St Thomas à Becket C of E Primary School

EQUA Trust

Our Governors

As part of a Multi‑Academy Trust, overall strategic responsibility for the school sits with the EQUA-Mead Trust Board, which is legally accountable for ensuring high standards of education, strong financial management, and effective leadership across all schools in the trust.

Our Local Governing Body (LGB) plays an important role in supporting this work at a local level. We focus on understanding the school’s strengths and challenges, monitoring the quality of education and the wellbeing of pupils, and ensuring that the school’s vision and values are reflected in everyday practice. Our aim is always to help the school provide the very best experience for every child.

What We Focus On

Within the trust’s overall governance framework, our Local Governing Body concentrates on three key areas:

  • Supporting the school’s vision and ethos — ensuring the school’s values are reflected in everyday life and that the needs of our children and community remain at the heart of decision‑making.

  • Monitoring the quality of education — looking closely at pupils’ progress, safeguarding, wellbeing, and the wider curriculum to understand how well the school is serving its children.

  • Championing the school community — acting as a link between families, the school, and the trust, ensuring that local voices are heard and represented.

Although strategic accountability sits with the Trust Board, our local governors play a vital role in understanding the school’s day‑to‑day experience and supporting leaders to provide the best possible education.

Contacting the Governors

Parents and carers are welcome to contact the governors at any time via the school office.

The Chair of Governors, Keith Ratcliffe, can also be contacted directly at: kratcliffe@stthomas.equamead.org. 

Becoming a School Governor

We are always keen to welcome people who are passionate about supporting our school community. If you are interested in becoming a governor, please speak to Miss Stobbart or approach any member of the governing body through the school office. There are many routes into governance, and we are always happy to talk about what the role involves.

The Local Governing Board

Our Governors (ID 1042)

  • Keith Ratcliffe
    Chair & Foundation Governor

    Keith Ratcliffe

    Lead Governor for Quality of Education, SIAMS, Mathematics, Data, Finance, and School Website / compliance

    I am a parent with three children currently attending the school, and I am deeply committed to supporting the whole school community. I have a long-standing interest in helping the school continue to grow, ensuring that pupils, staff, and families are supported, and that the school maintains strong educational outcomes.

    With a strong academic background, including a doctorate in Applied Mathematics, I bring analytical thinking and a rigorous approach to problem solving. Professionally, I work locally as a manager within the Civil Service, where I am responsible for delivering a large Science and Technology programme to time, cost, and performance. This experience gives me a solid foundation in strategic planning, governance, and accountability - skills I am proud to contribute to the governing body.

  • Richard Shirreff
    Vice Chair & Foundation Governor

    Richard Shirreff

    Lead Governor for SIAMS, SEND & Inclusion, Wellbeing, Careers

    I was born in Kenya in 1955 where I spent my early years. Educated in England, I graduated from Exeter College, Oxford (Modern History) before being commissioned into the British Army from Sandhurst. In my 37-year career, I commanded soldiers on operations at every level from platoon to division. This has included combat in the Gulf War of 1991 as a tank squadron leader and again in Iraq as a divisional commander, together with other operations in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Bosnia. In addition, I had extensive staff experience at brigade, Army HQ and in the Ministry of Defence.I commanded NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps andmy final military assignment was NATO's 4 Star Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR). In February 2016, I co-founded Strategia Worldwide Ltd, a global risk advisory company, which has since built up a sizeable portfolio of clients across different industrial sectors. In May 2022, Strategia was acquired by Sigma7 Global Risk Outcomes of which isIam now Executive Vice Chairman. In 2016my novel ‘2017: War with Russia' was published in the UK, USA and Poland. It became a best seller and has been translated into eight languages. I am an honorary fellow of Exeter College, Oxford.

  • Antoinette Fish
    Foundation Governor

    Antoinette Fish

    Lead Governor for Safeguarding & attendance, English, Religious Education, SIAMS

    I live in Market Lavington, I'm married and have two grown up children. By day I'm a self employed first aid, health and safety and mental health trainer. By night I'm an avid reader, love going to the cinema and theatre and my guilty pleasure is “strictly come dancing”!

  • Hannah Grummitt
    Foundation Governor

    Hannah Grummitt

    Lead governor for Quality of Education

    I am currently a full time Mummy to 3 fabulous children. My background is in the management of outdoor therapy and riding centres. I am qualified in social and therapeutic horticulture and as a horse-riding coach. I am a keen gardener, horse rider and love being outdoors. I firmly believe that school should be fun, and want to see all children develop a love of learning during their time at St Thomas a Becket.

  • Penny-Ann Magee
    Parent Governor

    Penny-Ann Magee

  • Catherine Wilson
    Local Governor

    Catherine Wilson

  • Chloe Stobbart
    Headteacher and Staff Governor

    Chloe Stobbart

    I am a class teacher in our Skylark class, teaching Reception, Year 1 and Year Two. I also lead EYFS, English and Phonics and Early Reading and have recently been appointed as a national trainer for our phonics programme, Essential Letters and Sounds. I have worked at St Thomas a Becket for four years after joining following my training at the University of Plymouth. Outside teaching I enjoy travelling, reading and swimming and am also currently completing a Masters degree in Educational Psychology.

  • Kim Pierpoint
    Clerk to the Governors

    Kim Pierpoint

 

 Documents

As part of a Multi‑Academy Trust, our school follows the trust’s governance framework and statutory responsibilities. To ensure transparency, we publish key information about our Local Governing Body (LGB) and how governance operates within our school community.

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