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.
Ryan English

DRET Appointed Governor

Ryan English

Ryan joined the ASC in November 2023 to further develop his understanding of governance in schools. Having been a teacher since 2015, Ryan brings a wealth of education experience including in SEN and teacher development.

Within his profession Ryan is passionate about working within SEN settings, supporting learners who at times can present with challenging behaviour.

Outside of work, Ryan enjoys a wide range of sports, such as Football, Basketball and American Football. Ryan is also interested in Music and enjoys attending concerts for his favourite bands.
Teresa Elkin

Clerk

Teresa Elkin

Teresa Elkin has been clerking academies within the Trust since 2014. As a former Chair of an Outstanding primary school and part of the governance teams at Northamptonshire County Council and the David Ross Education Trust, she decided to become an independent clerk to support governing bodies. Teresa also supports other maintained schools and academies in the county. Teresa's initial career was in advertising and marketing but a move into education, governance in particular ensured that she had a wide range of skills to bring to governing bodies. Teresa is an experienced governor and Chair, a governor trainer and mentor to individual governors and Chairs. Her passions and interests are the Theatre, literature and international travel.

Governor Assigned Responsibilities

SEND - Nigel Chilton

Attendance - Nigel Chilton

Safeguarding - Rebekah Kitchell

Contacting a Governor

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, 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.

governor recruitment booklet summer 2023.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