Sam Wattridge

Local Authority Governor

I am the Chair of Governors at Stower Provost School, and I feel incredibly privileged to play a key role within such a valued school community. As a parent of four sons, ranging from early years through to secondary education, I have a strong personal understanding of the educational journey and the importance of providing a supportive and nurturing environment for every child.

My professional background is in mental health, particularly in elderly mental health care, which has shaped my passion for supporting not only children’s academic achievement but also their emotional and social wellbeing. I have been involved with the school for many years as a parent, an active member of the PTFA, and a governor, before taking on the role of Chair of Governors.

Outside of school, I support my husband in running our local building firm. Family life is especially important to me, and I enjoy spending time with my children and our two dogs, whether that is exploring the countryside, visiting the beach, or enjoying time in our garden. I have a real love of learning and am committed to helping inspire this in all children, so they can flourish both in school and beyond.

Vanessa Lucas

Co-Opted Governor 

I am married with two grown up daughters and moved to Dorset in 2000. I have over forty years’ experience in education having taught in primary, middle and secondary schools, lectured in primary education and mathematics and worked as a Primary Adviser for mathematics. I retired as a head teacher in 2016 and now wish to give back to the community as I have a passion for ensuring children have the best possible education.

I have a clear understanding of the cycle of school improvement, linking data capture and analysis to development planning and staff development, training and performance management.

I have helped develop and have promoted the UNICEF Rights Respecting School at my school, which involved us in supporting other schools in their journey. We were a Global Hub school with strong international links. I hope that I will be able to share my experiences to further improve global learning and British values at Stower Provost.

I was delighted to be invited to join the governors who are clearly focused on improving learning and giving every child the best opportunity for success possible.

Mrs Boardman-Hirst

Head teacher

Mrs. B is our head teacher. She has overall responsibility for the school including its day-to-day running and setting the direction of the school, working closely with governors to ensure every child is given the opportunity and support to succeed in a safe and stimulating environment.  She teaches Beech class for one afternoon and Chestnut class for one day per week.

Mrs Clasby

Teacher - (Yr5/6)

I love teaching Oak class and sharing in their successes. I have four adult children and live near Sherborne. I have taught across key stages one, two and three as well as EYFS. I have an interest in psychology, promoting children’s self-esteem, dyslexia and the autistic spectrum; I completed an MEd a few years ago. I enjoy learning about new things, and am currently co-authoring a research paper about effective interventions for children with brain injuries, which will be published in an education research journal. 

Catherine Dunkley-Jones

Clerk 

I am an experienced Clerk to the Governors who has worked in education for many years. In my spare time, I enjoy exploring the beautiful countryside of North Dorset, reading, singing, and spending as much time as possible with my family and friends who are now scattered all over the country.

Richard Boulton

Debbie Kibbler

Parent Governor

I moved to Dorset in 2014 from London, my work in London involved working with children with complex needs and disabilities. Roles included Senco, EAL coordinator, Nursery Manager and complex needs placement officer for children’s social care. 

Initially after moving to Dorset and working in School Health was when I first made links with Stower Provost, I become more involved when my granddaughter attended and later my son.

Phillippa Halberstadt

Parent Governor

I have two children on roll at Stower Provost, and live very locally. I have worked in marketing and comms agencies most of my career. In my spare time I love gardening and enjoying the Dorset countryside.

Pippa Johnson

Parent Governor

I live with my husband and two children, both of whom have attended Stower Provost. Which means I have been involved with Stower Provost School for about 10 years.

I balance my home life with working for the NHS as an Occupational Therapist and Team Lead.