Meet the Governors

Chair of Governors - Steve Pamphilon (Co-Opted Community)

I have been a governor at the school since 2016 and Chair of governors since 2018.

I am a retired HR consultant living in Thanet with experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors and I am trustee for another charity supporting disadvantaged children and their families both in this country and abroad.

 

Vice-Chair of Governors,  Chair of Resources - Tina Fullick (Local Authority Governor)

Prior to moving to the new site and changing name, I could have walked around the old school blind folded – I never did in case the Headteacher saw me!! My daughter attended the school, I used to work as a support staff member and I am always in school attending assemblies, coffee mornings and many other events that are open to parents. It is vital for Governors to have a link with parents or carers for in the final analysis we are here to give our pupils, parents and carers the very best. The school's Family  Liaison Officer helps out many parents.

Although as a Governor we do not manage the school on a daily basis, we are the driving force in the way the school moves strategically.

I am Chair of Resources and I work well with Steve, our Chair, in terms of financial monitoring. “Resources” is more than monitoring the finances, we have buildings to maintain and staff to recruit.

One of my recent tasks was to sit on the “Steering Group” to help steer the new school building. Each month we met with the KCC Project Manager, our Area Education Officer, Head of Special Educational Needs (East Kent), the Senior Improvement Advisor and of course our Headteacher! It has been a long and arduous road but I am pleased we stuck to our guns and achieved so much for our school.

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare. I am not a governor for any other educational establishment. I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member.

If you are a parent and would like to contact me, please leave your details with the school office. If I cannot help directly, I will point you in the right direction. 

Chair of Learning and Development - Allen Keevil (Foundation Governor)

I am a retired teacher who spent many years teaching in the Senior Department at The Foreland School before it moved site and became Foreland Fields School. I believe my experiences as a teacher and my understanding of the education system is a great benefit to the Governing Body.

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare. I am not a governor for any other educational establishment. I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member.

 

Co-Opted/Community Governors

Richard Smith

I am currently a teacher at an independent school having previously taught at 3 other local primary schools. I have grown-up and lived in Thanet for most of my life so am passionate about the area and the people within it. In 2015, I established district school football in Swale and remain secretary for the Swale Schools’ FA.  

I feel my contemporary knowledge and understanding of education and 11 years teaching experience will be of benefit to the governing body.   

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare. I am not a governor for any other educational establishment. I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member.

Mandy Carliell

It is both an honour and a pleasure to serve as a governor of Foreland Fields School. I have been working in the NHS for 26 years in a variety of roles: Patient Experience, Communications PR, Patient and Public Involvement and Corporate events. I also served as a hospital governor for 9 years.

My son was a pupil at the original school 25 years ago and I am proud to say he has been working in the NHS for 11 years. Without the passion and expertise of the fantastic and dedicated teaching staff, I am sure his path would have been very different.

To the best of my ability, I pledge to use my varied skills and work as part of a team in making a difference to the education and lives of the children attending the school.

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare. I am not a governor for any other educational establishment. I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member.  

Sue Johnson

I am currently retired after taking early retirement from my nursing career.  I originally worked as a nurse/sister in respiratory before joining the Workforce Development, Education and Training Team as a sister.

I am a local Rotarian and also ambassador for Kids Out Charity in Kent.  I have lived in Thanet all my life and like to help this community in any way I can.  With my varied experiences I hope to be able to give a positive contribution to my governor role in making a difference to the children at Foreland Fields School.

 

Foundation Governor

Lucy Taylor

I am a Deputy Headteacher at a local special school that specialises in Autism and severe complex learning needs.  I have worked in Special Education for 20 years, my understanding of the SEN system is of great benefit to the governing body.

I am extremely passionate about working with children with SEN and enjoy every aspect of my job.  I feel extremely privileged to work with such amazing young people and their families.

I am very proud to be a Governor at Foreland Fields School, where all children are seen as individuals, the curriculum is tailored to meet individuals needs and all successes are quite rightly celebrated. 

Parent Governors

Leah Hillman

My son has attended Foreland Fields School, including the nursery, since 2019. I have been nothing but impressed with provision that is offered to the children and young people. 

I have worked as a Social Worker since 2009 and now specialise in Mental Health and Mental Capacity. I also have experience in working with children within social care and an educational setting. 

As a parent governor, I hope to be able to give back to the school in some way. 

 

Amy Moat

My daughter has attended Foreland Fields School since September 2021 and has thrived since joining. The school has had such a positive impact on her life. 

I have worked in the education sector for almost twenty years. I am currently a Deputy Headteacher and SENCo in a mainstream school. I have a passion for ensuring that all children have the opportunity to thrive in a nurturing school environment that supports and develops their individual abilities and talents, regardless of their background or need. In my role as a Deputy Headteacher, I have a wealth of experience in driving the vision for the school, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of the educational provision that is offered to the children. 

I feel my professional experience in education, coupled with my personal experience as a parent of a child with SEND, gives me a wealth of qualities that I can use to give back to the school as a parent governor.

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare. I am not a governor for any other educational establishment. I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member.

Staff Governors

Adrian Mount - Headteacher

I joined the school in September 2015 and I am pleased to be supported by such a wide spread of talented Governors.

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare other than my role as a Trustee and a Director of the Kent SEN Trust. (KsENT).

I am not a governor for any other educational establishment. I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member.  

Amanda Aby

I have worked at Foreland Fields School for nearly 4 years as part of the reception and admin team. I have enjoyed my time at the school getting to know pupils, parents and staff and have made many new friends in my role. Working at the school has been one of the best moves I have made and being a governor means I can give something back to the school.

I have over twenty years’ experience in SEN education working at Bromley College for 12 years and at a boys SEN school in Deal for 8 years.

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare. I am not a governor for any other educational establishment. I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member.

Associate Members

Jason Gerlack

I took over as  CEO of East Kent Mencap in 1999 and helped to transform the organisation and modernise its protocols and policies ready for the 21st Century.  Thanet Mencap Society merged with Canterbury Mencap to form East Kent Mencap on July 26 2007. I am very happy to be an Associate Member at this wonderful school. Clearly there are synergies between our two organisations and as an Associate Member, governors are able to draw on my knowledge, skills and experience whenever required.

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare other than my role as CEO of East Kent Mencap. I am not a governor for any other educational establishment. I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member. 

Diana Montgomery

During my career I have worked for a number of very large and small companies and I am currently the Chief Executive of a trade association.  I understand the challenges of running an organisation, with all of the pressures of balancing finance, regulations etc with what is really important which is the staff and in the case of the school, the pupils. 

I will bring my board experience to the governors meetings. I volunteer as the non-executive chair of the membership body for environment and sustainability professionals and  also serve as a non-executive director on several other boards in the construction sector.  When the Chair of Governors approached me to apply to join the governors of Foreland Fields School I was excited but concerned about what I could contribute, as I have no experience in the education sector.  He convinced me that my business background will provide additional skills to the governors and my role is to ask lots of questions.  I hope I can provide support and guidance to the school business manager and Headteacher on the business side of running the school. I have to say that in the few months I have been associated with the school I am so impressed by the calibre of the staff, their enthusiasm and how this contributes to the way the school works in such a caring and inspiring way. 

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare.  I am not a governor of any other educational establishment,  I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member. 

Paula Miller

I have worked in education for 25 years and have had experience of teaching and leading in a variety of different schools and settings, including primary, secondary, mainstream and special education. I originally trained as a Primary School teacher and my previous roles have included; Deputy Headteacher, SENCo, Curriculum Leader, and Specialist Lead Teacher.

I have previously been a Headteacher at a Special School for pupils with Autism and Complex Learning Difficulties. I consider myself to be fortunate to do the job I do. I believe that all children have unique potential waiting to be unlocked and it is a privilege and a joy, as a teacher and a leader to be able to inspire, motivate and nurture the young people I work with to do this. 

Having previously been part of the leadership team at Foreland Fields School, I am delighted to be able to continue to support this fantastic school to enable every child  to achieve their unique potential. 

Governance Professional / Clerk 

Kay Merry

kaymerry@foreland.kent.sch.uk

 

I am so proud to have been the Governance Professional/Clerk for the Governing Body of this fantastic school for 6 years now.  I aim to be an effective clerk who can make a contribution to the efficiency of the governing body, enabling them to fulfil their challenging roles.

I have a vast array of knowledge and experience ranging from Administration, Training (both IT and soft skills), HR Management, Operational Management and Governance roles. I have worked for the NHS for over 20 years, with my career predominantly based around operational management and high level administration.  I also have a Certificate in School Business Management and recently completed the NGA Level 3 Certificate in Clerking of School and Academy Governing Boards. In addition, I previously undertook the role of a School Governor at a local Primary School in Thanet.  All of these skills, I know, will be helpful in my role as Clerk. I appreciate and understand the importance of the Governing Body and the good work that the Governors are doing for the sake of all stakeholders. 

I have no relevant business or pecuniary interest to declare. I have no material interests arising from any relationship between myself and a staff member.