Trustees
Within the world of education, St Andrew’s School is a peaceful and relaxed oasis in a system that otherwise is something of a desert.
The school is situated in a rural area of beautiful North Norfolk, and the atmosphere so created enables the staff and the specialist facilities that are available to make a real and lasting difference to young people with special learning and communication difficulties, and to maximise the potential of every pupil.
The school is a credit to what the dedicated teaching and support staff have managed to achieve through their hard work, commitment, and a belief that there is a better way of teaching for these young people with special learning and communication difficulties. Pupils who have frequently been unable to cope in a mainstream situation are able to realise their true potential, achieving great results, and clearly doing so happily and with enthusiasm.
We are proud to lead an enthusiastic and diligent team of Trustees who, whilst recognising the School’s Quaker ethos, come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. We are always keen to expand the team, and new Trustees are always welcome. Should you be interested in joining us, please make contact by initially getting in touch with the Head Teacher.
Jenny Meara and Michael Goodwin
Co-Chairs of the Trustees
Email: chairoftrustees@standrewsschool.co.uk
Contact: Any of the trustees can be contacted via the school office.
Phone: 01263 837927
Email:office@standrewsschool.co.uk
Trustees
Jenny Meara
Jenny was a Primary Headteacher in Luton for 14 years and led an outstanding school in a diverse area. She took early retirement and relocated to Norfolk in 2018. She has a particular interest in curriculum development and teaching and learning overall and believes that every student should be enabled to achieve their full potential and develop a life-long love of learning. Jenny lives with her partner and has one son grown up son.
Michael Goodwin
Michael was headteacher for 17 years, first as Head of Sheringham High School and then of Sibford School, a Quaker school in Oxfordshire. He currently works as an inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate and is a trustee of a Quaker charity that has oversight of a school in Lebanon. He is married and has four grown up children and three grandchildren
Mike Hodges
Mike joined the Trustee Board of St Andrew’s in the autumn of 2023 when his daughter also attended the school. He is an experienced school governor, having previously chaired the Finance & Resources Committee at a primary school in Bedfordshire. Professionally, Mike is qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and is a Managing Director at Christie & Co, a business which specialises in operational real estate. He has 28 years’ experience of working in the healthcare, childcare and education sectors where he advises a wide variety of operators and investors in the UK and Europe, whilst also sitting on Christie & Co’s Executive Management Board. As a parent of an autistic daughter, Mike is passionate about SEN and autism – he also is actively involved in his daughter’s interest in horses and spends most of his weekends either at a stables or towing a horse trailer!! Mike has recently agreed to chair the newly formed Finance and Resources Committee at St Andrew’s.
Sue Brisbane
Sue worked in post-16 education for over 30 years and for much of that time was a senior leader with responsibility for a wide range of curriculum areas. She also served as a senior examiner for many years. She has a role as Safeguarding Trustee at St Andrew’s. Sue is currently a member of her local town council. She is married and has two grown up children. Her husband is a counsellor at the school.
Rose Robinson
A mother of three, Rose has well over a decade’s experience of volunteering on educational boards, currently chairing an Early Years preschool setting in addition to her role on the trustee board at St Andrew's. Passionate about ensuring positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND, much of Rose's experience comes from her own personal journey as a parent of a child with SEND.
Beverley Evans
Beverley had a career in central government in London and in local government in Norfolk for some years, focussing on policy development and running educational services. More recently, she qualified as a psychotherapeutic counsellor and has run a private counselling practice in Norwich. She lives in Aylsham.
David Yates
David has lived in Sheringham for a few years, after moving from the northwest. He is an attender at the local Quaker meeting and is involved in the Sheringham Sustainability group. David brings as a trustee a long career in industry with some time in governance and experience from working as a youth worker, and various trustee and charity work roles. All of this with a sense of humour and a love of good cake.