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Our Trust of Schools

Meet the Governors

The governing body for Matford Brook Academy will be appointed for September 2023.

If you are interested in governance for our new and exciting all-through school, please contact our Clerk via [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.

  • Ms Catherine Gibaud

    Chair -Co-opted and Safeguarding Link Governor

  • Rachel Higginson

    Co-opted and SEND Link Governor

  • Tony Jordan

    Co-opted and Health and Safety Link Governor

  • Mark Llewellyn

    Parent and Careers Link Governor

  • Carole Pilley

    Co-opted Governor

  • Emily Simpson-Horne

    Ex-officio Governor/Headteacher

  • Vacancy

    Co-opted Governor

  • Theo Zimbler

    Staff Governor

  • Vacancy

    Parent Governor

Ms Catherine Gibaud

Chair -Co-opted and Safeguarding Link Governor

Catherine Gibaud is a Barrister and KC, practising at Gray’s Inn, London and specialising in commercial litigation. Catherine was recently appointed as a part-time Deputy District Judge in Civil and Family law. 

Ms Gibaud has previously been a Governor of a federation of schools in the maintained sector and currently serves as a Governor of Exeter School and City Junior School in London. Married to a barrister, she has three children. The family are based in Devon, near Exeter. 

Rachel Higginson

Co-opted and SEND Link Governor

Rachel Higginson is an education consultant and a keynote speaker and has been in education for 25 years.

She is the Primary Adviser for Uffculme Academy Trust, a collaborator for the education platform Myatt & Co and is the Education Consultant for the children’s publisher, Redan.

Rachel designed the ‘Finding my Voice’ project based in Devon. This supports young people to physically and metaphorically ‘find their voice’.

Rachel works in schools to help facilitate school growth with specialisms in transformative conversation, curriculum design, oracy and personal development.

 

Tony Jordan

Co-opted and Health and Safety Link Governor

I was educated in Devon and have worked mainly in the South West, chiefly in education administration for Local Education Authorities and Children’s Services Authorities. I am employed as a business manager at a secondary school in a coastal town in Devon. After over 35 years involvement in education, my professional career is winding down now but my passion for education is undimmed. In my spare time I enjoy tinkering around with bicycles and sometimes even riding them. I am very excited to be appointed as a school governor to continue my work in education.

Mark Llewellyn

Parent and Careers Link Governor

Mark Llewellyn is a co-opted parent governor at Matford Brook Academy working with the other governors and the leadership team as the new school builds capacity over the next year or so. He will be offering insight and experience around the relationship between individual schools and the Trust in terms of governance, link governor roles and policies and processes.

Mark is currently a parent governor at Isca Academy, where he is Vice Chair of the Local Governing Board and Isca's Link Governor for both Quality of Education and Careers. Professionally, Mark is Professor of English Literature at Cardiff University, which he joined in 2017 having previously worked for 6 years as director of a UK research funding agency. Mark is also a Governor of Plymouth Marjon University. 

Carole Pilley

Co-opted Governor

Carole is Deputy CEO and Skills and Innovation Manager for Exeter Community Initiatives (ECI).

In her role with ECI, Carole currently develops and manages projects working with individuals that range from learning practical skills to using creative skills to support their wellbeing in the broadest sense.  Carole also oversees ECI’s work that supports the development of a vibrant Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector within the City.

Carole has 30 years’ experience of working within the voluntary sector in a variety of roles.

Emily Simpson-Horne

Ex-officio Governor/Headteacher

Vacancy

Co-opted Governor

Theo Zimbler

Staff Governor

I am the Pupil Empowerment Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

My role as staff governor is to ensure that the voice of our passionate team is heard. My role at Matford Brook Academy allows me to communicate with every member of our team, therefore allowing me to hear every member of the Matford Brook Team.

Vacancy

Parent Governor

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