The Local Governing Board
The Governing Board meets termly and is chaired by Mark Wardle. It’s purpose is to monitor key aspects of the school in accordance with the Trust’s strategic plan; safeguarding of pupils & staff, local stakeholder engagement; admissions; exclusions; panels; community relations; standards. Cavendish Education Trust Webpage
Our Governors
Mark Wardle
Chair of Governors
Term of office 1 September 2021-31 August 2025
Mark is an alumni of Cavendish School and is currently Deputy Principal at East Sussex College. Mark has held a range of roles in sixth form, tertiary and general further education colleges since 1999 teaching law, history, politics and business at A level. Mark has held management positions at all levels with responsibility for the quality of education, curriculum planning and development, study programmes and a range of support functions including management information systems. Mark has previous experience in school governance as Chair of Finance of a Secondary school in Cornwall.
Dr Hasan Gilani
Governor
Term of Office 3 December 2019-2 December 2023
Hasan is a Principal lecturer and course leader at Brighton Business School, University of Brighton, with a special interest in education quality, standards and student experience. He has more than 25 years of experience as an academic as well as in the corporate sector. Hasan has worked in the broad area of marketing with national and multinational organisations like Pepsi, Motorola, M&S, Debenhams and British Gas. He has also worked as a consultant for developmental projects in the NGO sector, working jointly with German (GTZ), Dutch (PHMP) and British (DFID) organisations; he has also worked at a senior level in the corporate sector.
Tim Whelan
Parent Governor
Term of office 11 October 2021- 10 October 2025
Tim works in local government, being accountable for significant budgets, multiple teams and the delivery of all statutory services to our Eastbourne community. Tim has served as a primary school governor, and has two children at Cavendish.
Hannah Perry
Governor
Term of Office 17 May 2022-16 May 2026
Hannah is an experienced science teacher of children ages 8-18, as well as being mother to two teenagers. Over a 20 year career, appointments have included Head of Science, Housemistress and Designated Safeguarding Lead. Currently she is enjoying being back in the chemistry lab at Eastbourne College, as well as being an Officer in the Combined Cadet Force, taking sport and supporting the Duke of Edinburgh Award. She has an MA in Education Management and Leadership from King’s College London and PGCE from the University of Cambridge, as well as a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Educators. Having previously been a school governor, she looks forward getting to know the Cavendish community and all this wonderful school has to offer.
Rachael Winterton
Parent Governor
Term of Office 10 November 2021-9 November 2025
Rachael is an experienced teacher in Special Educational Needs and specialises in the Early years. She has taught since 2011 and is now working with ISEND at ESCC. Rachael has triplets at Cavendish and has built her own business supporting parents with babies and toddlers locally. Her passion is to enhance the learning and personal development of all children.
Neil Small
Neil is a former headteacher and currently works in a large Multi Academy Trust.He has more than 25 years of experience of education form teaching locally to Ofsted inspecting. He currently sits on Creative Education for West Sussex and has a passion for creativity in education.He has a child currently in the primary phase of Cavendish.
Alison Buxton
Staff Governor
Alison was born in Yorkshire in 1960. Her family emigrated to Aden in Yemen in 1962, and from there to Italy and Malta, before returning to the UK in 1974.
Alison was a Graphic Designer, working in Advertising in Sweden and London, before moving into publishing and working for Butterworth Scientific in Guildford. She moved to Eastbourne in 2001 with her 4 children, 3 boys and a girl, all of whom attended Cavendish School.
Alison started working at Cavendish School as a Teaching Assistant in 2001 before becoming a Guidance leader in 2011.
Governors who have left the Local Governing Board in the past 12 months
Andrew Jones
Chair of Governors
Safeguarding and Health and Safety lead. Member of the Quality of Education and Leadership and Management Monitoring Groups.
Term of Office 24 September 2018-23 September 2022.
Andrew’s working background, over 40 years, is in finance and general management, firstly HSBC and then Marks & Spencer. Andrew has been a school governor for around 30 years, Chair of Governors for just over 4 years. He took part in the NGA leading governance, Development for Chairs, which accelerated his desire to deliver excellence. Now part of the Cavendish Education Trust, working in partnership with Roselands and Stafford Schools, the aim of the Board is to improve the overall education of all children in the Cavendish community.
Gwen Taylor-Hall
Staff Governor
Resignation as of 13 July 2022
Term of office 28 January 2020-27 January 2024.
Jane is the library manager for Cavendish school and her focus is on engendering a love of independent reading across the school, helping to raise literacy levels and academic attainment through reading.
Jane Earley
Staff Governor
Resignation as of 13 July 2022
Term of office 28 January 2020-27 January 2024.
Jane is the library manager for Cavendish school and her focus is on engendering a love of independent reading across the school, helping to raise literacy levels and academic attainment through reading.
Benicia Hall
Governor
Resignation as of 31.10.22.
Term of Office 17 May 2022-16 May 2026
Benicia is an alumni of Cavendish School. She has a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education from Canterbury Christ Church University, where she carried out doctoral research in Relationships and Sex Education curriculum and acted as a guest speaker within the university. She is passionate about inclusion within education and educational policy, especially LGBT-inclusive education.
Alison Flynn
Vice-Chair of Governors
Member of the Quality of Education and Personal Development Monitoring Groups; Careers Link.
Term of Office 1 September 2021 – 31 August 2022.
Alison works as an independent education consultant, having spent 16 years in leadership roles including executive head and head teacher roles. Her particular interests include growing leaders, EYFS and outdoor learning.
Date of resignation – 20th of July 2022.
Denise Kong
Governor
Term of office 16 January 2021-15 January 2025
Denise has been a school governor since 2010. She works in education and has a background in Mathematics. She is also Chair of the local Board at the Roselands and Stafford Federation, and at King’s Academy Ringmer. Denise is Vice-Chair of the East Sussex Governors’ Forum and is a local support governor for ESCC.
Clerk to the Governors, Rita Skinner, email clerk@cavendish.e-sussex.sch.uk.
Governor Documents
%
of pupils achieved 9-4 in English.
After School programs
%
of pupils achieved 9-4 in Maths.
Years Established
Celebrating Success
The staff and governors of Cavendish wish to congratulate all of our Year 11 pupils for the fantastic GCSE grades they have achieved this year.
Headteacher, Peter Marchant said, "The grades that our pupils have achieved are a reflection of their hard work throughout their time at the school and they can rightly feel proud of what they have achieved through these challenging times."