When the local Governing body stood down, the Local Authority applied to the Department of Education to implement an Interim Executive Board (IEB), who will function as governors for up to a year. This decision will work to bring about improvements which are sustainable for the success for your child’s school in The Saints Federation.
The Interim Executive Board will seek views of stakeholders and publish its Minutes of Meetings and Improvement Action Plans on the Federation website.
The members of the IEB bring a range of expertise.
The membership of the IEB is:
Kay Swann: Chair – Experienced Headteacher (retired) and governor, Diocesan School Support Officer
Micky Harcourt-Heath: LA Senior Adviser – Education Quality Assurance, Intervention & Regulation Service
Chris Allen: Diocesan School Distinctiveness & Standards Manager
Helen Bell: Shadow Governor Member
Penny Sheppard: Shadow Governor Member
The Chair can be contacted by letter through your child’s school office, marked ‘Confidential’ or by email on IEBChair@federationschools.org
I graduated in English and completed my postgraduate teaching qualification at the University of London. My teaching career started in 1978 and took me from Norfolk to Hertfordshire, Scotland, France, Hungary and back to Norfolk in 1995 when I joined the teaching staff at a rural primary school. I was seconded for two and a half years to work for Norfolk LA as a Literacy Advisor and then returned to the same church school as Reception Class teacher, SENCo, Deputy Headteacher and staff governor in 2002. I remained on the governing body for nineteen years and was appointed as Headteacher in Sept 2008. I valued the opportunity to work with the governors, the LA and then the multi- academy trust, DNEAT, to secure excellent provision for our pupils until I retired in Aug 2021.
I supported my daughter and my son throughout their education to see them settled in their own careers. I have since taken on the role of Diocesan Schools Support Officer to support the leadership teams in LA schools and academies in West Norfolk. In June 2022 I was appointed as Chair of the Interim Executive Board at The Saints Federation where we are focused on ensuring good provision and a secure future for the three schools- All Saints, Winfarthing, Hapton and St.Andrews, Lopham. We are fortunate to have an experienced, dedicated leadership team to drive forward progress and stability for all members of the schools’ communities.
I grew up on the North Norfolk coast and have once again made this lovely part of the world my home. After graduating with a degree in Geography, I worked in industry for four years before completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. I taught and led in primary schools in Norfolk before joining the Local Authority as a Mathematics Adviser in 2001. Children’s (and adults’) understanding of all aspects of the subject is still a passion. More recently I have had a number of roles working with schools and their leaders and governors to develop and enhance leadership. In 2013 I completed a doctorate which looked at school leadership in challenging circumstances. The challenges faced by schools are numerous and the ability of leaders to ‘juggle’ these to create the best experience for our children never ceases to amaze me. The greatest challenge for me personally was to manage a full-time job, a young child at home and the necessary study! I’m still learning from school leaders, staff, children and communities and try to use some of this shared experience in each new situation. I am glad to be working with The Saints Federation Schools.
Hello, my name is Chris Allen, I graduated in History and Qualified Teaching Status from the University of Leeds in 1997. My teaching career started in 1997 and took me to London, working in the London Borough of Hillingdon, then to Cambridgeshire and then from 2001 Norfolk. I have taught in all year groups in the primary age phase and a range of sizes of schools. I was a headteacher in Norfolk for 18 years, all in small rural Norfolk primary schools. My last role was 14 years as Executive Head across four small primary schools in North Norfolk. In September 2021, after 18-month secondment, I took up post as the Religious Education (RE) Adviser for the Diocese of Norwich. I am also currently leading on SIAMS, Collective Worship and Christian Distinctiveness. Outside of this role I have been a SIAMS inspector for Church of England schools for 9 years, an RE Quality Mark Assessor and most recently have taken on the role as Regional Director of the East Anglia RE Hub, working across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Since 2004 I have been a member of various governing bodies in Norfolk schools and enjoy the shared leadership of schools and
federations this offers.
I supported my daughter throughout her education to see her settled her into university at the start of September 2022. I am also a Diocesan Schools Support Officer to support the leadership teams in LA schools and academies in West Norfolk. In September 2022 I was appointed as a member of the Interim Executive Board at The Saints Federation where we are focused on ensuring good provision and a secure future for the three schools- All Saints, Winfarthing, Hapton and St. Andrews, Lopham. We are very fortunate to have an experienced, dedicated leadership team to drive forward progress and stability for all members of the schools’ communities and feel it is a privilege to support and challenge them in this work.
Hello, I’m Helen Bell, I am currently a Co-opted Shadow Governor for the Federation and a parent. I have an interest in supporting and challenging the schools in the Federation to provide the best education and learning opportunities for the children who attend.
I have lived on the Norfolk/Suffolk border all my life. I attended a small rural Primary School and went on to attend Hartismere High School and Sixth Form in Suffolk. I completed a NVQ in Business Administration at the West Suffolk College. Later on, I had the opportunity to study at City College Norwich, to achieve the AMSPAR Advanced Diploma for Medical Secretaries which I found really interesting and led me to become a full time Medical Secretary at a large GP Surgery in Suffolk where I worked up until I had my son.
I have recently been doing voluntary telephone befriending with Age UK Norfolk which is rewarding and I feel makes a difference to older people in Norfolk.
I am learning the role of the Governors and will be shadowing the meetings to further my knowledge. I am looking forward to supporting the Federation to help ensure the children are getting the most out of their learning and education.
An education coach and consultant, I have been involved in primary education for over 30 years working in Cornwall, Essex and Norfolk. Maths and music have always been subjects I have been passionate about and led in the schools I have worked in. In 2001 I became headteacher at Bressingham Primary School, my local school at the time, which my daughter was already attending. A few years later I became partnership headteacher when we joined with St Andrew’s CE VA Primary School. This was a period in my life that I look back on with very happy memories and I am still in touch with many of the families as our children all grew up together.
In 2008 I fulfilled every headteacher’s dream of opening a new school. Queen’s Hill Primary opened with just 29 pupils on day one, ranging from Reception through to Year Two extensions later, the school had 550 on roll when I decided to step away from headship in 2022 to spend more time with my family in my new role as grandmother.
More recently I have been supporting heads across Norfolk in a variety of settings as well as delivering training for the Diocese of Norwich. I have also worked as a tutor and teacher for Norfolk Family Learning, been a governor at a local high school and am currently a Trustee for a Norfolk Multi-Academy Trust.
I believe that every child deserves the very best start in life to help them develop a passion for learning and prepare them for the next stage of their education.
2023-24
