Governors Profiles 2016
Foundation Governors
Mr Graham Johnson BPharmFInstLM (Chair of Governors)
Graham is a retired Royal Navy Captain and has been a longstanding Foundation Governor at Roman Catholic Secondary Schools in Plymouth. He is currently Chair of Governors at both Notre Dame School and St Boniface’s Catholic College. He is also a Foundation Director of the Plymouth Catholic & Anglican Schools Trust (CAST).
Graham is married with 3 grown-up children and he and his wife are active, registered foster carers and established members of the parish community of St Peter’s church in Crownhill, Plymouth.
Graham chairs the Admissions and Personnel committee and sits on the Standards, Finance and Premises committees. He also works closely with the Safeguarding and SEND teams at Notre Dame to ensure the best possible support and awareness for staff, students and governors.
Mrs AnnelieseBarrell (Vice-Chair of Governors)
Anneliese is a retired Physiotherapy Clinical Manager who specialised in working with learning disabled children and vulnerable young adults. In her working life she has developed and managed a service which then served the whole of the City of Plymouth and West Devon. Anneliese was, for many years, the national Chairman of the Chartered Societies of Physiotherapy’s special interest group for learning disabilities, a role which took her all over the UK and into Europe. She taught as an associate lecturer in Southampton University and the University of The West of England and also designed and ran therapy assistant’s courses for The Plymouth College of Further Education (Plymouth City College).
Anneliesealso has involvement with the Trefoil Guild SW England and for Devon, her local church, Plymouth City Deanery and has recently retired as a member of the General Synod of the Church of England after 15 years.
Initially recruited to Notre Dame School as an associate governor, Anneliese has since become a Foundation Governor and is currently Vice Chair of Governors and Chair of the Ethos Committee. She also sits on the Admissions and Personnel committee.
Mrs Katherine White
Kate has been the Headteacher at Notre Dame since 2012 and is a Foundation Governor. She attends all meetings in her capacity of both Headteacher and Governor.
Dr Michael Green
Mike is a Systems Engineer/Product Manager in the Aerospace Industry with a Computer Science and Electronics background, being experienced in leading complex engineering projects at home and abroad. He is also experienced in both recruiting and then developing staff from Work Experience through to Senior Engineers.
Mike has three daughters at Notre Dame, starting as a Parent Governor before becoming a Foundation Governor. Mike has special interests in Mathematics, Science and Technology and is an IT advisor and the E-Safety Governor, linking with his parish Diocese Safeguarding role.
Mike chairs the Standards committee and sits on the Ethos committee.
Dr Eric Tope
Eric is a retired headteacher of a South London Catholic secondary school and visiting fellow at St.Mary's University, Twickenham. He was educated at Holy Cross primary school and St.Boniface's College, Plymouth. He has wide experience of working with Catholic parents, governors and Headteacher's.
Eric lives in Derriford with his wife Maggie,they have four children and nine grandchildren, both in London and Melbourne, Australia. He has worked as a head of Mathematics in comprehensive and grammar schools and liaises with the Mathematics department at Notre Dame. Eric is also a governor at Keyham Barton Catholic primary school.
Eric sits on the Finance and Standards committees where he shares his vast experience of school leadership and management.
Mrs Virginia Berna
Ginny originally joined the Governing body as a parent governor in 2008 and subsequently became a Foundation Governor ; a role which she finds both challenging and immensely rewarding.As a Primary teacher herself, Ginny passionately believes in striving for the highest standards in and for each of our students.
Outside governing, Ginny is a music specialist teaching a range of instruments peripatetically. She combines this with running her dressmaking and alterations business which specializes in weddings, something she has done for over thirty years! She spent many years being a carer and for a long time was instrumental in setting up and running a support group for carers of those with brain injuries and sat on a Board of Trustees for Headway up in Hampshire.
Ginny feels one of the best decisions she has made was to send her daughters to Notre Dame. They both did really well here but not just academically. The school mission statement is not a set of hollow words. It is something Ginny sees at the heart of the school being lived out.
Ginny sits on the Standards and Admissions and Personnel Committees and for a time served as Vice and Chair of Standards.
Mr Stephen Hole
Steve served on the Devon County Council's Education Committee during the 1980's. He has been a governor since 1981 in a range of schools and has been a governor of Notre Dame since 1987.
Steve's professional background is Engineering, Management and Health and Safety. He is a Chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
Steve has always voluntarily given his time to various organisations and has been part of the Plymouth Charity Trust, which provides Alms house accommodation, since 1981 and he is currently the Chairman. Steve is also the Honorary Agent for the Shipwrecked Mariners Association which is a charity that looks after the surviving crews of merchant vessels and trawlers lost at sea.
To relax Steve has a great circle of friends and family as well as a dog who also wants some of his time!!
Steve sits on the Admissions and Personnel and Premises committees.
Mrs Suzanne Robinson
Suzanne is a Registered Nurse with over 20 years experience, mainly in acute and emergency care, and has also spent 8 years as a Nursing Officer in the British Army where she qualified as a Nurse Practitioner. She has served both in the UK and abroad and has two tours of Iraq under her belt too. Suzanne has a particular interest in Trauma care and nursing education, and has just taken up a post as Lecturer in Adult Nursing at Plymouth University.
Suzanne became a Foundation Governor as a catholic living in the local community interested in learning and participating in the education process as a parent herself. She has found this somewhat of a challenge with three small children and a full time job, but feels that her knowledge, skills and experience have positively contributed to the school.
Suzi sits on the Admissions and Personnel and Standards committees.
Parent Governors
Mr Paul Guildford
Paul has 35 years experience of working in the property development industry and is also a trustee at Plymouth Mind. He has 2 daughters who have both been students at Notre Dame, one still studying in 6th Form and the other has moved on to University. He was previously a Governor at Widey Court Primary School for 4 years.
Paul joined the Governing Body at Notre Dame in 2009 when he was first elected as Parent Governor. Subsequently, he was re-elected in 2013 for a further 4 year term. Paul currently chairs the Finance and Premises committees and also sits on the Standards committee.
Mr Hadyn Loveless
Hadyn has been a parent governor for the last 4 years and was recently re-elected for another 4 year term. Having been involved with the Pharmaceutical Industry for over 25 years working for some of the largest companies in the world, Haydn brings a wealth of business experience to his role as Governor. Both his wife and eldest daughter are former pupils of Notre Dame and his youngest daughter is currently studyinghere.
In Hadyn’s leisure time he likes to keep myself in shape with visits to the Gym, Gardening and watching rugby.
Haydn sits on the Admissions and Personnel, Finance and Premises committees.
Mrs Amanda Coot
Amanda is married with two children and currently working as a learning support assistant at St Boniface’s Catholic College. Prior to this she worked at a Catholic Primary for eight years and before that at a daycare nursery for 14 years.
Amanda also sits on the committee for Anchor Group, a group dedicated to service personnel who have children with special needs to give the whole family support and provide special opportunities for them.
Amanda joined the Notre Dame Governing Body as a Parent Governor in 2014 and sits on the Ethos and Admissions and Personnel committees.
Community Governors
Mr AnoopVasishta
Anoop is a retired Chartered Certified Accountant and is married with 2 grown-up daughters and a grandaughter.
Anoop has been based in Plymouth since 1989 when he joined DML at Devonport Royal Dockyard. He has been a General Manager for various Commercial Business units and also worked in Greece for 5 years as Financial Director for Hellenic Shipyards.
Anoop was persuaded to become a Plymouth City Council School Governor in 2005 when he joined Notre Dame’s Governing Body as a Local Authority Governor. He has since moved to the position of Community Governor, allowing him to stay with Notre Dame when the school became part of the CAST Multi Academy Trust in 2014.Anoop competently assists the School Management team with expertise in Financial & Commercial matters and has previously chaired the Finance Committee.
Anoop sits on the Finance and Premises committees.
Staff Governors
Mr Paul Kent
Paul has been employed at Notre Dame as an ICT support technician since 2010. Before joining Notre Dame he completed a 22 year military career, encompassing a number of roles, serving at various locations. Paul decided to become a staff governor because he wanted to become actively involved in improving the school and helping with its development.
Paul had the privilege of being elected as a staff governor by fellow members of staff. Paul feels being a staff governor allows him a unique insight into theactivities in the school. Paul firmly believes with staff, parent and community support Notre Dame Plymouth can be an outstanding school.
Paul sits on the Finance, Premises and Ethos committees.
Mrs Charlotte Payne
Charlotte has been at Notre Dame since 2006 as a full time member of the support staff. During her time here she has taken on a non qualified teacher role as pastoral Head of Stang House in addition to her role as Cover Manager. It is a role that Charlotte particularly enjoys, having direct daily contact with students from all the year groups.
Charlotte had wanted to become a governor for some time, and was fortunate to be selected by her colleagues ataround the time Notre Dame became an academy. Herrole as a school governor is about being part of an integral team which is vital in helping to make a difference to children's education and the school's overall success. Charlotte cares greatly about education, and the role that Notre Dame has to play in the provision of it.
Charlotte sits on the Standards and Ethos committees.
Mrs Shelley Lockett
Shelley has been with Notre Dame as Head of Science since 2008. She joined the Governing Body in 2012 and sits on the Standards and Ethos committees.
Shelley is currently on maternity leave.