Governors
The Governing Body
The Governing Body is made up of representatives from the Local Authority, School, Parents and Local Community. We meet formally once a term and have two sub groups meeting separately which are detailed below. We also individually have a specific subject area or two that we focus on to ensure the highest of standards continue to be maintained.
Our Aims
Our primary responsibility is to ensure the school provides the best possible education to our children. We act as a critical friend to help drive performance standards whilst maintaining effective financial and operational governance. We are here to provide Swallowfield Primary with clear leadership and direction that ensures the school continues to thrive and remains the most successful in the area.
How to contact us
We can be contacted via Sam Hayler, the Clerk to the Governors in the school office on 01908 582101, or should you wish to contact our Chair of Governors directly, Andrew Güntert can be reached on a.guntert@swallowfieldprimary.com
Amanda Hurst -Former Chair of Governors as of May 2021-May 2022, Co-opted Governor
Current Board
Andrew Güntert- Chair of Governors since May 2022- Co-opted Governor and Governor responsible for Safeguarding
Andrew is a retired Chartered Accountant who has lived in Milton Keynes for a very long time. For most of his career he was involved in education and training and uses his skills, knowledge and experience to help Swallowfield to grow and develop. He is (inevitably!) a member of the Finance Committee.
James Rolton- Vice Chair Co-opted Governor and link officer for Schools for the Future, Geography and History
James was appointed to the governing body in September 2018. He is a Chartered Surveyor and Investment Director at British Land Plc, one of the largest listed property companies in Europe. He specialises in acquiring and disposing of commercial property and development land in Central London and the south east of England. James has lived in Woburn Sands with his family since 2011. James believes that Swallowfield plays a crucial role in the community, making Woburn Sands such a great place to live and work. His priorities include maintaining high standards across the curriculum and overseeing the school’s expansion to a full Primary School.
Louise Wisson- The elected Staff Governor and Link to Early Years
Louise joined the governing body in September 2020 and is the Assistant Headteacher for the Early Years. She has been a member of the teaching staff at Swallowfield since 2012 when she graduated from Nottingham Trent University. She is currently the Early Years leader after spending several teaching in Foundation apart from a single year in Year One prior to the newer Key Stage 1 Curriculum in 2014. Throughout the year, Louise’s main aim is to support the school in developing and preparing for the new Early Years Curriculum proposed to be in place for the academic year 2021-2022 and supporting the curriculum sub-committee, as well as voicing teaching staff perspectives.
Laura Settle- Parent Governor and link officer for PSHE, Diversity and Inclusion
Laura joined the governing body in July 2021. She has two children at Swallowfield, one in Year 2 and another in Year 5. She is passionate about the standard of education that our children receive. Laura is part of our Curriculum Committee, and we look forward to working with her and benefiting from her professional expertise and experiences. She is a Senior Forensic Psychologist and has worked for His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service for 18 years.
George Foy- Local Authority Governor and link officer for PE and Computing, Data and Achievement
George joined the governing body in March 2022 and is the school’s Local Authority Appointed Governor. An Assistant Headteacher of a large secondary school in Bedford, he brings two decades of educational experience, specialising in raising achievement and standards. George has two children currently attending the school and, as a former student of Swallowfield, is passionate about the school and its status within the local community.”
Jon Drea- Co-opted Governor and link officer for Geography, Data and Achievement
Jon joined the governing body in May 2022. He has one child in Swallowfield, and one in Fulbrook. He has lived in the Woburn Sands area since 2006. Jon is a data and technology professional and has led large transformation work in the transport and government sectors. He is qualified to Masters level in Business administration. He will use this blend of skills to support the main board and the finance committee.
Sarah Hobson- Parent Governor for the Finance Committee. SEND Governor
Sarah joined the Governing body in January 2023 as parent governor on the finance committee. She has 2 children, one who attended Swallowfield and now attends Fulbrook in year 6, the other is a current year 4 pupil at Swallowfield. Sarah has worked in retail for many years as a buying manager and is currently a product manager for Simba Sleep.
Becky Charles- Parent Governor for the Curriculum Committee
Becky was appointed a parent governor in January of this year. She has a daughter in year 1 and has lived in the area for over 10 years. She works as a Rail Accident Investigator and has previously worked in higher education. Becky is part of the curriculum committee.
Julie Herriott- Co-opted Governor for the Finance Committee
Julie joined the Governing Board as a co-opted Governor in February 2023. She is the Deputy General Counsel (regulatory & risk) working for an international law firm in London at partner/director level, leading a team of about 30 lawyers and analysts. She is co-chair of the firm’s Faith, Race, Ethnicity and Equality Network and separately the co-chair of the Social Mobility Network. She is married with one adult son, has lived in Wavendon for over 30 years and she has a long-standing interest in Education.
Marina Snellenberg– Parent Governor
Marina joined the governing body in October 2024. She’s the Accessibility Manager for TUI UK & Ireland, the UK’s largest tour operator. Marina’s role is to drive the integration of accessibility into the overall business strategy, progressing key initiatives that enhance the experience for all customers, whilst delivering capabilities that are essential for some. She manages a rolling program of projects designed to enhance the service TUI offers to customers with access needs, making holidays as accessible to many customers as possible. Marina has two children and one of them currently attends Swallowfield.
Jamie Thomson- Parent Governor
Jamie joined the governing body in October 2024 and has one child at Swallowfield. Currently the Managing Director of a software development company, he previously lived and worked in Norway, heading up an international team, manufacturing construction equipment. He is a self-proclaimed tech geek, loves learning new things, and has joined the curriculum committee as part of his role as a Parent Governor.
Martin Riley- Coopted Governor
Martin lives in Woburn Sands and has lived in the wider Milton Keynes area for over 40 years. He has recently retired following a 20+ year career at leadership level in a global technology company, giving him a wide range of skills and experience across multiple functions. Passionate about the pursuit of excellence, he is excited to support Swallowfield in its onward success.
The governor sub-committees are:
– Finance, Staffing and Buildings (chaired by Julie Herriott)
– Curriculum (chaired by Becky Charles)
Please click here for the constitution of our Governing Body
Membership Terms of Office- November 2024
Governor Timetable and Attendance -January 2024
