Governors

The membership of the governing body of Mary Rose Academy is determined by the Terms of Reference and includes:   

• Co-opted Governors
• Parent Governors
• Staff Governors

Co-opted and Parent Governors are all volunteers who are not paid.  The staff governors are all paid members of staff but do not receive any additional payments in connection with being a governor. 

There is also a Clerk to the Governors who arranges and attends meetings and helps with legal and constitutional matters, but cannot vote on any matter at any meeting. This is a paid post.

Statutory information about the current governors can be found in this PDF and information about resignations can be found here.

Minutes from meetings of the Governing Body are available on request. 

To contact our Chair of Governors please email:

Academy Governing Body

• Faye Watton-Lawrence
  Principal
  Faye Watton-Lawrence

  A little about myself

  I have been working in special education for the majority of my career, initially in London and now in my home city of Portsmouth. I am currently in my third year working with the Solent Academies Trust, initially at Redwood Park, I then transferred to be Assistant Headteacher at Mary Rose, becoming Head of School in 2020. I completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Autism in Education in 2015, with a focus on innovative strategies for supporting self-regulation in children with Autism. My focus is, and always will be, on supporting our pupils and their families to achieve the happiest, most independent and fulfilling futures possible.

  Hobbies and interests

  I am married and live in Southsea with two young daughters. Having left London for a life by the seaside, I enjoy long walks and days out at the beach with my family. I am a keen baker and love sharing my cooking with family and friends - as well as the staff and children at Mary Rose!

  What excites me about my role

  It is my absolute privilege to work alongside the pupils, families and staff at Mary Rose. What a joy to work in an environment where no day is ever the same and where having fun is central to everything that we do. The team at Mary Rose is a superb example of how hard work, determination, creativity and nurture combine to make something very special. Together they ensure that every child is given the best opportunity to shine possible - no one could ask for more

• Emily Walsh
  Co-Chair of Governors
  Emily Walsh

  I'm a Principal Lecturer in the Law School at the University of Portsmouth.   I qualified as a solicitor in 1996 and then worked in the Middle East from 1996-2004 where I taught English to children and adults. Since returning to the UK I have worked as a commercial property solicitor and more recently a university lecturer. I was a parent governor at Wildern School in Hedge End from 2010-2017.

  I love sea swimming, playing tennis, running and walking my dog. I am interested in literature and enjoy reading.

  I hope to be able to bring my prior experience as a governor and my enthusiasm for education to this role. I want to act as a critical friend, both supporting and challenging the school to achieve the best for  the pupils, parents and staff.

   

• Jane Dutton
  Staff Governor - Teaching
  Jane Dutton

  I have recently become a staff Governor . My role at the school is a Head of Learning for Key Stage 2 and I am a classteacher in a specialist class for pupils with autism in Key Stage 2.

  I have worked in a variety of schools both mainstream and special needs. I joined the team at Mary Rose some seven years ago.  I thoroughly enjoy my role and feel privileged to work with such talented staff and the pupils and parents in the academy. I hope to bring my personal experience to the governor body as well as being the voice of the great staffing team working with the Governors to move the school into the future.  

  I hope that as a governor I can provide a balanced view point that reflects the staff views. I also bring to meetings the wider school prospective. An important part of my role is to keep colleagues informed and to listen to colleagues views then report back to the governors.

  What excites you about the role

  Being the representative of the staff is something I am proud to be.

   I see this role as being part of a larger team working with the governors to support the academy. To provide the very best for our families who entrust their children to us.

  It reminds me of peeling an onion -there are many layers but we are all working towards the vision with the same purpose and drive. What makes your eyes water is that there a great deal of commitment, teamwork and passion to continue the exciting journey.

  On a personal level I enjoy listening to the diversity of views and it provides a real insight in to leadership and management of the academy.

• Helen Barter
  Parent Governor
  Helen Barter

  I'm a single parent to three girls.   Mollie, 11, is my youngest.   She has autism.   I am a very social person and enjoy time spent with friends. I also like to paint.  

  Over the years, I have been quite pro-active in the SEN world.   I sat on the Parent/Carer Board as the SEN representative and I was also involved in the design and creation of the Portsmouth Local Offer website.    

  I now run a special needs support group called Stand Up which has been going for four years.   My passion is to help and support SEN families in any way I can.  

• Leone Hill
  Co-Opted Governor
  Leone Hill

  I come from Portsmouth and have always worked in this area. I was vice chair of governors at East Shore School and campaigned for a new special school. I joined the shadow governors for the new school and then the Mary Rose governors.

  It is great to be associated with such a wonderful school where young people can achieve so much.  

  I have worked for Jobcentre Plus, part of the DWP,  for many years helping people find employment, training and support. I also help employers, large and small, with their recruitment.  Our work is largely with people who may find it harder to get back to work because of the various issues, barriers or difficulties they have. This includes people with health conditions and disabilities.

  Supporting young people (18-24) into jobs and apprenticeships is also a priority. Part of my job is to work with all sorts of local organisations in the area including the council, charities and support groups to make sure our clients have the best possible chance of gaining the skills they need to move into work. It is really rewarding when people land a job especially when they have had to overcome lots of barriers achieve their goal.

  Away from work I spend a lot of time in North Wales but haven't yet managed to master the language!

• Graham Kerr
  Co-opted Governor
  Graham Kerr

  I grew up in the northeast of England and joined the Royal Navy at 16. I completed a history degree with the OU whilst serving on ships at sea and around the world including overseas deployments in the Falkland Islands, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

  I started a Master's degree in history with Edinburgh but left early with a Postgraduate Certificate to earn my PGCE at Newcastle and start teaching. I went on to complete a Master's in education at the Institute of Education at UCL and left teaching to re-join the RN as a training officer. I'm currently working in Diversity and Inclusion in Navy Command and completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources Management at Portsmouth University.  

  My wife, Gaby, and I, like to explore the Portsmouth area with our Welsh Collie, Maya. As well as formal education I also like to read and travel to learn more about people and places.  

  I hope to listen, learn, and hopefully offer a differing viewpoint to contribute to the diversity of thought that already exists within the governor group. My focus will be keeping the wellbeing of the children at the centre of every decision although having visited the school I can clearly see that this is where the focus is already. As a former teacher whose mother and grandmother were both school cleaners, I'm also keen to ensure that the staff of the school, both teachers and support staff, are considered when making decisions and look forward to working with the staff representatives on this.  

Governance Documents

• Governor code of conduct 2021
• Solent Academies Trust scheme of delegation 2021 2022