Addington School Governing Body
The Governing Body at Addington School are responsible for the conduct of the school and for promoting high standards. Governors are ‘critical friends’ to the school and each have skills, knowledge and experience required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school. There is a mix of parent, staff and co-opted Governors, all of whom receive regular training conducted by the Local Authority and the Headteacher. Their aim is to ensure that children attend a successful school that provides them with a good education in a safe and friendly environment and promotes inclusion.
Please click here to view a video on the role of school governors and trustees
Main roles of the Governing Body
- To plan ahead to make sure the school has the right strategies and resources to get the best outcomes for the students; this includes overseeing the delivery of the curriculum
- To monitor and evaluate the school’s effectiveness
- To oversee the school’s budget so that it is used in the best way; the governing body is responsible for the efficient management of the school’s funds
- To make sure that children are safe at school
- To hold the Headteacher accountable for the management of the school. The Headteacher reports to the governing body on the school’s performance and how plans are going
- The Headteacher is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school
We have three committees here at Addington: Quality of Education, Finance & Risk and HR & Premises.
Please click on the links below to see the Terms of Reference for each committee:
Click here to view governor attendance records 2023-24
Click here to view previous governor attendance records.
Meet our Governors
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Sukhwinder Sondhi (Parent Governor - Chair of Governors) – Sukhwinder was elected as a parent governor in May 2021 and his term will run until 16th May 2025. Sukhwinder has previously served one term as a parent governor at Addington School, and has been Chair of Governors since May 2024. Sukhwinder sits on the Finance and Risk committee and the HR and Premises committee where he has voting rights. He is the link governor for PSHE and Preparation for Adulthood. Sukhwinder has a background in law and is a qualified accountant, he is member of the legal and commercial team at Fujitsu Services Limited. He has two children; one attends Addington and the other another local school. Sukhwinder enjoys cycling, reading, and cooking. “When my son joined the school, we all received great support and have always been impressed with the passion and drive of the Addington team, ensuring that the children are provided with a nurturing environment. It was for this reason I initially became a Governor so that I could use my insight as a parent and 20+ years’ experience in a professional environment to contribute to the on-going success of the school and our children.” Sukhwinder has no interests to declare. |
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Lynda Wood & David Maycock - Co-Heads
Lynda and David have been co-Heads of Addington School since September 2024.
They both sit on the Finance & Risk committee, Quality of Education committee and the HR & Premises committee where they have voting rights. The co-Heads share one vote.
Lynda has no interests to declare.
Lynda is also a governor at a mainstream secondary school which is part of a different trust.
David has no interests to declare.
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Jenny Tuck – Vice Chair of Governors. Jenny was appointed as a co-opted governor in December 2017 having previously been an associate governor at Addington for a year. Jenny’s current term of office will run until 17th September 2028. Jenny chairs the Quality of Education committee and sits on the HR and Premises committee where she has voting rights. Jenny is the link governor for Access & Inclusion as well as Safeguarding, LAC, Early Years and Pupil Premium. Jenny has a keen interest in special educational needs and worked in this field for most of her professional career. For the last twelve years she worked as an adviser in two Local Authorities, Surrey and Reading, working with mainstream and special schools providing support and challenge in order to ensure that the best possible provision for all children, but particularly those with SEND was made. Jenny is passionate about improving life chances for children and young people and although now retired, continues to work towards this goal. Jenny is a grandmother to two small children and in any spare time that she has she loves to go to the gym, travel and garden. Jenny has no interests to declare. Jenny is currently an associate governor at Kings International College, Camberley, and a governor at Badshot Lea Village Infant School in Surrey. |
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Dr Yota Dimitriadi - Yota was appointed as a co-opted governor in March 2019. Her term will run until 5th March 2027. Yota chairs the HR & Premises committee and also sits on the Finance & Risk committee where she has voting rights. She is the link governor for Equality & Diversity, Well-Being, Health & Safety and Computing. Yota is currently an Associate Professor at the Institute of Education, University of Reading. She started her career as a school teacher, then moved to teacher training and her specialism is Computing Education. She was awarded a National Teaching Fellow of Advance HE, a prestigious Teaching & Learning award in 2019. Yota's research and practice have always been around equality, inclusion and diversity. She worked for the British Dyslexia Association and co-led the development of the online learning platform for WAGGGS (World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) among other projects. She is involved in national and international committees to support policy and practice around disability and accessibly at schools and in the workplace. She is an Amnesty International Speaker and a qualified CEOP E-Safety trainer. Yota has no interests to declare. Yota is also a governor at Alfred Sutton Primary School.
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Dr Sarah Sherwood - Sarah was appointed as a co-opted governor in June 2024. Her term will run until 15th June 2028. Sarah sits on the Quality of Education committee and the Finance and Risk committee where she has voting rights. Sarah is the link governor for Behaviour and for English and Communication. Sarah Sherwood is a Director of Special Educational Needs, having worked in the SEND arena for over 30 years. She currently works across two co-educational schools for students with autism aged 11-19, both of which she helped to set up. Previous roles include Head of School and Deputy Principal at two SEND schools with students ranging in age from 4-19. All four schools have offered both day and boarding provision. Sarah has also undertaken audits in mainstream schools to support leadership teams implementing changes to their SEND provision. Sarah has spoken at a number of conferences and events and has worked with a team to support the Kuwait Centre for Autism and an orphanage in Romania. Sarah is an ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) inspector, undertaking inspections in both mainstream and specialist schools. Sarah has no interests to declare. Sarah is also a governor at Belle Vue & Cornfields Schools in Kent. |
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Chris Lambert - Chris was co-opted to the governing body in December 2024. His term of office will run until 3rd December 2028. Chris sits on the Finance and Risk committee where he has voting rights. Chris trained as a chartered accountant with Deloitte and later worked with Coopers & Lybrand and finally PWC. He retired in 2010 after 42 years. He became a governor of a middle school in Windsor for 15 years and then after a short break became a governor of St Piran's prep school in Maidenhead working in both cases on the finance committee.
Chris and Mary have 4 boys and 5 grandchildren. He as a young man played county cricket for Bucks and continued to play club cricket for the Old Paulines and Datchet.
Since retirement he has spent much time looking after grandchildren and following Berkshire cricket.
Chris is married to Mary Lambert who is also a governor at Addington School. He has no other interests to declare. |
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Mary Lambert - Mary was co-opted to the governing body in December 2024. Her term of office will run until 3rd December 2028. Mary sits on the Quality of Education committee where she has voting rights. Mary trained at Great Ormond Street hospital for sick children and midwifery at St Mary Abbotts Kensington. She has worked with children all her life in various capacities including Matron in boarding schools for SEND pupils both Junior and Senior and a Prep School matron in Maidenhead where she was a child protection officer. She established a unit in a mainstream school in Windsor for pupils with MLD where she worked for 19 years. On her retirement in December 2009, she took on the care, alongside his parents, of a grandson who at aged 3 was diagnosed with autism. Mary is married to Chris Lambert who is also a governor at Addington School. She has no other interests to declare. |
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Staff Representative - VACANCY |
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Parent Governor - VACANCY |
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Ranjana Nadgir (Parent Governor) -Ranjana (Ranju) was elected as a parent governor in June 2024. Her term of office will run until 25th June 2028.
Ranju sits on the Quality of Education committee and the Finance & Risk committee where she has voting rights.
Ranju is a graduate in Bachelor of Commerce with +5 years of work experience in hospital administration for a medical college and attached hospital. Prior to that, she gathered some great experience of customer handling and people management skills. All her experience has been working in India; since 2008 moving to UK she has been involved in mostly volunteering work for charitable organisations. As her daughter has now moved to secondary school she is now able to focus more on a personal aspiration to get connected with Addington School as a Parent Governor. She looks forward to being able to contribute to some of the great work happening at Addington, working alongside the other governors and learning from their diverse experience. In her leisure time she loves to listen to music, go on long walks and travel to explore the great places around the world. Ranju has no interests to declare. |
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Associate Governors to the governing body
There are also a number of associate governors who regularly attend meetings and play a crucial role in ensuring Governors can oversee school matters in an efficient manner. These associate governors are:
Sue Tod - School Business Manager
Emer Moore - Deputy Head
Kimberley Legg - Assistant Head
Lydia Colios - Assistant Head
Ellie Webb - Assistant Head
Rhona Millar - Assistant Head
Miriam Barlow - Premises Manager
Amanda Cherry - HR Manager
Former Members of the Governing Body (last 12 months)
Sara Attra (Executive Headteacher) - Sara was the head teacher of Addington from January 2017 until July 2024. Sara sat on the Finance and Staffing committee, the Behaviour, Welfare, Health & Safety and Premises committee and the Teaching, Learning and Assessment committee where she had voting rights. She did not have any interests to declare.
Mark Trepte - Co-Opted Governor - Mark was co-opted to the governing body in March 2018 following two terms as a Parent Governor. He became Chair of Governors in 2019. His term of office ended on 31st August 2024. Mark declared that he was Chair of Trustees at Ascendancy Partnership Trust from October 2023.
Cathy Tissot - Co-Opted Governor - Cathy was co-opted to the governing body in March 2023, her term ended on 31st August 2024. Cathy sat on the Behaviour, Welfare, Health & Safety and Premises committee where she had voting rights. Cathy declared she was a trustee at Ascendancy Partnership Trust from October 2023.
Alexander Wills - Parent Governor - Alex was elected to the governing body in January 2019. His term ended on 31st August 2024. Alex sat on the Finance and Staffing committee and the Teaching, Learning and Assessment committee where he had voting rights. Alex had no interests to declare.
Sean Trim-Coleman - Staff Representative - Sean was elected as the staff representative governor in March 2022. His term ended on 14th February 2025. Sean sat on the HR and Premises Committee where he had voting rights. Sean had no interests to declare.
Catherine Waller - Parent Governor - Catherine was elected as a parent governor in November 2022. Her term of office ended on 14th February 2025. Catherine sat on the Behaviour, Welfare, Health & Safety and Premises committee where she had voting rights. Catherine had no interests to declare.
