Meet the Governors

Kevin Unsworth  ~ Chair of Governors

I was appointed as a Co-Opted Governor of the Acorns Primary and Nursery School and Whitley Village School in July 2017.
Until 2016 I was chair of Governors at my local village school, so I am no stranger to the governor role and I am really looking forward to working alongside Mrs Broom and the team.

It’s a real privilege to be part of your school. Being a governor always gives me a great sense of pride, helping support the school to nurture, develop and educate your children ready for their step into high school and beyond.

My wife, Mrs Unsworth, currently teaches in Year 1/2 at The Acorns, so whilst I am new to the governing body I am aware of all the great work the staff, children and parents have done and continue to do across both schools.

Away from being a governor I work for Lloyds Banking group, and have done for the last 20 years. When not travelling to London, or other parts of the country I like to find time to get out on my bike, and when the weather isn’t kind I tend to be at home with my head in a good book…when my 2 daughters allow me the time!

Hannah Broom ~ Head Teacher

As Executive Headteacher across both the Acorns and Whitley, I am privileged to sit on the Governing Body and attend all Committee and Full Governing Body meetings. Our Governing Body is a pleasure to work with. They are a group of dedicated and committed people who strive to ensure the best possible outcomes for all of our pupils. We have worked hard together as a team to clarify our aims and objectives and have a shared vision of every pupil being the best they can be in school and in life.  

Nont Iamkamphaeng - Parent Governor

I am a parent of two pupils at Whitley Village School.  

I am a big believer in the power of Education, and strongly believe that this is fundamental for the development of every child. I am passionate in a holistic development of a child, covering all aspects of learning and developing including academic, health and wellbeing – physical and mental, which is becoming more important given the impacts of the Pandemic, social, emotional and spiritual development. 

In my current role, I am able to fully utilise my belief and passion to support children and young people across Cheshire and Warrington. I have been employed with Active Cheshire, a local Charity with the aim to improve the health and wellbeing of local residents through heathy living. I have been employed as a Strategic Lead for Active Kids since 2013 and I have worked directly with over 200 primary schools across Cheshire and Warrington to support the schools to implement and deliver health and wellbeing plans that are unique to each school. In doing so, I have been able to work with and influence, from senior leaders to operational staff, to utilise health and wellbeing as a key agenda to support overall development and improvement of the school. I have been working directly with Whitley Village School and The Acorns since September 2018 on various projects and initiatives to embed physical activity and healthy living into all aspects of the school and beyond.  

Through my role, I have been able to gain a sound understanding of the education system in the foundation stage. However, I believe that undertaking the role of a Parent Governor would further enhance my knowledge and understanding of how a school operates, including financial performance, governance, policies, etc. I believe that acquiring the knowledge and skills through this role would strongly support my personal and career growth.  

Having worked for a Charity over the last 8 years, I have developed a strong understanding of governance, finance, and policies implementation – skills which I believe would add value to the board of governors. Along with my invested interest in the community at Whitley and my passion for improving health and wellbeing of local children and young people, I have that I can contribute positively to the Schools.   

Dawn Camp~ Staff Governor

I joined the federation as a supply teacher, initially based in Whitley Village, in 2016 before moving to The Acorns later that year. As a school leaver, I worked in the retail banking sector in a customer facing role within personal and business banking until 2018.

My inspiration for joining the teaching profession began in 2005, when I participated in ‘Help a Child with …’ sessions run by a local college and held at my youngest daughter’s primary school.

Both my daughters had extremely positive experiences at primary school thanks to the support and encouragement they received from adults within the school. As a KS2 teacher and staff governor I hope to contribute towards providing the same positive experiences for all children in the Acorns and at Whitley.

Sue Jones ~ Trust Governor

I recently moved into the area having lived in Derby for  over 30 years. I was a governor in Derby for a federation of two diverse primary schools and wanted to continue with a similar commitment. I have taken on the role of Pupil Premium Governor.

I have taught Chemistry to 11-18 year olds for over 30 years and continue to stay up to date with all changes in education.

In my free time, I am a Brownie Guide leader and a Trainer for Girlguiding.

Donna Knight ~ Parent Governor

Firstly I would like to say it is an absolute pleasure to be awarded the role of parent governor at such a wonderful school.

I have a child currently attending the Acorns, who adores coming to school here and has settled in so well. I can assure you I have the school and its pupils best interests at heart,

During my time in this role I aim to help the school develop and progress to build on an already brilliant reputation. As parent governor I am essentially a representative for the parents of the school, I will take on board all views expressed to me about changes to the school and effectively voice them to my fellow governors. I am also a member of the school’s PTA.  

Martin Nield ~ Trust Governor

I've been a Governor at the Acorns since 1998.  During this time I've served as Chair and Vice Chair.  I also serve on the Finance, Personnel, and Premises Committee and am also safeguarding link governor. 

Before retiring, I spent 35 years in the nuclear industry in various roles, the last being responsible for training at the site. Since retirement, I’ve operated as a part-time Chester Tour guide.

I feel it's very important that our schools provide the best opportunities we can for all our children.

Gareth Blunden ~ Trust Governor

I'm Gareth, Dad to a Whitley Pupil who has some additional physical needs, and has been excellently supported by the School since becoming a pupil last year.

Professionally I'm a Construction Design Manager, with experience of leading a design team across a number of School and Education projects. This has given me exposure to a number of different educational settings, and the views and ethos of different schools. My job has given me plenty of experience in problem solving, and being flexible to adapt to new information.

I became a Governor in order to give back to a school that has been a great help to my family, and believe I can use my professional experience to bring assistance and appropriate challenge to the Schools to provide the best possible outcomes for the children. Although I've no Governing Body experience, I'm familiar with similar situations and have experience in helping Public Sector customers ensure compliance with their policies and standards.