My name is Joanna Boughen-Hunt, and I am the very proud Co-Chair of Governors at St Benedict's.  I am now in my fourth year as Chair of Governors, having sat on the board for over 3 years previously as the Chair of the Finance & Premises and Curriculum Committees and Vice Chair of the board.

 I moved to Somerset 25 years ago. I live in Glastonbury with my husband and our two children, who both attended St Benedict’s.  I have worked within the education sector for the last 18 years. I’m currently the Finance Manager at a secondary school, bringing my knowledge and experience to the board.

 I enjoy spending my free time with family, walking, exploring and spending time up north when we can.   

We have a fantastic school and local community, I’m passionate about working together collectively to make a difference for our pupils, striving to give them the best possible opportunities to succeed.

My name is Bill Burrow. I have been a Foundation Governor at St. Benedict's for 3 years. My family and I moved to this area 8 years ago from the Lake District. My background is Industry, particularly in Factory Management, not in Education, but I have some experience having been an exam invigilator in two local secondary schools for several years. My 3 children finished their education many years ago, and I am now retired and enjoying the new and different challenges of supporting and helping the staff and children in the school. I was delighted to be asked to become Vice-chairperson this year and chair the Board's Finance and Curriculum committees. I hope my experience and enthusiasm can help St Benedict's continue to flourish in the coming years.

Although born in Scotland, my main passion for sport is cricket. I played it until my body gave in, and then I have umpired for many years. My wife and I were for many years season ticket holders at Liverpool F.C. but we realised the travel and cost from Somerset was getting too much a couple of years ago.

My name is Jane Daniels, I am the Business Manager at St Benedict’s and have been a foundation governor since September 2020. I have worked in education finance for 30 years, having worked as a schools finance advisor at Wiltshire County Council for over 20 years before joining St Benedict’s.  I love my job and am really pleased I can give more to the school as a governor. I was a parent governor at the primary school my children attended, and I enjoyed being part of their education and giving something back to the school.  In my spare time I enjoy walking my ‘mad’ border collie called Izzy, gardening, baking and spending time with family and friends. I am also a ‘fair weather’ runner ( I don’t like running in the rain, wind and cold!).

Hello my name is Mike Derbidge.

For a number of years, I have been a Foundation Governor at St Benedict's School and also the Health and Safety Governor.

I am a retired builder and I live in Glastonbury with my wife and all of my family have strong links with St Benedict's.

I have a deep love of sport and music and, as a volunteer, I help with bikeability and also play my guitar in Collective Worship.

For over 25 years, I was a national RFU rugby referee, travelling all over the world, and also chairman of Wells Harriers Athletics Club.

I work with an extremely dedicated team of governors, to ensure that the children receive a first-class education and that the headteacher and his staff are well-supported.

In my spare time (Ha-ha) I am also the verger at St John's Church.

Hello, I'm Zoe, and I am one of the newest Parent Governors at St Benedicts, having joined the board in November 2020.  My daughter was previously a student at St Benedict's and loved every moment of it.  It is an excellent junior school, and I am now very fortunate in being able to play a part in it!  My career is within the health and social care sector, specialising in the support for adults with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism, and I have a keen interest in the transitional stages from education into adulthood, along with safeguarding.

In my free time, I can be found with a paintbrush or trowel in my hand having recently moved to a property requiring some renovations.  My daughter and I also like to go off and explore new places, locally and further afield, with our little pooch!  I am an avid learner currently studying with the Open University and when not studying or DIYing, I like to run, play in a local rounders team, and then relax with a good crime drama or two.

Hello! My name is Aby, and I am very excited to be one of the newer members of St Benedict’s Governor's team. I joined the board in Autumn 2021 as a Parent Governor, when my youngest son was in Year 5. I am keen to be an active part of a school that has given all three of my children such a fulfilling, engaging and holistic primary education.

At work, I am a Maths teacher at a local secondary school, with a particular interest in supporting disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs to flourish in their secondary education. I am fortunate to be able to work with the whole school team delivering training and supporting best practice.

At home, life with my three boys is very busy, but we love spending time together, particularly outdoors with walks, runs, camping and wild swimming when possible! Equally though, you can find us at home with the fire lit and catching up with a good series on TV!

For fun, I enjoy reading, gardening, martial arts and keeping fit; my newest hobby is learning the aerial hoop!

Thanks for reading!

Hello. My name is Jane Newbury, and I am the Inclusion Manager and Deputy Safeguarding Lead at St Benedict’s and have been lucky enough to have been Elected Staff Governor since September 2023. I have worked in Education for many years and have been at St Benedict’s for over 10 years, supporting our children to overcome their barriers to learning. I love my job and feel it is a real privilege to be part of the Pastoral Team.

Down-time is really important to me and I love to go to Devon exploring the quiet beaches and fishing villages; always leaving enough time for a pasty or two!

Hello.  I'm Tina Lawford, and I've worked for the school since 2002, a very long time.  I've had many roles in the school.  I started as a cleaner, then joined the Teaching Assistant team in 2006 and then went into the office in 2016.  I'm a member of the PTFA, and now I'm the clerk to the governors.  Various roles and I've enjoyed every one of them.  

At home, I have three grown-up children, a husband and a dog.  They keep me very busy, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  

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My name is Piers Ranger, and I'm the Headteacher of St. Benedict's and a school governor.  Having been a governor for over six years now, I have gained a real insight into the inner workings of the school.  We have a wonderful group of governors who selflessly give their time to improve and challenge our school.  I am passionate about the position our school holds in the community of Glastonbury and work alongside our governors to ensure St. Benedict's prioritises a broad and balanced curriculum and the personal development of our pupils.

I have been in education for over 20 years, working at schools in Hampshire, Taiwan and Spain before settling in Somerset.  I love the variety that working in a school offers - no two days are ever the same! I firmly believe that education has the power to shape lives and am very passionate about St. Benedict's being an inclusive environment in which all our pupils genuinely can Dream, Believe and Achieve.

Outside of school, I'm football mad and a keen Arsenal fan; once a week I re-enact the moves of my heroes (in my mind) when I play 5-a-side with friends.  My partner and I live in the foothills of the Quantocks where we enjoy bike rides and dog walks.  I'm also a keen reader, and I am working my way through the American classics.  I love to travel and have visited over 30 countries - my most recent highlight being a trip to Peru and a visit to the jaw-dropping Machu Picchu.  We also enjoy trips away from the UK, with the beautiful beaches of Cornwall top of our list!

My name is Helen Roper.  I was born in Glastonbury and have lived here on and off throughout my life, moving back permanently (?) around 20 years ago. Although I didn’t attend St Ben’s, if you check through school photographs you will find my great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, aunts, cousins, nephews and nieces have all attended the school, so I feel a strong tie to St Ben’s community. 

Education in all its aspects has been central to my working life. I originally trained as a Chemistry teacher and, in too many years than I care to mention, I taught in various parts of the UK as well as abroad. I have also worked as an in-service teacher trainer, an education project manager, an education adviser and the executive officer for the Somerset Governors’ Group. My time as a governor at St Ben’s the first time around was instrumental in my applying for the last role. It showed me the importance of governance in helping all children get the best possible education and inspired me to get more involved. I am currently the Lead Governance Professional in a multi-academy trust in another part of the county. 

In my spare time I enjoy walking, watching cricket and volunteering with the local credit union. 

My name is Chris Bennetts and I have been a Foundation Governor at St Benedict’s School since Easter 2023. I was a Primary School teacher for over 35 years, working at schools in South East London before moving to Somerset, where I worked in village Primary Schools.

I have been a school governor for many years. I have been a Teacher Governor and a Parent Governor when my children were at school in the Cheddar Valley.

I really enjoyed teaching and the pleasure of working with children, which has been central to my working life. I also valued the experience of supporting the Governing Bodies I have been a member of.

As a Governor at St Benedict’s School, I am keen to make a difference by supporting the Headteacher, the school and the Governing Board to shape the future of the young people and give something back.

I have recently trained with Somerset Council as a Route 1 Volunteer and Advocate to support young people. I also volunteer locally for the Library Service.

In my spare time I enjoy walking my two dogs, caravanning, visiting historical properties, gardens, and the beach, particularly Cornwall.

Hello. My name is Melanie Caroopen, and I am a fairly new member of the board, joining in December 2022 (the year my son joined the school).

I have lived in Glastonbury for nearly ten years and visited for thirty years! I love the community spirit and eclectic mix of Glastonbury.

I enjoy walking the dog as well as spending quality time with my partner, friends and family. My son keeps me active and fit!  Additionally, I love visiting art galleries, museums and exploring life with him!

From time to time, I am involved with the Peace Dome at the Glastonbury Festival.

I am a qualified primary school teacher and have been involved in education for 20 years now.

I am also a qualified adult counsellor and work online with my clients. I am completing my children and young people counselling qualification.

I am thoroughly enjoying being a governor of St Bens, working strategically with the team and learning new skills.

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