Meet our Governing Body

Hello, my name is George Rowing and I am a retired senior civil servant from Bembridge. While
much of my work was in Government, I bring experience of working in teams to support
improvement and deliver objectives and the oversight of finances and targets.
My policy work in Government showed me how important early years education is for children and
how it builds the foundations for the future. I asked to join Nine Acres Governing Body in 2021
because I saw the school leading the way in delivering education for children and developing them
so that they can do well, and I wanted to help them continue that work and get even better. My
education made all the difference to me – I want it to ensure that children at Nine Acres get the
same sort of opportunities to achieve their dreams that I had.

Hello, my name is Ian Townsend and I have the privilege of being the Vice Chair of Governors here at Nine Acres primary school. I have been on the board of Governors since Easter 2015 and have enjoyed being part of the schools journey since that time. Among many other roles and activities, I take a lead in supporting and monitoring EYFS and English. I am an experienced primary school teacher myself and use my professional knowledge as best I can to support the Head Teacher, the staff and the Governor’s to give the children of Nine Acres the education they deserve in a safe, caring and nurturing environment where they can develop resilience, perseverance and above all else, success. My son is a very happy pupil at the school so when working with the Governors, my first thoughts are always from a parents perspective. The pleasure of serving on the Governors is that the children are at the very heart of every discussion that is had and decision that is made.
As we strive for excellence, we always welcome and encourage your thoughts and feedback and warmly welcome you to come and see what we are doing and where possible, be a part of it.

My name is Ross Burroughs, and I am delighted to be a Governor at Nine Acres Primary School.

Nine Acres Primary School stood out to me due is its vision and values to empower children and the school community to make a positive impact on the world and develop crucial life skills, which is something I believe is very important.

I feel that education extends far outside of the school classroom. Therefore, children should be taught from a young age the skills and values that will help them thrive beyond their school years. Providing a safe, supportive and inclusive education space for children to develop in their early education is essential, to set them up for their future.

Through my work, I spend most of my time in Island schools supporting and advising senior leadership teams on both strategic and operational issues.

As a member of the governing board, I hope to contribute to the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school and ensure this is aligned with the needs of children, staff, and the school community.

Having worked across both the Primary and Secondary sector, I have a clear vision of education for the children of Nine Acres. We work closely together as a Governing Body to ensure that we continue to drive through improvements that mean each and every child receives the best possible education. It is a priviledge to be the Headteacher at Nine Acres Primary school with the children at the heart of every decision that is made.

My name is Lesley Smith and I work within the school as a Learning Support Assistant.
Since being appointed as a Governor, I have seen the school and the Governing Body change over the years. The one thing that has been consistent during this time is that the Governors have always had the best interests of the children at the forefront of their decision making.
Following the Ofsted inspection, the Governing Body is now working very closely with Mrs Dyer and the School Leadership Team to ensure that the school continues to grow and develop so we reach the best standard of education for all.
I wish your child every success in the years ahead.
Lesley Smith

My name is Richard Crossley and I am Clerk to the Nine Acres governing body. I spent most of my early working life in telecommunications engineering and quality assurance, travelling worldwide on a regular basis. My family and I moved to Boston, USA, where we lived for 5 years and a significant part of my children’s education was in the USA. In 2004 we returned to the UK and I trained to obtain a teaching qualification. I worked for 4 years in middle school and, after they were abolished, another 4 years in high school teaching science and ICT. I took early retirement from full time teaching one year ago and I now work as a primary school Learning Support Assistant, spending most of my time providing literacy and numeracy support to children who struggle in those areas. I find this support of young learners very rewarding.In addition to my ‘main’ job, I have acted as Clerk to several governing bodies over the past 8 years. I was also a middle school staff Governor. My interest in governance arose initially out of a desire to become more familiar with the detail of the education system and has developed into a support role that I really enjoy. I provide secretarial support to the Governors, setting agendas and writing minutes. I also provide them with advice on the legal issues affecting school governance. I am involved with the record keeping of the school’s policies and assisting in the recruitment of new Governors and their records on the Hampshire Education web site. Having acted as Clerk for Nine Acres for around 8 months, I am looking forward to helping them on their journey to be a continually improving school.

My name is Rachel Paddon and I am a staff governor. I grew up on the island and lived here until I left to train as a teacher. When I qualified, I taught in a large primary school in West London for 11 years. I returned to the island in 2005 and happily have been at Nine Acres ever since! Having been part of Nine Acres for a few years, I feel a close bond with the children & families and love working in such an amazing school. I think that Nine Acres has been able to achieve so much because of the courage, commitment & determination of all involved.
I enjoy being a staff governor as it enables me to bring a teachers perspective to governors meetings and the opportunity to be a voice for my colleagues.

I became a co-opted Governor in September of 2018. I grew up on the Island and attended both Nine Acres and Medina High School. After leaving the Sixth Form I left the Island to attend Drama School in London.

Although initially trained as an actor, I retrained as a teacher in Further Education, and I worked in Sixth Forms in both London and Hampshire teaching Drama. My family and I returned to the Island 10 years ago as I wanted my children to have a childhood close to their extended family. My current role is in marketing, and I am hoping to use my skills to help the School’s great reputation spread far and wide. I became interested in being a Governor last year after wanting to use my skills to help the community in which I grew up.

Having worked as a teacher, I know how vital a strong Governing body is for the staff and the pupils of any school. I am looking forward to being part of a team that helps all Nine Acres pupils reach their potential.

My name is Carol Wildon and I am a retired teacher.
My career spanned 35 years. I taught for 15 years in Secondary schools and 20 years in Primary, mainly in Key Stage 1. My curriculum knowledge includes Art and Design , Design Technology and Ecology. The latter having been involved in setting up Eco Councils, gardening clubs and school allotments.
My personal interests include horticulture, travelling and family.
I hope as a governor that I can bring knowledge and enthusiasm to Nine Acres by supporting the staff and pupils as the school continues to move forward.

My name is Stewart Barbour and I am a Lecturer in Business and Finance at the IW College. I have one child at Nine Acres with another child hopefully joining in September 2023. We chose Nine Acres as I believe it is everything a Primary School should be.
I wanted to be a Governor to help make a difference and bring a different perspective to an already amazing team.