Governors

NAME

CATEGORY OF GOVERNOR

APPOINTING BODY

TERM OF OFFICE

Mrs Sharon Redman

Chair

Co-opted Governor

Local Governing Board

04.10.2020 to 03.10.2024

Ms Sam Truscott

Vice Chair

Parent Governor

Parent Elected

18.10.2019 to 17.10.2023

Mrs Cathy Brokenshire

Headteacher

Ex-Officio

01.09.2019

Mrs Ann Chapman

Co-opted Governor

Local Governing Board

16.05.2020 to 15.05.2024

Mrs Tanya Edmunds

Staff Governor

Non-Teaching Staff Elected

28.01.2019 to 27.01.2023

Mr Lee Vincent

Staff Governor

Teaching Staff Elected

05.12.2019 to 04.12.2023

Mrs Sue Hiskens

Parent Governor

23.09.2022 to 22.09.2026

Mrs Karen Warnham

Co-opted Governor

Local Governing Board

14.09.2021 to 13.09.2025

Mrs Liz Bradbury

Co-opted Governor

Local Governing Board

13.10.2021 to 12.10.2025

Ms Sharron Kelsey

Co-opted Governor

Local Governing Board

Mrs Linda Cackett

Independent Clerk

Chair and Headteacher

01.10.2013

Mrs Sharon Redman – Chair – Co-opted Governor

05.10.2020 – 04.10.2024

Mrs Redman has lived in Cornwall for 19 years having relocated from South London.  She is married with two grown up daughters, one of whom is a professional football player! Having spent many years in recruitment in London and Cornwall, Sharon made the change to working within education five years ago and has not looked back and is currently a Business Manager at a church school where previously she was a parent Governor and eventually Chair. Mrs Redman is passionate about children’s education ensuring that the values and fun are at the heart of all learning.

Miss Samantha Truscott - Vice Chair - Parent Governor 

18.10.2019 – 17.10.2023

Miss Truscott was previously a Governor for the school from 2015-2017, in this time she was appointed the role as vice chair. During this time, she gained much knowledge and experience in the role.  She has been elected to re-join the governing team in Oct 2019 as a parent governor.  Miss Truscott has 5 children, 3 of which attend St Dennis primary academy and 2 who attend secondary school. She works nights in Mawgan Porth plus is studying a degree in Child Psychology.  

Mrs Cathy Brokenshire – Headteacher – Ex-Officio Governor

01.01.2019 - Present

Cathy Brokenshire was appointed in 2019 and is proud to be the headteacher at St Dennis Primary Academy. She qualified as a teacher in 1999 and has taught every year group in the primary phase in a number of schools. Cathy is passionate about ensuring every child is nurtured, recognised as an individual and is happy.  She also believes that this happens best when families and school work together in partnership, so she firmly believes in the school’s vision, ‘Everyone matters, everyone succeeds, every moment counts’. Out of school, Cathy enjoys family time with her husband and three children, especially walks at the beach with Nellie, the family’s dog.

Mrs Ann Chapman  - Co-opted Governor

16.05.2020 – 15.05.2024

Mrs Chapman has been a Governor since May 2015 and has volunteered at the school for almost 10 years. Having lived in the village all her life, raising her two daughters who attended the school and witnessing three of her grandchildren also thrive at the school she continues to support the pupils of St Dennis.  An active member of the community Mrs Chapman owned a local shop for 20 years, is the Chairman for Cancer Research, a trustee on the Incinerator Grant Panel and also Assistant Treasurer to Friends of St Dennis Academy (FOSDA).  A regular visitor to the school Mrs Chapman can be found supporting pupils reading, assisting with event preparations and fund raising. 

Mrs Tanya Edmunds – Staff Governor

28.01.2019 – 28.01.2023

Mrs Edmunds has worked at St Dennis school for nearly 20 years, mainly in the Early years sector. Her daughter was a pupil at the school and that is when she decided she would go back to college and learn to become a teaching assistant. Mrs Edmunds is now the Nursery Manager and loves seeing how the children thrive over the year and throughout the school. She has always lived in St Dennis and enjoys the friendly village life. 

Mr Lee Vincent – Staff Governor

06.09.2021 to 05.09.2025

Mr Vincent has been a teacher at St Dennis since 2019 having completed his teacher training.  During his training year he was with the school for the autumn term and later returned to teach the Year 3 class in his NQT year.  Mr Vincent previously spent 3 years at the university of St Mark and St John (Marjons) studying sports coaching and physical education which offered a range of experiences in schools within Plymouth.  He is passionate about ensuring that children have the best education they can and ensuring that all children build the self-belief to achieve within their lives.  Outside of school, he enjoys time with his family and making the most of Cornwall and what it has to offer.

Mrs Karen Warnham – Co-opted Governor

14.09.2021 – 13.09.2025

Mrs Warnham grew up in St Dennis and lived there for many years before moving to a neighbouring village.  All three of her children attended the school so she has fond memories of it both from her own education and that of her children.   She is the Practice Manager for six veterinary surgeries in the area and has qualifications in accountancy and human resources, she is presently studying for the ILM qualification in Veterinary Management. Mrs Warnham was previously a governor at Brannel school , her children have now all left school so through that and her own children she understands the importance of providing good education from a young age and enjoys being part of that.

Mrs Liz Bradbury – Co-opted Governor

13.10.2021 – 12.10.2025

Mrs Bradbury has lived in St Dennis for 4 years having retired as a primary school teacher in 2017. Her working life was largely in Hampshire and West Sussex, but also a short stint in the Falkland Islands.

She has four grown-up sons and a supportive husband, Steve. Since retiring she has enjoyed becoming involved in the life of the village – joining a number of groups and becoming an active member of St Denys Church. She is training to become a Local Worship Leader. She enjoys exploring the beautiful Cornish countryside, especially walking the South West Coast Path and also on the water in a kayak.

She hopes to be a supportive school Governor to assist the excellent work that has begun at St Dennis Primary Academy.

Ms Sharron Kelsey - Co-opted Governor

21.06.2022 - 20.06.2024

After working for several small businesses and charities as a Finance Administrator, Ms Kelsey joined the Civil Service and progressed to become a Programme Manager in the Department for International Development. She worked on a range of programmes in Eastern Europe and then the Middle East and North Africa, particularly the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  Mainly based in London, she has also lived and worked in Ethiopia and in East Jerusalem.

Ms Kelsey moved to Cornwall about nine years ago, first living in Newquay and then settling in St Dennis.  She has been a St Dennis Parish Councillor for the last five years and she has just become a Director of Claytawc.  She is interested in crafts and gardening- she is a member of the St Dennis WI and the local Art Group, and the Treasurer for Newquay in Bloom.

Mrs Sue Hiskens - Parent Governor

23.09.2022 - 22.09.2026

Mrs Hiskens grew up in St Dennis, where her family have lived for several generations. She has two children, one at secondary school and one at St Dennis Primary Academy.  Having qualified as a primary teacher in 1993, she spent 18 years teaching, 14 of which were at Sandy Hill Academy in St. Austell where she became the Assistant Head in 2006.  She was responsible for the Infant department (Early Years and Key Stage 1), as well as being coordinator for different subjects including both Literacy and Numeracy.

She believes her teaching background would be beneficial to the governing body and to the school as she has first-hand experience of many of the issues faced within schools.

In recent years she has set up and run the Little Monkeys Soft Play located at the local Chapel, and am also she is one of the volunteers at St.Dennis Youth Club.

Mrs Linda Cackett – Independent Clerk

October 2013 - Present

Mrs Cackett was appointed Clerk in October, 2013 and provides an independent clerking service to several schools in the area.  Originally from Truro she lives in Bodmin and enjoys working in different primary schools, providing advice to the Local Governing Board on governance, constitutional and procedural matters. She provides administrative support to the Board, ensures the Board is properly constituted and manages information effectively in accordance with legal requirements.