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Athena Learning Trust

Launceston Primary School

Launceston Primary School

Launceston College

Launceston College

Altarnun Primary School

Altarnun Primary School

Egloskerry Primary School

Egloskerry Primary School

Atlantic Academy

Atlantic Academy

Bideford College

Bideford College

Pool Academy

Pool Academy

The Ilfracombe Academy

The Ilfracombe Academy

Camborne Science & International Academy

Camborne Science & International Academy

Local Governing Body

Trust Governance Page 

Primary Cluster Local Governing Body:

 

Carla Barnard - Chair

1st September 2018 - 1st September 2022

Term has been extended to August 31st 2024

Appointed by Trustees

Carla is a ‘Lanson’ local having been brought up in and around Launceston all of her life, including attended Launceston College up to and including taking her A levels. Since leaving school she has enjoyed a varied career, mainly in the housing and finance industries within various customer facing and management roles. Following the birth of her daughter in 2007, Carla changed career path and joined a family firm to work in a part time accounting/office role but progressed, invested in and is now a Company Director of, a successful Materials Handling Company based in Launceston. Carla lives with her family at Yeolmbridge, she has two children that attend Egloskerry Primary School and Launceston College and she is proud to be Chair of the Primary Cluster Local Governing Body for our two existing primaries. Carla has been a Governor since 2017 and she is passionate about ensuring our children receive the best well-rounded, broad and balanced education available.

Kate Mansfield - Community Governor

13th October 2020 - 13th October 2024
Appointed by LGB

Katharine was born and educated up until Degree level in Jersey. She attended Seale Hayne part of the University of Plymouth and completed a BSc Hons in Food Quality with Management including an industry placement year. Katharine worked for 13 years in the Chilled Food Industry where she held management positions covering food safety and systems. She has 13 years of internal audit experience and running of an internal audit system. Katharine has three boys who are in Year 2 and Year 6 at Altarnun Primary and Year 8 at Launceston College.

Christina Medland - Principal of School Altarnun Primary

4th September 2019 - N/A
Ex officio by virtue

Mrs Medland is Head Teacher at Altarnun Primary School. She gained a Bachelor of Education (1st Class with Hons) from the University of St Mark and St John in 2006 and is about to begin a National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH). Prior to her teaching career, Mrs Medland worked as a Personal Assistant for the director of a Launceston based agricultural merchant before moving into the Early Years Sector as manager and playleader, during which time she worked within the Early Years Forum and led the Bude Early Years Forum.

She has worked in Cornwall throughout her teaching career, having experience of both small and large school settings and mixed aged teaching, working across all age ranges. She served on the Senior Leadership Team in a large primary as Mathematics lead and Key Stage 1 coordinator. She also led the Newly Qualified Teacher Programme. She joined Altarnun Primary in 2017 with responsibility for EYFS, KS1 and English Subject Lead and became Senior Teacher in 2020.

With a passion for early reading, Mrs Medland is Phonics Champion for Altarnun Primary and works with the Senior Leadership Team in supporting phonics in reading and writing. She has worked with the local authority in supporting teachers to use English and Mathematics in role play. She is passionate about children’s oracy and is keen to develop greater confidence in speaking and thus raising their understanding of oracy to speak like a specialist in different areas of the curriculum. As well as leading Key Stage 1 English within Altarnun Primary she is also responsible for History across the Primary Athena Trust. She is a member of the Historical Association and Key Stage History Association.

Christine Wakely 

27th June 2022 - 27th June 2026

Appointed by GB/Board

Mrs Wakely has worked in Childcare settings for 26 years. For 13 years she was the Manager of Altarnun Pre-School and was there from the very beginning when they opened in 2005.

Her current role is Forest School Leader at Tiny Tots Nursery, where she runs Forest school sessions throughout the nursery and for their Holiday Club.

She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and love for the great outdoors to the new children starting at the school and for the children who will be part of the school in the future. Making memories and teaching the children new skills are what excites Mrs Wakely the most.

Jenna Branch

27th June 2022 - 27th June 2026

Appointed by Staff

Mrs Branch has worked in childcare for nine years. She began her childcare career with Tiny Tots Nursery leading the Pre-School room and later joined St Catherine’s Nursery where she has benefitted from learning new skills of how the early years team work together as part of a school. Mrs Branch is incredibly passionate about the environment children learn in, and she is keen to pass on her passion for loose part play as well as real life resources.

Emily Hayden 

23rd April 2023 - 23rd April 2027

Appointed by LGB

Emily is a Chartered Building Surveyor who has worked within the property industry in Devon and Cornwall for over 14 years, delivering a range of construction projects from housing to an award winning museum. She has lived locally all her life and started her own surveying business based in Launceston in 2022. Emily is passionate about children receiving an enriching and stimulating education, with a personal passion for reading and encouraging a love of books from an early age. 

Lynsey Slater - Egloskerry Principal and Primary Director

1st January 2024 - N/A

Ex officio by virtue

Born in Devon, Lynsey studied at Royal Holloway, University of London, achieving a first class honours in Environmental Biology. She completed her teaching qualification in 2004, and went on to successfully gain a Masters in Education in 2013.

Lynsey has taught science at a variety of schools within the Trust, holding a range of positions from Head of Year to Deputy Principal at Launceston College and the founding Principal of Atlantic Academy.

Lynsey's vision for our Primary Cluster is to create safe, caring and supportive learning environments that allows children to develop and grow.  

As Nelson Mandela stated, 'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world', Lynsey believes that all pupils should have the opportunities and support to become the best that they can be.

Kate Eyre - Principal of Launceston Primary

1st January 2024 - N/A

Ex officio by virtue

Bio to follow.

To get in touch with the Clerk to the Governing Body, please contact: gfahey@athenalearningtrust.uk  

 

Historic - left within the last 12 months

 

Rachel Davey

25th April 2022 - 25th April 2026

Appointed by Ex-officio

End of term: 20th October 2023

I have been in education for 20 years both in teaching and leadership capacities across both state maintained and independent schools, working in schools in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and now Cornwall.

I have a passion for creative approaches to teaching and learning across the curriculum and in building children's confidence in their own abilities.

In my spare time I enjoy anything historical! as well as going on long cliff top walks.

Emma Kerr- Executive Principal Altarnun, Egloskerry and Launceston Primary School 

23rd September 2019 - 23rd September 2023
Appointed by: Ex-officio

End of Term: 15th December 2023

Mrs Kerr is the Executive Principal at Launceston and Egloskerry Primary schools. She holds the National Practitioner Qualification for Headship (NPQH), has a BSc (Hons) degree in Business and completed her PGCE teacher training at the University of Plymouth's Exmouth campus (Rolle College). Prior to being a teacher she worked in London buying programming for ITV but moved to Cornwall in 2005 to train as a teacher, be closer to family and enjoy being by the sea.

She has taught in a variety of schools, across all age ranges, in both Devon and Cornwall and also in Sydney, Australia. Mrs Kerr is the Prince's Teaching Institute (PTI) South West Hub lead, and Co-Lead Nationally, delivering high-quality and subject specific Professional Development for teaching staff. The South West Hub consists of 21 schools and positively impacts hundreds of staff and thousands of pupils.

A keen petrol-head, Mrs Kerr started the Greenpower Goblin project at Egloskerry in 2008; children design, build and race electric kit cars. She thoroughly enjoys delivering lessons through a cross-curricular topic led approach to learning. Mrs Kerr is now a Trustee of Greenpower Educational Trust. She has a keen interest in polar exploration, especially Shackleton, and has enjoyed sharing this with the children via her 'Antarctica' topic work. She is a member of the Geographic Association Early Years and Primary Phase Committee and regularly writes articles for publication.

Caroline Stanmore - Parent Governor

13th October 2020 - 13th October 2024
Appointed by LGB

End of Term: 8th January 2024

Caroline is a Careers professional with over 20 years’ experience of working with both adults and young people to provide careers advice and guidance to support their journey into work or education. Currently she is an Enterprise Coordinator supporting schools across Plymouth and South Hams to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance and specialises within this role to support Special Educational Needs schools as well as mainstream education settings. In her previous role she managed the National Careers Service contract across Devon and Cornwall and prior to that the Work Programme Contract supporting long term unemployed adults.

Lucy Huckle - Community Governor

13th October 2020 - 13th October 2024
Appointed by LGB

End of Term: 18th January 2024

Lucy is an Early Years Teacher with particular interest in children's social and emotional wellbeing in the Early Years. She has worked in various roles within the Early Years sector for over 15 years at Cornwall Council, the Early Years Alliance, Action for Children and Early Years settings. Lucy is now Director and Early Years Teacher at The Long Garden Early Years Centre situated within the grounds of Launceston College.

Minutes of meeting can be requested by contacting the Trust's Head of Governance and Compliance, Georgina Fahey: gfahey@athenalearningtrust.uk