Governors

Our Governors

Falconer's Hill Academy is governed by an Academy Scrutiny Committee.

Our governors are:

• Angela Rock
  Principal
  Angela Rock

• Nigel Chilton
  DRET Appointed Governor (Chair)
  Nigel Chilton

  Nigel was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on 21 January 2021. He was invited to apply to become a governor after working with the academy to set up a Rotary Rotakids group. He very much liked what he saw at the academy and was delighted to apply. Nigel is semi-retired and occasionally carries out work nationally as an Independent Mediator in relation to children and young people with SEN. Nigel was a Teacher and Headteacher and Executive Headteacher of schools for children with social emotional and mental health difficulties and of pupil referral units. He was subsequently a Principal Adviser (Inclusion) in a Local Authority in the North-East of England leading teams supporting inclusion, SEN, behaviour, LAC and attendance all part of the Education Improvement Service. Nigel enjoys travelling and spending time with his friends and family, especially his young grandchildren.

• Robert Leaper
  DRET Appointed Governor (Vice Chair)
  Robert Leaper

  Robert was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on the ASC on 11 November 2021. He has an interest in the school and believes in encouraging children to take an interest in the world of work from an early stage. Robert has previously served as a member of Kilsby School PTA, chair of the Parents’ group of the local Scout troop. He chaired D.I.C.E (Daventry Industry Commerce and Education) a member of Northampton Employers Education Partnership, which promoted interaction between schools and businesses. Robert is a member of the Rotary Club of Danetre, Daventry and currently chairs the International Committee. He also serves on the District International Service Committee. Robert is a retired engineer who worked in the chemical, automotive and furniture sectors for over 40 years. He spent 20 years running his own company which produced computer furniture and therefore has practical experience of planning, management, financial control, public relations and marketing, health and safety, procurement and sales. He is firmly involved with the work of Rotary and is running a specific project to promote the use of solar energy in developing countries. He is a carer for his wife who suffers from M.S. Robert enjoys gardening and travel.

• Rebekah Kitchell
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Rebekah Kitchell

  Rebekah was appointed a Staff Governor on 15 June 2021. Having recently started her career in the education sector, she felt it would be beneficial as a new teacher, and to the school for her to support the development of the school from a different role. When Rebekah left the school as a Teacher in 2023, she stayed with the academy as a DRET Appointed Governor.

  She hopes to expand her knowledge as well as bring her unique life experiences to discussions to help ensure the school is always growing. She was brought up as a child who fosters (her parents fostered) and has a wealth of experience with children and young people within the system. She has previously worked for The Fostering Network, National Citizen Service and has a lot of experience with young vulnerable children and adults. Whilst studying, she was the representative for her cohort and took on many volunteering and leadership roles, including chairing meetings, organising events and fundraisers, and liaising with other professionals. She has always described herself as a ‘rounded’ person. Rebekah appreciates that she was lucky to have access to many different experiences whilst growing up and this has made her interested in many things. She is a passionate photographer (her first two degrees were in this subject and she is particularly interested in photography being used as a therapeutic tool). She also enjoys cooking and is hugely interested in how children learn and develop.

• Katie Cross
  Trust Senior Link
  Katie Cross

  Katie was appointed a Trust Senior Link on to the ASC on 3 October 2022. She wanted to become a governor to gain a deeper insight into governance and leadership at all levels. Katie also wanted to take advantage of the unique opportunity to work collaboratively with another school allowing her to reflect on the practices and their effectiveness in both schools. Katie is the Deputy Head at another primary school within the Trust and is responsible for the Quality of Education at Briar Hill and Talk for Reading and Writing for DRET, Primary. She has a thorough understanding of the curriculum, evidence-based practice, and standards for pupil outcomes.

• Laura Rogers
  Staff Governor
  Laura Rogers

  Laura is a year 3 teacher at Falconer’s Hill, and has previously been a LSA and HLTA.

  Laura chose to become a Governor to expand her knowledge of how a school is run.

• Lyanne Young
  Staff Governor
  Lyanne Young

  Lyanne joined the ASC as a Staff Governor in November 2023. Lyanne grew up in the area and has a commitment to support the young people of Falconer's Hill to fulfil their potential and build aspirations for their future.

  Lyanne is passionate about the creative arts and the importance of providing all children with opportunities in this area. From a young age, Lyanne has enjoyed participating in drama, dance, music and art activities. She am a keen painter and enjoys working in mixed media to create landscape images. Lyanne feels incredibly privileged to be able to share my interests with the children at Falconer's Hill Academy and enjoy leading the school in art and drama projects.

• Tracy Homer
  Parent Governor
  Tracy Homer

  Tracy is currently the Head of Payroll and Pension Services at Deloitte LLP and joined the ASC in October 2023 as she wanted to play an active part in supporting the school to support the development of children.

  Outside of work, Tracy loves spending time with her family either supporting their extra curricular activities such as dance, football, park runs and swimming or playing board games such as Game of Life and Uno.

• Vicky Bayley
  Clerk
  Vicky Bayley

  Vicky joined DRET as a clerk in December 2023 and is also a DRET appointed Governor and Vice Chair at Eastfield Academy. Her professional roles have encompassed public service as a midwife, working in a police force control room and as a one-to-one learning support assistant in a primary setting. Vicky enjoys using her leisure time creatively in various crafts, playing her baritone and likes to read.

Current Governors 

Former Governors 

 Below is a list of Governors that have served in the past 12 months. 

Contacting Us

The Governance Officer for Falconer's Hill Academy is Victoria Linthwaite. Victoria can be reached at governance@dret.co.uk. 

To contact a governor, please contact the Trust Governance Team by emailing governance@dret.co.uk.

If you are looking to contact a Governor to make a complaint or share a concern, please note that as per our Complaints Policy, governors do not investigate complaints at Stage 1 or Stage 2.  This enables them to be impartial should a complaint be escalated to a Stage 3 governor panel. If you wish to make a complaint, please complete this form and your complaint will be investigated accordingly.  

Scheme of Delegation

Information about the David Ross Education Trust’s scheme of delegation is available here.

Minutes of the Academy Scrutiny Committee

Should you wish to view a copy of the minutes of the ASC at this academy, please contact the Trust Governance Team (governance@dret.co.uk), who will be able to provide you with an electronic or paper copy of the minutes.

Are you interested in becoming an academy governor?

We are looking for new governors to support our academies. Our governors work closely with their academies to support the Trust’s goal of broadening the horizons of young people through a world-class education, equipping our students with the skills and experiences to become their confident, academic best, no matter what.

If you have an interest in, and commitment to, improving education and would like to make a difference within your community, please register your interest in becoming a governor by completing our governor application form. If you have any questions about a governor’s role or responsibilities please contact us at governance@dret.co.uk or review our information pack below. 

march 2024 governor recruitment booklet.pdf

What is it like being a governor with DRET?

To understand what it is like to be a governor with us, take a look at our testimonial booklet and videos which contain insights from serving governors. 

governor testimonial booklet .pdf

Emma Bennett 

Angela Watts 

Stephen Platten 

Garry Allen

What training do Governors receive? 

We offer an extensive range of training opportunities. Take a look at what is on offer for the current academic year.