Joy Walker, Chair of Governors

Safeguarding & SEND

Appointed: September 2021

I feel very proud and privileged to have been appointed as Chair of Governors at Mepal and Witcham C of E Primary School. I have had connections with Mepal since a girl and have lived in Witcham for 40 years.

My son attended the school and I also taught there for many years. From being a class teacher, then Deputy and Acting Headteacher at Mepal and Witcham I moved into the role of substantive Headship at a small Primary School and then to a large 4 form entry Infant School which is now part of Cambridge Primary Education Trust. I have since retired from being Headteacher and now mentor graduate trainee teachers on the SCITT programme. I have always had a keen interest in local education and the provision offered to our children.

From my experience I have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to offer in support of the future development and growth of Mepal and Witcham C of E Primary School. I look forward to getting to know the children and parents at the school as well as offering my support as an effective member of the Governing Body by assisting the Headteacher and staff in achieving future goals.

Elizabeth Stazicker

Christian Distinctiveness

Appointed: November 2018

Elizabeth Stazicker, brought up first in inner Essex, and then in North Norfolk, was lucky enough to be funded, through a county scholarship and her parents’ sacrifice, to attend the Girls’ Public Day School Trust’s Norwich High School for Girls. As a result of their excellent teaching she gained a scholarship to Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, to read Modern History (which covered c430AD – 1914).

She thereafter studied archive administration at University College, London, and spent her career in the local government archives service; from the mid-1990s, when she moved to Mepal, she was Cambridgeshire’s County Archivist and Head of Heritage. Since 2005 she has continued to work part-time as archivist to King’s Ely and honorary archivist to Ely Cathedral, as well as serving a number of roles in the village and county community, including as churchwarden of St Mary’s Mepal.



She says that she will work as long as she can to ensure that the good fortune she enjoyed is shared, as far as can be in present political circumstances, with those around her.

Jim Stewart

Health & Safety

Appointed: March 2023

I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a Member of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, registered with FEANI (European federation of engineers) with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from City and an MBA from Warwick Business School.



I am originally from a small village near the coast in the New Forest in Hampshire. I left to study mechanical engineering in London and to begin my career in engineering in the oil and gas industry and was initially involved in designing pipework for platforms in the North Sea. From there I moved around a little from Scotland, the North East, back to London and subsequently settled in Hertfordshire for a while, having gained wide experience in various industries. I then worked for a large pharmaceutical company for 25 years in various building services/utilities/facilities and estate management roles until I retired in 2017 from a global role leading facilities services compliance.

Retirement and a change in my wife’s career presented an opportunity to move away from Hertford and we settled in Mepal towards the end of 2018.

Lesley Sculthorpe

RE & SIAMS

Appointed: Oct 2024



I am a mother of four and have three wonderful grandchildren – and although I have no children at the school, I have a great and sustained interest in education – particularly early years.

I am a retired Registered Nurse; I worked within the NHS, the Private sector and Cambridge University health research. My nursing career enabled me to travel, teach and share my experience with nurses in Ghana, South Africa, Lesotho, Nepal and Bangladesh and Japan and Australia.

I moved to Mepal in 2017 having lived in Cambridgeshire for many years, though I am originally from the north of England.

I am a Churchwarden at St Mary’s Mepal and a member of the Parish Council. I hope that my experience across healthcare and the church will be a useful contribution within the role of Governor for SIAMS and RE.

I love reading, gardening, cooking, walking, sewing of all kinds, crochet and knitting; but most of all I love spending time with my grandchildren.

Richard Holdaway

Finance

Appointed: May 2023

Richard is married to Laura with two teenage daughters Thea and Lacey. The family have lived in Witcham for the past 8 years, previously to that in Wardy Hill and Ely.

Born in London he’s moved around the UK with his job and has now settled in Cambridgeshire for the last 15 years.

Richard is The National Account Manager – Team Leader for Corus and Laura Ashley hotels, which owns 7 hotels in the UK. Spending his career in the hospitality industry ranging from small independent hotels to working for Hilton Worldwide for over 10 years managing global accounts.

He comes with a wealth of experience from business development, people management and the hospitality industry.

The family are keen riders and he spends his time with his daughters in their outdoor activities along with their two dogs and several chickens.

Richard Williamson

Assessment

Appointed: September 2023

As a Chartered Accountant, I spent 24 years working in one of the major international accounting firms in London, Reading, Auckland (New Zealand) and Zürich. Subsequently I spent 16 years as Director of Finance with the College of West Anglia in King’s Lynn and was also responsible for the management of its three campuses, IT systems and student records. I have a degree in Mathematics from Oxford University. 

I have lived in Witcham since my family returned from Zürich in 1997 and have been retired since 2013. I have been a keen amateur musician all my life, playing violin in orchestras and chamber music groups and piano at home. I am a Trustee and playing member of Ely Sinfonia. I also love the countryside and walking. Two of my grandchildren currently attend Mepal and Witcham Primary School.

I have a keen interest in education and a very strong belief that developing the talents, abilities and sense of responsibility of our children is one of the most important priorities for us all. To this end I look forward to playing a role in the school’s Governing Body and supporting the managers and staff in their work.

Stuart Hales

Clerk

Appointed: N/A

Mr C Snuggs, Head Teacher

Appointed: N/A

Mepal and Witcham C. of E. Primary School is a member of The Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust (DEMAT). Details about DEMAT can be found on the trust website at http://www.demat.org.uk/. The schools Local Governing Body operates under a Scheme of Delegation as set out by the Trust. 

The LGB comprises of 9 members:

• Chair appointed by DEMAT
• 5 members appointed by the LGB (including parents and community governors)
• 1 staff member
• The Headteacher (ex officio position)
• The Incumbent of St Mary’s Mepal and St Martin’s Witcham
•  All Governors have equal status and together they take corporate responsibility for the school and collective responsibility for their decisions. Governors are elected for a four year term of office and can be re-elected. They are unpaid and their role is voluntary. Audits are undertaken to make sure members of the LGB have the right skills to carry out specific roles. Individual Governors are responsible for specific areas of the Governing Body’s work (e.g. Special Educational Needs, Health and Safety, Safeguarding) and all governors undertake training to develop their level of skill and expertise. Succession planning is an important consideration.
• The full Governing Body meets twice termly to consider the on going life and strategic way forward for the school. Governors visits involve talking with staff and pupils, looking at books, reviewing the curriculum and studying data about children’s progress. The Head Teacher’s report and Governor monitoring reports are shared and discussed at every meeting. 
• 

Information regarding minutes taken at Governors meetings can be accessed by contacting the clerk. Email: SHales@mepalwitcham.cambs.sch.uk