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Mary Rose Academy


Governors

The membership of the governing body of Mary Rose Academy is determined by the Terms of Reference.

There are three types of governors:

  • Co-opted Governors
  • Parent Governors
  • Staff Governors

Co-opted and Parent Governors are all volunteers who are not paid.  The staff governors are all paid members of staff but do not receive any additional payments in connection with being a governor. 

There is also a Governance Professional who arranges and attends meetings supporting legal and constitutional matters, but cannot vote at any meeting. This is a paid post.

Statutory information about the current governors and resignations can be found in the Governance Documents section below.

Committee Link roles are allocated in areas such as Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Quality of Education, Wellbeing to name a few, for more information about these roles please contact  sat.governance@solentacademiestrust.info

Minutes from meetings of the Academy Committee are available on request.

To contact our Chair of Governors please email: gareth.morgan@solentacademiestrust.info

 

Mary Rose Academy is part of Solent Academies Trust.  to view the Trust's Governance/Financial and Gender Pay Gap Reports please click this button

Statutory Information 

 

Academy Committee 

 

  • Faye Watton-Lawrence
    Executive Principal

    Faye Watton-Lawrence

    A little about myself

    I have been working in special education for the majority of my career, initially in London and now in my home city of Portsmouth. I am currently in my third year working with the Solent Academies Trust, initially at Redwood Park, I then transferred to be Assistant Headteacher at Mary Rose, becoming Head of School in 2020. I completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Autism in Education in 2015, with a focus on innovative strategies for supporting self-regulation in children with Autism. My focus is, and always will be, on supporting our pupils and their families to achieve the happiest, most independent and fulfilling futures possible.

    Hobbies and interests

    I am married and live in Southsea with two young daughters. Having left London for a life by the seaside, I enjoy long walks and days out at the beach with my family. I am a keen baker and love sharing my cooking with family and friends - as well as the staff and children at Mary Rose!

    What excites me about my role

    It is my absolute privilege to work alongside the pupils, families and staff at Mary Rose. What a joy to work in an environment where no day is ever the same and where having fun is central to everything that we do. The team at Mary Rose is a superb example of how hard work, determination, creativity and nurture combine to make something very special. Together they ensure that every child is given the best opportunity to shine possible - no one could ask for more

  • Kate Buckingham
    Head of School

    Kate Buckingham

    Background Information

    Having joined Mary Rose Academy in January this year as Vice-Principal I am very excited to be starting this academic year as Head of School! I have thoroughly enjoyed my two terms at Mary Rose so far, and I am really looking forward to all the new adventures to come. I have spent my entire teaching career working in a special school setting, previously I was at a Special School in Southampton, where I worked for over 15 years having started as a Newly Qualified Teacher.

    It is an absolute privilege and joy to be a part of the journey our young people take and I thrive in celebrating each of those small steps of progress they make.

    Area of Interests

    My particular area of interest throughout my career has been Autism, gaining a Masters in Autism and being part of the first cohort of Advanced Practitioners for Attention Autism in the country. I am also passionate about research, particularly Action Research, and ensuring that we are always at the forefront of new and best practice and I am part of ACORNS, a research network based at the University of Southampton. I have delivered training Nationally and Locally and have had a research paper published in the European Journal of Special Needs Education.

    My big focus when working with any children and young people (and indeed adults!) is building relationships, through fun and creative shared experiences, so I am often seen covered in glitter, shaving foam or food colouring

  • Leone Hill
    Co-Opted Governor

    Leone Hill

    I come from Portsmouth and have always worked in this area. I was vice chair of governors at East Shore School and campaigned for a new special school. I joined the shadow governors for the new school and then the Mary Rose governors.

    It is great to be associated with such a wonderful school where young people can achieve so much.

    I have worked for Jobcentre Plus, part of the DWP, for many years helping people find employment, training and support. I also help employers, large and small, with their recruitment. Our work is largely with people who may find it harder to get back to work because of the various issues, barriers or difficulties they have. This includes people with health conditions and disabilities.

    Supporting young people (18-24) into jobs and apprenticeships is also a priority. Part of my job is to work with all sorts of local organisations in the area including the council, charities and support groups to make sure our clients have the best possible chance of gaining the skills they need to move into work. It is really rewarding when people land a job especially when they have had to overcome lots of barriers achieve their goal.

    Away from work I spend a lot of time in North Wales but haven't yet managed to master the language!

  • Melissa Blignaut
    Staff Govenor

    Melissa Blignaut

    I om excited to become a Staff Governor for Mory Rose Academy. I believe it will provide me with a valuable opportunity to gaining deeper knowledge and understanding of the school and its future development. I am passionate about advocating for marginalized communities, I am eager to be involved as a Governor and contribute to making a positive impact. By sharing my unique perspective as an adult with disabilities, from a different ethnic background than the majority of my colleagues, I hope to provide a different viewpoint and enhance the conversation.

    Hoving previously worked as a SEND TA for 7 years and currently, in my second year of teaching, I am thrilled to be port of the rollout of our enhanced curriculum and bespoke pathways of Mary Rose. I am committed to ensuring that no pupil gets left behind by personalising our approach of assessment and tracking progress. I recognise the importance of the strong relationships thot Solent Academies Trust has built within Portsmouth and value the input of families and their lived experiences.

    I look forward to further developing my leadership skills and contributing to the following areas: advocating for pupils and their families, promoting inclusive language and attitudes towards disabilities and neurodivergence, ensuring representation and equality for all pupils, and providing equal opportunities for pupils to thrive.

  • Arul Tharmarajah
    Parent Governor

    Arul Tharmarajah

    I was born in Sri Lanka. I studied my first degree (BBA) and worked in Sri Lanka and Africa in the IT and Manufacturing sectors. I studied for my MBA in the UK where I worked until becoming a full time carer to my disabled twin daughters who attend Mary Rose Academy.

  • Vicky Cleaver
    Parent Governor

    Vicky Cleaver

    I am a qualified teacher with experience working with foundation and KS1 children, most recently I worked with Portsmouth Football club delivering training programmes to young people classified as, or at risk of becoming NEET (Not in education, employment or training). As a Parent Governor I would like to contribute to the support systems ensuring our children get the most out of their education.

  • Laura Laming
    Co-Opted Governor

    Laura Laming

    I am the founder of The Natal Bean, a community-focused organisation supporting families from conception through the early years, and Postnatal Practitioner Lead for a nursery group providing high-quality early education and childcare across Hampshire. My work centres on creating inclusive environments for children and families, building strong partnerships with health, education, and community organisations, and driving innovation in family and early years support.

    I am passionate about giving every child the best possible start in life. My experience ranges from developing new community programmes to leading strategic projects with NHS partners, local authorities, and national organisations such as the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. Through these roles, I have gained extensive experience in governance, safeguarding, financial planning, and community engagement.

    Outside of work, I priorities my family time; enjoy exploring our surrounding sites, nature and visiting new countries. Fitness is a focus for my family; we enjoy all sports as often as we can. I also have a keen interest in social enterprise and how innovation can be used to strengthen community wellbeing.

    I am excited to contribute as a Governor for Mary Rose Acaemy, supporting its commitment to inclusive education. I hope to use my experience to strengthen community links, and champion opportunities for children with diverse needs. My aim is to make a positive difference by helping share my knowledge and skills, proactively supporting Mary Rose Academy.

  • Alix Nichols
    Staff Governor

    Alix Nichols

    I have been a Teacher for 4 years, and have worked in two SEND schools, during my PGCE I worked in special school for pupils with SEMH and PMLD which has really supported my teaching development. I have a passion for Autism and regulation management, and my entire teaching career has been within a special school setting.

    I have been working with children for many years and specialised in working with SEND settings. I have been a respite carer for a pupil with PMLD, I am a carer at a SEN play scheme and was an outdoor activities instructor supporting SEND pupils before I decided to become a Teacher. I went to university for Psychology, and during my degree I had a placement year in a special school in Australia, this opened my eyes to how I could support pupils to be more independent, environmentally conscious and how to develop the life skills they will need in their further life. I completed my PGCE during lockdown on a specialised SEND course and was able to learn and experience teaching across all areas of SEND.

    I love to travel and use the summer holidays to go backpacking with my partner, we have recently travelled Thailand, Turkey and Greece.. I have a dog and love to go hiking and exploring the countryside. And I love the water, I am a sailing instructor and love any activity in or on the water, especially on those beautiful sunny days in the summer.

    I really enjoy developing the curriculum and contributing to the different pathways. I am passionate about pupil involvement, PSHE and regulation support. I feel I could bring an insight into working across the different sites at school having worked at Compass and the Lantern sites. I hope to be able to bring fresh eyes to the governor's board.

  • Gareth Morgan
    Co-Opted Governor & Chair of Academy Committee

    Gareth Morgan

Governance Documents