Governing Body

(Co-opted) Term of office : 15/07/2023 - 14/07/2027

On the Strategic Organisation Committee 

I have lived near Lewes for almost 30 years. I have been working at Priory for nearly 12 years now as a science technician and been a Governor for nearly 8 years. I have had the delight of being both a student here and now a member of the staff. During my time here as a student, I was both a charity rep and a prefect. I loved being involved with the student voice at the time and trying to make a difference for my fellow students. The experience as both a student and staff member has allowed me to see both sides of the education system here. I am very proud to have been made a governor and be given the opportunity to help keep Priory a successful and happy environment for both students and staff.

sec@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

(Chair of Governing Body , Co-opted) Term of office : 05/09/2022 - 04/09/2026

Attends all committee meetings, when possible, in role as Chair of Governors.

I have lived in the Lewes area since 1988. Until 2006 I was Deputy Head at Heathfield Community College, and then, as an Associate Lecturer at Christchurch University Canterbury, taught on an MA course in Educational Leadership and Management for serving teachers in Kent and Surrey. Over the last 5 years I have also been teaching EFL both in China and the UK helping to organise the International Summer School at Sussex Downs College. I am passionate about teaching and learning, and want schools to be seen as positive, vibrant and inclusive learning communities. As a new governor I look forward to playing a supporting role, helping Priory School to develop and promote its role at the heart of the community in the Lewes area.

peterc@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

(Joint Vice Chair, Trust/Foundation) Term of office : 05/09/2022 - 04/09/2026 Likes to attend both the Strategic Organisation and Teaching and Learning committees in role as Joint Vice Chair of Governors.

Having graduated and completed a PGCE, I taught Economics and Business Studies at a large sixth form college in Essex. After 4 years I changed career and worked in the Lloyd’s of London market as a reinsurance broker. During this time I worked extensively on USA professional liability business and my family and I have been lucky to have lived and worked in both Los Angeles and Chicago for extended periods. In 2013 I retired from the City in order to reprioritise my work/life balance which has allowed me the opportunity to join Priory currently as a Foundation governor. I am currently working in property management and renovation in Sussex. I have two children, one working as a teacher, the other, in banking.

johng@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

(Foundation/Trust)

Term of Office 06/09/2022 – 05/09/2026

Vice Chair of Strategic Organisation Committee and on Inclusion committee.

I appreciate both the rewards and the challenges of being a Governor here at Priory since 2006. As the Governor lead for Safeguarding and Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance I work closely with the school to ensure that these areas are constantly being reviewed and improved. I spent twenty years working in the world of book publishing, ten as a freelance publishing and production consultant working with national and international companies and printers such as Dorling Kindersley, Penguin and Simon and Schuster. I switched from the private to the public sector in 2006, working in a range of management positions for Children's Services at ESCC including planning and performance, contracts, organisational development, children centres and the Standards and Learning Effectiveness Service. I am currently working as a freelance Skills and Employability consultant with the Sussex Council Training Providers. I have lived in Lewes since 2003 with my partner, an ex Priory student and our three children.

sarahh@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

(Co-opted) Term of office : 05/11/2020 - 04/11/24

Teaching and Learning Committee Chair and Vice Chair of Inclusion Committee

I have three children who all attended Priory School; my youngest took her GCSEs in 2018.  I have seen the school develop over time and respond to a variety of challenges.

I am an historian and have lectured at Sussex and Kingston Universities as well as teaching A level at a local college. At present I am at East Sussex College, Lewes, working with young adults with SEN. I also enjoy continuing to research into my personal historical interests and spend time, when possible, on my interest in art and craft.
I am passionate about education from both a personal and professional perspective and use this enthusiasm to play my part in supporting Priory School. I am link governor for SEN and try to work hard to further inclusion within education. I believe that a holistic approach to learning helps achieve positive results. 

sarahr@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

The Full Governing Body have looked at various advice including the Governance handbook and The School Governance regulations 2013 and have agreed the following in terms of voting rights for our Associate members: Our Associate members can chair committees and vote in committee meetings if they are over eighteen. But they can’t cast deciding votes in a committee if the vote is evenly split. They can attend full governing body meetings but can’t vote.

(Associate) Term of office : 01/09/2023 - 31/08/2027

On the Strategic Organisation Committee

I have been a School Business Manager since 2012, working before that in the school’s finance teams at County. I am passionate about the importance of education and I have many useful experiences and skills that I bring to the role of governor, particularly in the area of finance. I love the positive ethos at Priory and being a part of the team working together to keep it a happy and successful school.

gaydreew@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

(Joint Vice Chair/Local Authority) Term of office : 02/09/2021 - 01/09/2025                    

Noah has one child at the school.

Chair of the Strategic Organisation Committee and on Inclusion committee

Noah has lived in Lewes for over a decade and has been a speechwriter, researcher and health commissioner. He has worked in healthcare (the NHS), government (HM Treasury, Cabinet Office and the competition regulator), in the NGO sector (Democratic Society) and in finance (Morgan Stanley). A graduate of LSE and UCL, Noah is particularly interested in how schools can improve understanding of neurodiversity and the ways in which we can teach cutting-edge social and technological issues.

noahc@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

Parent) Term of office : 22 Jan 2021 - 21 Jan 2025

Julia has two children at the school.

Vice Chair of Teaching and Learning committee

She is the link governor for Attainment and Progress, PE and Dance and Joint Safeguarding Link Governor and on the Strategic Organisation Committee.

I have been a Priory governor for nearly two years, and I have two children in years 7 and 9. I’ve one more daughter who will be attending in two years! I started Priory during the Covid pandemic and so it was difficult to get a real feel for the school as a whole. To try and remedy this I volunteered to be on the governor’s panel to find a new head teacher. It has been a real learning curve for me but I am happy to give my time, if not too much expertise, to help the school. 

There have been a lot of changes for the school and I’d like to help Priory be the best school it can be, and will contribute in a positive, challenging and constructive way. I’ve lived in Lewes for most of my life. I do building work and am often to be found up a ladder! I’m interested in all aspects of education and feel I could provide a holistic and grounded contribution to this well intentioned hub of learning. I also am a Cricket coach at Glynde Cricket club.

juliab@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

(Staff) Term of office : 21/03/2022 - 20/03/2026:

On Teaching and Learning Committee.

I have been a teacher for over 30 years and am currently Deputy Curriculum Leader for English.

I specialise in teaching the A band at KS3 and work very closely with the Oak Centre, in order to ensure equality of access to education to our most vulnerable and challenging students.

I have been a teacher governor before in 2013-2015 at Seahaven Academy. I believe passionately in the Governor system for overseeing schools and I can bring those decades of practical classroom experience to the Governing Body.

aw@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

(Parent Governor) Term of office: 25/04/2022- 24/04/2026

Chair of Inclusion Committee and on Teaching and Learning committee

Hannah has two children in years 7 and 9. She is the link governor for Equality and Diversity.

I have worked in the charity sector since 2002 and have a background in grant-making and project management. I currently work for the local grant making charity, Sussex Community Foundation as their Head of Grant Programmes. Before moving to Lewes from London in 2017, I spent much of my career working for a large environmental charity, Groundwork. I am originally from the Peak District and a proud Northerner! 

I am passionate about the voluntary sector and the positive role people have in shaping their local environments. I hope to contribute to helping Priory school be a more equitable and inclusive learning environment and above all a kind place to be!

hannahc@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

(Parent) Term of office: 26/04/2022 - 25/04/2026

On Teaching and Learning Committee

I was a Priory student myself and I now have two children in years 8 and 9. 

I have worked for the BBC for the past 20 years, producing award-winning audio content. I’ve spent the last few years working on strategies to grow the BBC World Service audience, and I currently make programmes that bring science to life. 

Having returned to Lewes in 2020 I’m thrilled to have been given this opportunity to be involved in the school community. I hope that I can help the school to continue encouraging students to achieve their best into the future. 

benm@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

(Headteacher) Term of office: 1 September 2022 - 

Attends all committee meetings, when possible, as the Headteacher.

I grew up in Sussex before graduating from the University of Southampton with a First Class Honours degree in English and Philosophy and a Masters in Literature, Culture and Modernity achieved with Distinction. Desiring a career-path which would enable me to utilise my academic credentials as well as making a positive contribution to social justice, I trained as teacher at Canterbury Christ Church University, before securing a job teaching English and Philosophy at Thomas Tallis School in Greenwich, South East London, where I remained a fixture for 17 years. Whilst at Tallis, I steadily moved through the ranks, taking on a number of positions over the years, including Head of English, Assistant Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and ultimately Head of School. As a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, former Research & Development Lead for the Royal Greenwich Teaching School Alliance, former ASCL Local Representative for Greenwich and a speaker at various national conferences, I am a high-profile, collaborative professional within the wider educational landscape. I am fully committed to the comprehensive educational ideal, believing that the community comprehensive school is the best tool we have for enabling all young people to acquire powerful knowledge and make sense of the world around them; an entitlement which should not be limited on grounds of assumed ability or motivation, ethnicity, class or gender.

Moving back to Sussex with my wife and three young children, my vision is for Priory to be the leading inclusive and creative state secondary school in the region, a school in which all students will acquire powerful knowledge, feel a strong sense of social connection and belonging, and become ethically-aware citizens who are ready to confidently take their place in the world. 

(Co-opted) Term of office: 06/09/2022 - 05/09/2026

On Teaching and Learning and Inclusion committees.

I have lived in Lewes for over 20 years and all my children have attended Priory school. I studied Zoology and Environmental Science and since graduating have always worked in the environmental sector.

I am currently Principle Advisor for Sustainable Development for  Natural England and provide advice on the environmental impacts of major Plans and Projects. I work with various statutory bodies including Defra, Local Planning Authorities and consultants.

I am passionate  about the environment and ensuring that nature recovery is at the forefront of decision making so future generations can enjoy the natural world. I hope that I can bring my experience into my Governor role, helping Priory's young people’s voice in response to the climate emergency. 

RebeccaP@priory.e-sussex.sch.uk

Helen Dando

(Co-opted) Term of office : 06/11/2023 - 05/11/27

I care deeply about creating positive, inclusive, and nurturing environments to enable children to learn and feel safe. I have a strong commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity, as well as wider social justice issues, both in my personal and professional life. In the past I have worked in youth justice, schools, and local authorities to implement restorative approaches to resolving conflict and am a passionate advocate of this method. I have also worked in community safety and hate crime supporting those who have experienced racist, homophobic, transphobic, religious or disability related incidents.

I have worked as a trainer for 15 years and have a good understanding of learning. I currently work as a trainer for a leading disability charity, going into organisations and businesses to train people on removing barriers for disabled people and making services accessible. As a neurodiverse person myself, this is an area I am especially interested in. I am a qualified life coach, amateur potter, and keen swimmer. I have lived in Lewes since 2007 and have one child.









Rob Witts

(Co-opted) Term of office : 20/11/2023 - 19/11/27

My eldest child recently finished at Priory, my second is in Year 9, and my youngest is hoping to come here next year, so I have a vested interest in the long-term health of the school.

In my day job, I work at the University of Sussex where I support the professional development of doctoral researchers in arts and humanities across a consortium of 8 institutions in South-East England, via an Arts and Humanities Research Council training grant. I care deeply about arts and humanities education and what it can offer to young (and older!) people, and I really value the emphasis Priory places on this area of the curriculum.

I've worked in higher education since 2006, developing a passion for supporting staff and students to succeed in inclusive learning environments. I'm a graduate of Goldsmiths and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and play the French horn badly in my spare time.