been a part of team Nutley for 9 years. Both my daughters went to Nutley school. We moved my eldest to Nutley School from another, which was the best decision we ever made. She thrived at Nutley School and is now doing her A Levels locally. My youngest started at school in reception and left last year. She thrived too, and often talks about her fond memories of Nutley. I welcome being able to support the school again in my governor role.
My professional background is in psychology and speech and language therapy. I hope that with my skills I am able to support the school to be the best it can be.
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 Head Teacher . 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.
Holly Braggins
Co-opted Governor
Although my family and I live a fair drive away from Nutley I have always had friends and family in the village, so I know the area well. There were many schools closer to us, however, we were attracted to Nutley due to its excellent facilities, caring nature and small class sizes.
Prior to having children my professional background was in horse racing administration and leading a team of colleagues. I feel the problem solving and analysis skills I developed will be useful in a governor role.
As governor, I would like to play my part in ensuring the long-term security of the school so it can continue to thrive in years to come.