Governor Profiles

The Governing Board of St. Martin’s consists of the following:

Seven Foundation Governors, who have particular responsibility for upholding the Christian ethos of the school and are appointed by the Diocese of Exeter and Churches Together in Devon.
Two Staff governors, one elected by staff vote and the other the Headteacher.
Two Parent Governors, elected by parental/carer vote.
One Local Authority Governor, appointed by the Governing Body but approved for holding office by members of the Local Authority.

The Governing Board is also able to appoint Associate Members to join Committee on the basis of the specific skills and experience that they can bring to the role.

Amy Hardinge - Acting Headteacher

I am honoured to have been asked to step into the role of Acting Headteacher at St Martin’s – a school where children are truly encouraged to be the best they can be both in terms of their learning and academic outcomes and in their wider personal qualities. I am firmly committed to ensuring that our children leave school with a wide set of skills and knowledge to enable them to succeed in the next stage of their education and beyond. I feel privileged to work with such a talented and committed team of staff, each of whom have the best interests of the children at the heart of what they do day in, day out. Relationships at all levels are really important to me and I do all I can to uphold our school values through each and every interaction I have with children, parents, staff and our wider school community.

Brian Gravenor - Foundation Governor and Chair of Governors

St. Martin’s is the third school that I have been a governor at, but this is the first as a Foundation Governor. At my last school, a small village Church of England Primary School in Hampshire, I served as a governor (including chair of governors twice) for just over 21 years, ending my term there in December 2022 when I moved to Seaton with my wife. We have two grown up daughters. The younger one works as an Audiologist in Exeter and the older one is a secondary school music teacher in London.

My whole schooling as a child was at Church of England Schools and, while I didn’t think so at the time, it changed my outlook on life. I am keen to get involved as much as I can at St Martin’s. I enjoy school trips, including residentials.

After leaving school I went to Southampton University to study Chemistry and Mathematics and left six years later with a Bachelor’s Degree and a Doctorate. I then spent 25 years as a Hampshire Police Officer, two years as a Primary School teacher and more recently worked in the Planning Departments of a number of councils in Hampshire and Dorset.

In my spare time I enjoy walking, travelling, the outdoors, reading and music. I volunteer at Seaton Wetlands with Wild East Devon and hope one day to be a tram driver on the Seaton Tramway.

Gemma Tozer-Howe - Parent Governor

My husband and I moved to Cranbrook in 2013, we have enjoyed watching our town grow from its infancy and love living here. I’ve always been passionate about Education. Having previously qualified as a Primary Teacher, I have worked at an Ofsted Outstanding FE provision for the last 16 years. I specialised in teaching and managing programmes for students with special educational needs and most recently by delivering GCSE Maths part-time. When visiting schools in the area I was attracted to St Martin’s by the wonderful learning environment and caring holistic approach. Now that my daughter has started in reception, I feel well placed to support her and the wider community by assisting St Martin’s in their delivery of a high quality and well-rounded education for all pupils.

Jennifer Elliott - Foundation Governor

I feel privileged to have been appointed as a Foundation Governor at such a welcoming and friendly school as St Martins. I currently (Oct 2021) have a grandson in Reception and am a Church Steward at Sidwell Street Methodist Church, Exeter. My background is in Secondary education and more recently horticulture. I have always loved the outdoors where we can learn from and admire God’s creations, reminding us that we are the custodians of our environment. I enjoy walking, swimming and learning from my grandson. I will try my best to support the school in achieving even more than anyone thought possible.

Vacancy - Staff Governor

Elections will be held in Autumn Term 2023

Rev. Jon Holder - Foundation Governor

I moved to Cranbrook in 2022 to lead Cranbrook Church with my wife and family. I am the Minister for Cranbrook and lead Cranbrook Church, which meets at St Martins Primary School on Sunday mornings. I am ordained within the Church of England. We love Cranbrook and feel it is such a privilege to live and work here and long to see the whole community thrive. Key to a thriving community is flourishing schools. I see it as an important part of my role, as Minister for Cranbrook, to support the work of the school so that every child and all the staff flourishes. One way I am privileged to help work towards this gaol is through my role as a school governor. I have a background in youth and community work, previously working in Hereford and Oxford. I hope my training, skills and expertise will benefit the life of the school and wider community.

Ruth Marsh - Local Authority Governor

I moved to Cranbrook in 2013 with my boyfriend Adam. We were excited to move into our first home together and join the small but rapidly developing community. Since then, we have got married, moved within Cranbrook and had two children. We love where we live, Cranbrook is a wonderful place and the community spirit is truly remarkable. Since becoming a parent of a student at the school I decided that I would like to join the governing board of St Martins as I believe my background in education could be useful. I have been a secondary Science teacher for the past 13 years with a specialism in teaching Biology. I have worked in a variety of educational settings in Devon, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire including Middle Schools, Upper Schools, Secondary and Post 16 education provision. I am extremely passionate about the provision of the highest quality educational opportunities. As a teacher I believe that education makes children’s lives better, it can open doors and ensure they have the opportunity to achieve all that they are capable of and live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives. Continued progression and advancement of the school is vital for the development and strengthening of our Cranbrook community.

Philip Wales - Foundation Governor

I am originally from the north of England. I was born in Cumbria I later lived in the North East in my teens. I came to Exeter over 30 years ago. I am a father of three adult children who were all educated in local schools before they each flew the nest to study and find work. My daughter is a qualified physician associate, one of my sons is an IT developer and the other is involved in the creative arts.

Since I came to Devon I have worked in various roles in the public sector. My professional roles in healthcare and regulation/inspection are, I believe, an asset to the role of governor. Although I do not have a formal background in education, my work in healthcare has involved coaching and training adults. I attended a Church of England primary school and the Christian values I acquired during those early school years soaked deep into my being. I was ordained to the diaconate in 2019 and I now serve as a deacon on a part-time basis. I see the role of governor as being complementary to, and an extension of, my formal ministry within the church.

I have always been passionate about the need to ensure that our children are provided with the very best educational opportunities. I currently serve as a governor in a secondary school elsewhere in the county and I expect that much of what I’ve learned from my work there will be of value at St Martin’s. My relationship with the school began a couple of years ago. In 2021, as part of my ministerial training, I was invited to spend a few days here on placement. That experience really helped me to appreciate how a Christian ethos runs right throughout the school. Seeing how St Martin's is such a positive, encouraging and caring school for all its pupils inspired me to become more actively involved to help ensure that every pupil thrives.

Vacancy - Parent Governor

Elections will be held in Autumn Term 2023 to allow parents/carers of new starters to nominate themselves

Lynette Bickers - Foundation Governor

Profile in process