Welcome to our Governors’ section.

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor.

The Board of Governors is a legally required group of volunteers, from the Community, Parents and Staff of the school, whose responsibility is:

Anne has lived in Wimbish for almost twelve years. She studied for a degree in English then a PGCE from Nottingham University and began her working life as a secondary school teacher. After that she spent twenty five years as a lecturer then manager in further education. She was Head of Department for Creative Arts and in her last post she was Vice Principal, responsible for quality assurance and improvement, including teaching and learning, and safeguarding.

Anne has an interest in all levels of education and was a parent governor for six years when her own children were at primary school (many moons ago!). She is now retired and, as well as being a governor at Thaxted Primary School, is a volunteer adviser for Uttlesford Citizens Advice.  She became Chair of Governors in September 2018.

Favourite book: The Great Gatsby (F Scott Fitzgerald)

Person I would most like to invite to a dinner party: Michael Palin

Superpower I would choose to have: the ability to time travel

Favourite song/music: For a Dancer (Jackson Browne)

Tracey has been a teacher for over 20 years as a class teacher and SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) and now works as a Specialist Teacher for Essex County Council. She has two daughters, both at Saffron Walden County High School. She enjoys spending time in Spain, attempting to learn Spanish, cycling and playing netball.

Favourite book: The Indian in the Cupboard (to read to children) The Light Between the Oceans (for me)

Person I would most like to invite to a dinner party: Emmeline Pankhurst

Superpower I would choose: Fly

Favourite song: S Club7 'Don't stop moving' club mix every time!

N.B. Tracey is currently an Associate Governor while she works as Inclusion Manager at the school on a fixed term contract.  She plans to return to the Governing Body in September 2020.

Saroj has a PhD in Pharmacology from Cambridge University and is currently the Director of a management consultancy company, SKV consultants Ltd. He has strong leadership and motivational skills with expertise in delivering strategic projects within the Biotechnology/Pharmacology industry. He also has extensive experience of coordinating and teaching at international summer schools for secondary school students in Cambridge. He is married with two children who are both attending Thaxted Primary School.

Favourite book: To kill a mocking bird by Harper Lee

Person I would most like to invite to a dinner party: J.K.Rowling

Superpower I would choose: Ability to fly

Favourite Music/song: South Indian classical music

Sarah lives in Thaxted with her husband Ed, and two sons.  Her eldest, Joe, is attending Thaxted Primary School, Sarah was an undergraduate at The University of Manchester. She also has an MA in Human Rights from University College London. Sarah worked for a large educational trust for several years, responsible for their compliance and legal work and then joined a national law firm in their education law department. Sarah specialises in information law and regulatory law, advising a broad range of educational institutions from nurseries, to universities and everything in between. Sarah was a governor at a primary school and a secondary school prior to joining the Governors at Thaxted.

Favourite book: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt or The Ballroom by Anna Hope

Person I would most like to invite to a dinner party: Ant and Dec (two people I know..)

Superpower I would choose: Ability to learn all languages instantly

Favourite song: Faith - George Michael

John Levett

John is a parent governor who lives in Thaxted with his wife Liggy, and children Charlie, Hugo and Clara. Charlie is attending Joyce Frankland Academy, and Hugo and Clara are at Thaxted Primary School.

Originally studying as a Building Surveyor, john has worked in financial services since 1998. John is now a Technical Specialist at the Financial Conduct Authority, helping to supervise some of the UK’s largest insurance institutions. As a result John has experience in assessing board effectiveness, culture and governance frameworks.

Favourite book: Good Omens, or anything by the late Sir Terry Pratchet.

 Person I would most like to invite to a dinner party: David & Victoria Coren Mitchell

 Superpower I would choose: To read minds would be useful with my children and at work.

 Favourite song: Titanium – David Guetta

Jenny lives just outside of Little Bardfield with her husband Justin and their four children, who all go to different schools/nursery in Thaxted and Chelmsford. Jenny’s daughter is currently in Year 1 at Thaxted Primary School.

Jenny has a degree in Marketing Management and has been working within the international education sector directing Customer Acquisition and Client Services for over 15 years.

With her husband, Jenny now runs the African education company, Mwabu. The business uses technology to improve education outcomes in Africa, providing learners and teachers from all walks of life with access to a high level of quality education.

Jenny has a broad interest in education and in supporting the development of young people as well as a drive to give something back to our local community. This is the first time Jenny has been a governor and she hopes to bring a varied set of skills and experiences as a business person and a parent to support the interests of the school community.

Favourite book: Bad Blood – Secrets & Lies of a Silicon Valley Start-up – John Carreyrou

 Person I would most like to invite to a dinner party: Bill (& Melinda) Gates

 Superpower I would choose: Teleportation

 Favourite song: Current favourite album ‘A Star is Born’

Luke has been a teacher at the school for four years, having arrived as an NQT. Although he is KS1 Leader and a Year 2 teacher, Luke has taught across a range of year groups including Year 4, 5 & 6. He studied English Language & Linguistics at Queen Mary College, University of London before undergoing a PGCE at the University of Cambridge. Luke spent the majority of his own childhood in Angola, west Africa where he was home schooled – his interest in becoming a teacher started then! He now lives with his wife in Haverhill and is heavily involved in his local church; he also enjoys reading, pretty much any sport you could mention and going out with his friends.

Favourite book: The Day the Crayons Quit (for children) and anything by John Grisham (for me)

Person I would most like to invite to a dinner party: Winston Churchill

Superpower I would choose: I’m pretty super as it is

Favourite song: American Pie by Don McLean

Edward Gallier

Edd has lived with his partner in Thaxted for nearly 2 years having moved from Maresfield, East Sussex.

Edd works as Head of Learning & Development for Jurys Inn & Leonardo Hotels for the past eight years. He heads a division within human resources responsible for all learning strategy, planning and implementation from the executive through to the frontline team.

Edd is chartered member of the CIPD. As an active member of the hospitality education and careers community he is a fellow of the Institute of Hospitality (IoH), board member of the Edge Hotel School at Essex University and Future Leaders In Global Hospitality and Tourism (FLIGHT).

He is a member of the parish church Parochial Church Council (PCC) where he has a focus on developing the new ‘Open Doors’ service with the aim of creating an every age service with a wider appeal to those new to Thaxted church and also our regular congregation.

Outside work he and his partner both love to travel, enjoying the journey, not just the destination with a particular love of train and cruise travel. For relaxation he enjoys baking and gardening, He suspects in both cases to see things grow and develop into something good looking or tasty!

Favourite book: Three Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell

Superpower: Invisibility 

The person(s) that I would most like to invite to a dinner party:  Winston Churchill  

Favourite Song: Lovely Day by Bill Withers

Colin Howell

Colin moved from Felsted in December 2019 and now lives in Little Sampford with his wife Sarah and his two children, Owen 19 and Megan 17 and his 11 year old Australian Labradoodle “Cadbury”. 

Colin is a Financial Accountant and an Entrepreneur, previously sitting on executive boards of various companies. After having a year out, Colin is back into business and currently a Senior Partner within his own small Accountancy Practice, a business broker and an Executive director for a Group of Security companies.   His experience covers, Finance, HR & Operations.

Outside of work he enjoys watching Football and F1 and spending time with his family and enjoying the odd round of Golf.

Favourite book: Currently reading “Finding My Virginity” Richard Branson’s Autobiography

Person I would like to invite to a dinner party:  Bill Gates

Superpower I would choose:  The ability to Heal people from illness

Favourite Music/song: I’ve got a feeling by Black eyed peas

Hazel Gotfraind

Hazel has lived in Thaxted with her husband, Baron, for a little over 3 years. She has 3 children, two girls and a boy and 6 grandchildren.  Hazel has spent the last 40 years working in both the advertising industry and not-for-profit sector.  She recently retired from her role as Fundraising & Marketing Director of a large national charity helping disabled people with their mobility.

Hazel and Baron love to travel and both enjoy cooking and socialising with family and friends. 

Favourite book : Anything by J.K. Rowling

Person I would have liked to invite to a dinner party : Robin Williams

Superpower I would choose : The ability to fly

Favourite song/band : The Beatles

Debra Legge 

Debbie moved to Thaxted from Bishop’s Stortford in December 2020. She lives with her husband Mick and has two daughters, Hannah and Natasha both in their twenties with one still living at home. Debbie has been the headteacher of a large primary school in Ilford, East London, for 25 years and is retiring in July. She has a degree in Psychology from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology and a PGCE from Portsmouth University. Debbie is looking forward to spending more time in her new house with her husband and dogs and pursuing her hobbies such as sewing, knitting, learning Swedish, gardening and photography. Debbie hopes that by becoming a governor at Thaxted Primary School she can give something back from her 36 years experience in education and also make friends in the Thaxted area.

Favourite Book:   Becoming by Michelle Obama

Superpower:     Mind-reading

Person I would most like to invite to a dinner party:   Barak Obama

Favourite Song: I   Want You Back by The Jackson five

Charlotte Tillbrook

Charlotte lives in Wethersfield with her husband Steve and son Alfie who is just finishing at Thaxted to go onto Saffron Walden County High. Charlotte has a degree in Business Management and achieved her National Professional Qualification in Integrated Leadership at Hertfordshire University whilst she was a manager of Haverhill Children's Centres. 

Charlotte has had a very varied career across the public sector from Central Government to Children's Centres and now working part time at a Vineyard. Charlotte believes that all children deserve to have the best start in life and be empowered to achieve their own potential whatever that may be. Charlotte enjoys paddleboarding, skiing, reading and all things Disney but most of all spending time with her family. 

Favourite Book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 

Person I would most like to invite to dinner: Walt Disney

Superpower: Ability to fly - I hate getting stuck in traffic!

Favourite Song - Tiny Dancer by Elton John 

 Jackie Sweeting

Jackie started her career at Johnson Matthey in sales and marketing.  Five of her eighteen years with the company were spent working in a sales office in Germany.  Subsequent years were spent travelling the world as a Sales and Marketing Manager. Having started a family she set up a business working from home before studying for a Certificate in School Business Management and moving into a role in education, as Business Manager at Thaxted Primary School.  Whilst working from home Jackie was Clerk to 7 Governing Bodies and she was Chair of the Governing Body at Katherine Semar Junior School for 3 years.  When not at the school Jackie is a keen gardener, florist and dressmaker. 

Favourite book: Anything by Anita Shreve

Person I would like to invite to a dinner party:  Claudia Winkelman

Superpower I would choose:  Teleportation (to keep an eye on her daughter at university in Sheffield!)

Favourite Music/song: Never Too Much by Luther Vandross