01494 562 813
office@nap-walt.bucks.sch.uk
Naphill and Walters Ash School
Message from the Chair of Governors
A school should be an aspirational place. Welcome to Naphill and Walters Ash School. We are ambitious for every child. We value all our children and encourage them to believe in themselves and reach their full potential.
I and the rest of the Governing Body, work closely with the Head Teacher and all the staff to set high standards and expectations in teaching, learning and extracurricular activities for all our children and the highest standard of behaviour across the school.
Partnerships are vital to achieving that ambition and this is where as parents and carers you can help your child. Continued feedback from the Head Teacher, staff and from other Governing Bodies is that reading at home is absolutely vital to children’s education.
It may appear mundane, but time spent with your child reading or doing homework is never wasted. Reading is a cornerstone of education. From reading comes comprehension, not just in English, but in ALL subjects taught across the curriculum. Spend 10 to 20 minutes each day reading to or with your child, checking their understanding of what they read, and encouraging them to explore subjects more deeply.
As well as reading, helping them learn spelling and times tables will have a positive impact that will help them make steps towards their aspirations.
My ambition is that your child leaves Naphill having achieved the very best that they are able to and having enjoyed every day they are here.
Kind regards
Paul Riglar
Role of the Governing Body
Structure of the Governing Body
There are 14 governors; the Head teacher, 1 staff governor, 1 local authority governor, 4 parent governors and 7 co-opted governors.
There are two committees that meet once a term:
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Paul Riglar – Chair and member of the Finance and Resources Committee
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Paul Riglar was elected a parent governor in October 2012. He was last appointed as a co-opted governor for a 4 year term on 1 September 2024. He became chair of the Finance and Resources committee in May 2014 and is currently Chair of Governors. Both of his children went to Naphill School. He lives locally and is the school’s representative and a trustee of the Naphill Village Hall and Playing Fields Council. He has no governance roles in other educational institutions or any material interests arising from relationships between other governors and/or the school.
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Martin Burch – Co-opted Governor and Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee
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Martin Burch was elected as a co-opted governor in February 2017 and re-elected for a further term until 2025. He currently serves as chair of the Finance and Resources Committee. He moved to Naphill in 2007 when his company relocated to High Wycombe. He has three adult children, none of which attended the school. Martin retired in 2016 after a 40-year career in international marketing and business management and has several years previous experience in governance for an employer pension scheme. He now spends a lot of time playing golf and enjoying his grandchildren. If you don’t see him at the school you might run into him on one of his regular walks around the village. He holds no governance roles in other educational institutions or any material interests arising from relationships with other governors and/or the school. |
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Dani Bowman – Co-opted Governor and member of the Teaching and Learning Committee
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Dani Bowman is a co-opted governor and sits on the Teaching & Learning committee, she also is the designated governor for Child Protection/Safeguarding, Early Years, SEN, Pupil Premium and Pay review and liaises between the school and the RAF. Dani has been involved with the school since 2009 when she and her daughter moved to Walter’s Ash as the RAF High Wycombe Community Development Officer. She has four children and has been a foster carer, she travelled around with the army, her sons attended a total of 19 schools during this time so she is very aware of the military lifestyle and the positives and negatives this can bring. Dani is a qualified youth worker and has a second degree in play work and has sat on governing boards at several schools while moving around. When not at work Dani enjoys live music, festivals, camping, reading and spending time with her family |
| Shelley Bowyer – Co-opted Governor |
Shelley Bowyer is a co-opted School governor who was elected in October 2018 and is a member of the Finance and Resources Committee. She and her family live locally in Walters Ash, and her son currently attends the school, which he loves and enthusiastically tells his friends that his mum talks to Miss Gwynn in her governor capacity. Shelley is an Applications Team manager at Buckinghamshire Council, working in IT dealing with contract and supplier management. She has extensive experience in Adults and Children’s Social care and working knowledge of SEN and Admissions. In her free time Shelley enjoys reading and crafting, although the latter does not always go to plan! |
| Jennifer Kate Mitchell – Co-opted Governor |
Jennifer was elected as a Co-opted Governor on a 4 year term in June 2021. She immediately assumed the role of Community Governor. In 2022 Jennifer was appointed Development Governor and in 2023 Science Governor and Website Governor. Jennifer is a member of the Finance and Resources committee and has no governance roles in other educational institutions or any material interests arising from relationship with other Governors and/or the school. Jennifer was born in South Wales. She has a BA (Hons) in Business Studies and a BSc (Hons) in Human Resource Management. Jennifer joined the RAF as an airman and trained as a Dental Nurse, later achieving a Commission as a Personnel Officer. She recently retired from the RAF after 22 years service and is now a Contracts Officer in the Civil Service. Jennifer is married to a Civil Servant and lives in Walter’s Ash. She has 2 children who are pupils at NAWAS. |
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Josh Bradshaw – Staff Governor
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Josh Bradshaw has been teaching for ten years across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. He first came to Naphill and Walters Ash School as a pupil in Year R. He returned to do some work placement before embarking on teacher training. As a teacher at Naphill he has worked in Key Stage One for the last 7 years. As a child Josh frequently moved schools with his RAF family and has therefore developed good empathy with the transient life of a forces schoolchild. Josh enjoys teaching every aspect of a broad and enriching curriculum and finds it incredibly rewarding when the children can link their learning. Outside of school, Josh spends much of his time walking his dogs in the local areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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Lucy Llewellyn – Parent Governor
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Lucy Llewellyn was elected as a Parent Governor in October 2023.She works for the University of Oxford in Donor Relations. She has previous experience in the third and charity sectors. Lucy has experience with safeguarding, charity law and has delivered numerous projects with varying stakeholders.
She lives in Walter’s Ash with her husband who is a current serving member of the RAF and two girls who attend NAWAS. In her spare time she enjoys the theatre, reading, cooking and long country walks.
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Sarah Elliott – Parent Governor
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Sarah and her husband Nick live in Naphill with their two children who both previously attended Naphill and Walters Ash School.
Sarah has experience in working with and supporting vulnerable children and families and children and young people with SEN. Sarah has extensive knowledge and 10 years’ experience of practice in safeguarding legislation, policy and procedure.
At the weekends, Sarah can be found running between muddy football pitches and loud dance classes as part of the children’s taxi service, fan club and entourage!
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Nicola Gazzard – Parent Governor
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Nicola was elected as a Parent Governor in July 2022. With a BA(Hons) degree in Sociology, she has 20 years IT experience and a vested personal interest in safety online for children and young people. She believes that a solid technology education is paramount to keeping children safe, secure, happy and confident in the online world. Her career in private sector IT has delivered for the Government and the NHS and more recently International Rail, including the last decade on the Senior Leadership Team at Eurostar. She is also a qualified Executive Coach and during the pandemic she delivered remote pro-bono Coaching for Headteachers. She has also worked abroad volunteering in Mozambique, teaching English to both children and adults. Nicola lives in Naphill with her husband and two children – both of whom are at NAWAS. Outside of work she enjoys Travel, Art, Music, Reading and Theatre. |
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Vacancy – Parent Governor
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Fiona Oaklands – Co-Opted Governor
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Fiona Oaklands was elected as a co-opted governor for a 4 year term in June 2023 and became a member of the Finance and Resource Committee in October 2023. Fiona works locally to the school, for MOD Commercial in a senior leadership role. She has been a civil servant for over 17 years, working in a number of central government departments across the Commercial profession (including roles in Procurement, Contract Management, Supplier Relationship Management, Assurance etc.) across different market/supply chain sectors. She has no governance roles in other educational institutions or any material interests arising from relationships with other Governors and or the school. Fiona lives in Surrey and travels regularly to Walters Ash to meet with her team and colleagues in Air Command. When not working she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, walking her dog, travelling, and listening to live music whenever possible. |
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Kim Ackroyd |
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