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Mary Rose Academy

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:

Emily.walsh@solentacademiestrust.info

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.

     

  • 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

    Having previously worked as a teacher before re-joining the Royal Navy I would like to continue working in education to try and improve the opportunities for children. I'm not from Portsmouth originally but feel an affinity with the city and volunteering as a governor feels like a good way to contribute to my community. Finally, I'm passionate about inclusion and opportunity for all so Mary Rose Academy appealed to me over other schools in the area.

  • Carol Tarr
    Co-opted Governor

    Carol Tarr

    I retired in 2018 after a career spanning 31 years with Portsmouth City Council.   For the past 20 of those years I specialised in Home to School Transport ending my time as Transport Operations Manager.

    From my early days in the role I have seen many changes as the service grew from being a small team of just two of us in a job share through to leading a team of five office staff and 130 Passenger Assistants.

     

    I am Portsmouth born and bred, married with a grown up daughter.

     

    I am an avid knitter making anything from cat toys to fundraise for a local cat group to knitting children's jumpers which are distributed through a food bank.

     

    I have seen first-hand the fantastic work that Mary Rose Academy carries out and the difference they make to pupils and families. I relish the opportunity to serve as a governor so I can continue to support Mary Rose Academy in any way that I can and hope to be able to draw on my past work experience to help me in this role.

  • Kayleigh Morgan
    Staff Governor

    Kayleigh Morgan

    I would like to help Mary Rose, to make it the best it can be.   In the short time I have been at Mary Rose i have really come to love the school and its children and would like to play a bigger part.

Governance Documents