Holmwood School
Governance Welcome
Welcome to our school.
Governors are a vibrant group of committed volunteers that represent and reflect the community of the school (parents, school colleagues and our wider community). Our governors are a key part of the strategic leadership of the school.
As part of reflecting the community and the families of Two Mile Ash and Great Holm, we work closely within the Partnership of Ashbrook, Two Mile Ash and Holmwood (PATH) and our governing body works across all of the PATH schools.
The PATH Local Governing Body help set and dedicate themselves to the vision, values and strategic direction of the schools, maintaining their individuality whilst encouraging collaboration and sharing of excellence. They share responsibilities for supporting, monitoring and evaluating the performance of the schools in delivering a fulfilling, broad and balanced education for all their children.
The PATH Local Governing Body:
- meets 6 times per year as a full board, with no additional committees
- is part of a larger governance structure for Inspiring Futures through Learning Multi Academy Trust, of which all PATH schools are a part, which includes IFtL Members and Board of Trustees. The full structure and responsibilities of these roles is available at iftl.co.uk/governance-in-iftl)
- carries out its delegated functions and responsibilities which are focused upon:
- the wellbeing and safety of all children and adults within the schools’ communities
- the standards of educational performance, for all children, within the schools
- the position of the schools within their wider communities and how the schools contribute positively to this
- to identify, and look to mitigate, risk in relation to the above
- to carry out the duties delegated to the Local Governing Body by the IFtL Board of Trustees, outlines in the IFtL Scheme of Delegation (seen at iftl.co.uk/governance-in-iftl)
The Chair of the PATH Local Governing Body is James Blackhurst.
If you are interested in becoming a governor or would like to make contact with the Chair, please email our governance professional, Hayley Cutchey by email: hcutchey@iftl.co.uk
Alternatively, please send a letter in a sealed envelope marked 'Chair of PATH Local Governing Body' via the office of any of the PATH schools.
Meet Our Governors
Chair of Governors
My name is James Blackhurst and I am the Chair of Governors for Ashbrook, Holmwood and Two Mile Ash Schools. My involvement across the schools has been as a parent of four children who progressed through Holmwood and Two Mile Ash. I became a Governor in 2008 at TMA and have been Chair of Governors at TMA since 2016 and now across PATH since September 2020.
My name is Karl Enright and I am a Parent Governor. I joined the PATH governing board in January 2022. My eldest daughter is in Year 1 and attends Ashbrook. I work for a Tier 1 main contractor. I have recently taken on the responsibility of Safeguarding Governor and I am finding the role rewarding.
My name is Ben Everest Hayes and I have recently joined the PATH Governing Board as a Trust Appointed Governor, and have recently taken on the Pupil Support lead area. As a former pupil of both Ashbrook & Two Mile Ash I am enjoying the opportunity to give back and shape he future of PATH and children's education. I have spent my career in the retail sector working in operations, commercial and now HR.
My name is Maria Crisu. I joined the Governing Board at Two Mile Ash School in 2016 whilst also being a parent governor at Loughton Manor First School between 2015-2019. I am currently a link governor for ‘Non-core curriculum’. My older child attended Two Mile Ash School until 2018 whilst my youngest one is currently in Year 6. My professional background is in Marketing and I worked across various sectors both in the UK and abroad; my current role is in the Higher Education sector.
My name is Andrew Hodgson. I started as a Parent Governor for Ashbrook and Holmwood in 2019 and I am currently the Core Curriculum focal for the PATH Governing Board. I have three sons who have all progressed through Ashbrook, with the youngest 2 currently at TMA. I have worked in the Retail sector for many years, previously in operational roles and more recently in a planning and investment capacity.
My name is Jane Watkins and I joined Ashbrook School in September this year as an Early Years Teacher. I am passionate about ensuring children follow their aspirations and improve their knowledge whilst at school. I enjoy the oversight of school that being a Staff Governor provides and feel that I can contribute in a positive way to key decisions and discussions. I also feel that being a part of the Governing Body is invaluable to my own professional development. At a previous setting, I also held the role of a Staff Governor and held this role for four years.
My name is Nadia Dorville and I am a parent Governor. I am a fairly new Governor and have been on the Governing Board for Holmwood and Ashbrook for a little less than an academic year. I am also the Early Years link Governor. I have two children, one in Year Two and one in Year One, both at Ashbrook. My background is predominantly HR, but I am currently employed by Milton Keynes Council as part of the School Improvement Team.
My name is Tushar Pai and I have been a Parent Governor at TMA School since Jan 2019. I have two daughters, with the elder one in Year 5 at TMA. I really enjoy being able to contribute towards my duties as part of the Local Governing Body of TMA, Ashbrook and Holmwood schools. Recently I have taken on the responsibility of the Wellbeing Governor and look forward to this role. I have worked in IT Services sector for two decades before switching to the Higher Education sector and have been working at The Open University for the past two years.
My name is Ellie Miles and I joined the board this year, 2022, as a board appointed governor for the Bridge Partnership across Holmwood, Ashbrook and Two Mile Ash Schools and the Secretary to the PTA. I am the co-founder of the Love Local hub supporting small local business & Innovation in Education and support and volunteer across many charities in Milton Keynes including the NHS in their Specialist needs services & Sci-Fi & Film Museum, alongside my full-time role of Innovative Placemaking account director for over 100 retail schemes across the UK. I have a son attending Two Mile Ash Y3 and hope to bring new skills and ideas to the IFTL & Schools partnership.