My name is Robert Buttery, and I am currently the chair of Governors and I also sit on the Teaching and Learning, Resources and Personnel committees. I currently have responsibility for safeguarding and development and act as a conduit between the Governing Board and Head Teacher in my role as chairman.

I ran my own business for most of my working life and gained extensive experience in financial matters and employing and working with staff and the challenges of government legislation. I have always been customer facing and found this element of my work the most enjoyable.

When I retired having recently moved to the area, I wanted to get involved in a constructive way within the local community. I was a Governor some twenty years ago and enjoyed the challenge and felt I still had something to offer with my experience and abilities gained from outside the education system. I have time and enthusiasm to offer and I am a good team player. I am able to understand the complex workings of the school and feel my input is a useful addition in its day to day running, but always in a non-operational capacity as required within Governorship. I maintain regular contact with the Head Teacher and endeavour to keep active contact with the staff on my regular visits. I also represent the school to outside agencies and try to keep it on all relevant agendas whenever possible.

My interests include motor racing and music. I raced cars for several years and have played drums in several bands throughout my adult life and continue my interest in both. I am enjoying my retirement and the opportunities it provides me to spend my new-found leisure time seeing the world and walking in our lovely countryside with my two dogs.

My name is Tina McGinnity.  I am Vice-Chair of the Governing Body and I chair the Teaching and Learning Committee.  I also sit on the Personnel Committee.  The areas of the curriculum that I oversee are English, Physical Education and Skills for Life.

I chair the Teaching and Learning Committee.  An important job of this Committee is to ensure that the quality of education being offered to the children at the school is of the highest standard and that the school’s development plan is being adhered to.  The Committee also looks at the pupil progress data provided by the school in order to check that it is robust and meaningful.  The Committee receives and evaluates reports from school curriculum leaders.

My professional background is in education.  I spent over 36 years as a teacher, Head of  Department and then as a Senior Leader at secondary school level.  I taught GCSE and A Level Physical Education.  I have now retired from full time teaching and have wanted to remain involved in education in some capacity, I thought that I would offer my experience and interest to my local primary school by serving as a Governor.  I have significant experience in the field of education and empathy with those who work in schools.  Having primary school age grandchildren and being involved in their education is also advantageous to my role as a school Governor.

I am a Stoke Mandeville resident and I appreciate the value of the school to the local community.  An important aspect of my role is to support the Headteacher. I also have a responsibility to report to my fellow Governors about English, Physical Education and Skills for Life in the school.  I visit classrooms to observe learning and meet with school leaders to discuss the objectives for the curriculum areas they lead.  I have watched school performances and joined in with school trips.

I enjoy sport and going to the gym.  I spend a lot of time with my grandchildren.  I like to travel both in the UK and abroad.

My name is Richard Edwards.

I wanted to give something back to the community that I have lived in for most of my life.  My daughters both went to SMCS, as did my sister and myself in the past.  My mum was also a Governor at the school some 40 years ago!  I am currently the Chair of the Resources Committee and I have  previously held both Chair and Vice Chair of Governors positions.

My professional background is in Electrical & Electronics Engineering with 25 years account management experience. I am currently heading up the Aerospace sector in the UK for a multi-national manufacturer.  I have a lot of knowledge around Health and Safety, having spent many years in different manufacturing companies. I’m a challenger as part of my current role, giving the ability to be the ‘critical friend’ that we as Governors have to be.  I have the ability to challenge, support and add value where I can.  I am keen to help the local community and am always prepared to listen to what they require.

I enjoy getting out into the countryside, walking our dog, mountain biking and keeping my daughters funded for all their activities.

My name is Valerie Brigden and I am the Local Authority Governor.
My professional background is in Finance and Personnel but I have always been interested in education and I am a Governor because I believe that a strong foundation in education is very important for children. I started as a Governor at the school in 2005 and then became the Local Authority Governor a few years afterwards. For some years I was the Early Years Governor and then the Link Governor for English, but for some time now I have been closely involved with school personnel work being the Chair of the Personnel Committee. Over the years my work has broadened into all aspects of school life and I am a member of the Resources, and Teaching and Learning Committees too. I find it very rewarding belonging to a group of like-minded people who work supporting the school in giving the pupils the education start in life which they need and will look back on with affection.

My name is Jenny Shaw. I am a Parent Governor and have two children at SMCS.
I work as the Head of Marketing for a regional law firm and my role involves many skills that I can offer the school such as strategic planning, communications, events and sponsorships. I have 20 years experience in professional services marketing and previously worked for
several global corporate firms in London.
In addition to Marketing I also studied Psychology at university and have an interest in children’s emotional development and wellbeing. I think being a parent in 2024 comes with a unique set of challenges as we try to guide and prepare our young people for a rapidly changing world.

My name is Steve Griffiths.

Both of my boys who attend SMCS have loved every minute of their time there, so I was keen for the opportunity to get involved and support the community behind the school. I was therefore excited to take up the role of parent governor when a post became vacant.

Professionally, I have a background in business and software development. I have been involved in running a number of children's charities and events over the years, including the popular Lighthouse Holiday Clubs. I have spent a lot of time in both the business and charity sectors implementing technical systems and business processes, often with tight commercial restraints. I hope to be able to use these experiences to contribute to the community at SMCS.

In my time off I enjoy writing and performing music and am an avid runner. As a family, we often enjoy walks around the wonderful Chiltern Hills.

My name is Paul Wheeler.

As a Governor, I sit on the Teaching and Learning Committee and I am the named Governor for Science.  I became a Governor as I have two children at the school, and it gave me the opportunity to understand what happens “behind the scenes” within the school and what is involved to keep the school running and delivering high quality education to the children.

I support the school by sitting on the Governing Board as a Parent Governor and Science Governor.  For this I have meetings with the Subject Leader to gain reassurance in the quality of education being delivered.  I am very inquisitive and enjoy understanding new processes or information. This means I can fulfil the role of a Governor as I will question information and evidence in front of me to give assurance that it is meaningful and effective.  Being a Governor gives me the platform to be able to do this and to know that the school is delivering a high quality of education to the children. 

I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Operating Department Practice at a local university. My background before becoming a lecturer was I worked for nearly 20 years in the operating theatres of the Local NHS Hospital as and Operating Department Practitioner working alongside medical teams to deliver safe care to patients undergoing surgery. My final role for six years before becoming a Lecturer was to manage the Day Surgery unit within the hospital.

My personal interests are varied, and I probably have too many hobbies for the amount of time I have to do them in, but I enjoy being outside with my family and enjoy nature.  

My name is Angela Outerbridge.

I was co-opted onto the board of governors in September 2023 and have been familiarising myself with the role of governor, and with the school during this, my first year.

My background is in healthcare, as a neuro-physiotherapist and I still work part time.

I first lived in the area in my early 20s when I worked at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, It was a much smaller and quieter community in those days.

After living and working overseas in Canada and Bermuda, I returned to live in the village over 25 years ago with my husband and son.

Our son attended Stoke Mandeville Combined School and thoroughly enjoyed his time there. During that time my husband and I felt he was well-supported and that the school provided a happy, nurturing environment which I feel is still the case today.

I consider it a privilege to be given the opportunity to support the school in my role as a governor.

My hobbies include dog walking, reading and attempting to learn Polish (our lovely daughter-in-law is Polish).

My name is Gwen Tong.

I am the Deputy Headteacher at the school. I have previously worked in a number of other schools in the County and also for the Buckinghamshire Learning Trust as a Teaching Excellence Practitioner. I am currently a Specialist Leader in Education (SLE) and support teachers in other schools in the County as part of this role.  I am a member of the Teaching and Learning committee.

As the Deputy Headteacher, I am able to offer a point of view from the teaching staff as well as support the Headteacher in her role. It is interesting and important to be part of a group of people from the local community who are all working together for the good of the children in the school.  I bring an in-depth knowledge of the curriculum and the day to day running of the school to the Governing Board and support the school through teaching, supporting staff, attending functions run by the Friends and liaising with parents.

I have a keen interest in classical music and play the ‘cello in the Aylesbury Symphony Orchestra. I also play the piano and use this as a way to relax. I enjoy reading, including children’s literature and have a group of friends with whom I share and discuss novels.

My name is Eileen Stewart and I am the Headteacher here at Stoke Mandeville Combined School.

My teaching career has meant I have worked as a Leading Primary Maths teacher, with the DfE on the development of testing, been a senior leader in 2 other schools and a deputy head and now Headteacher. I have worked in 4 different local authorities and worked in different sized schools gaining and understanding of the variety of ways schools operate.

As the Headteacher I am automatically a member of the Governing Board. I work with Governors on the strategic direction of the school and provide information to the Board which supports the decision making process.

My role as Headteacher is to turn the strategic vision into the operational processes of each day. I believe in a holistic approach to learning, meaning we prepare children for their next phase of education and help them find the best way to learn. I strongly believe children who are happy will learn, as they are happy to engage with all the opportunities we can provide- and there are so many provided.

The Governing Board support and challenge the strategic view of the school and consider the best options for all children in our school. This strong partnership is a positive way to ensure we have considered the best use of our resources, the best opportunities, the best teaching and provided the best outcomes for all children.

The Governing Board are one of the many strengths of our school, and I feel very proud to lead such a positive team all working together for the benefit of our children.