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Our Governors

Chair of Governors - Mr David Knox

As Chair of Governors of our wonderful school I hope to be able to work with our entire community to help to deliver our mission to live life in all its fullness according to our core values of care and compassion, learning together and forgiveness. I live locally and have a family of three children and three dogs, all of whom love running around and chasing balls! I have worked for most of my life in financial services and am also involved with an exciting youth charity in the South East. I am always happy to be contacted for whatever reason so please do get in touch.

Vice Chair of Governors - Mr Jonathan Harley

I have lived in St Mary's Platt since 2011 with my wife Heather. We have three children, all of whom are pupils at Platt Primary School.

I am a qualified chartered surveyor with 20 years of experience working in commercial and residential real estate. I have spent the last 14 years working in strategic asset management and property management, on both the advisory and client side.

Outside of work and family, I am a keen runner and cyclist.

I am the Vice Chair of Governors and I also have monitoring responsibility for Early Years, Health and Safety, and GDPR.

Reverend Lorraine Turner

I have a keen interest in education following on from ten years as a science teacher in West London secondary schools. As the vicar of St. Mary's, Platt it is a delight to engage with primary education in the parish.
I see my role as a school governor as one where I can draw on my previous professional skills as well as my commitment to seeing church schools thrive. I hope to be able to offer a lively christian perspective and pastoral support.

Clerk to the Governors - Mrs Karen Proctor

To Contact the Governors please email:
Karen.Proctor at Platt.kent.sch.uk
replace at with @

Mrs Sandra Brown

I am pleased to have been a School Governor since July 2019.

I have a background in education both in the classroom and through the local authority from which I retired. I have lived in the village since 2009. My hobbies include gardening, bridge playing, reading New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew. I am also regularly on grandparent duties!

My current governor roles include monitoring the quality of teaching and learning which helps to ensure that every child is enabled to reach their potential. I am a SEND governor, ensuring that our SEND pupils receive the support they require for their learning. In addition, I also monitor Pupil Premium funding to ensure the school uses the funding to enable more children to succeed. Any additional funding the school currently receives such as the PE and Sports Grant and the Recovery funding is part of my monitoring role. These additional funding streams enable our children to receive extra learning support and provide them with opportunities for more structured outdoor sporting activities. I monitor how the school can best serve our pupils by providing them with opportunities to develop their life skills in a variety of settings, preparing them for life ahead. I regularly check the school’s website to confirm that it meets its statutory duties.

I look forward to meeting you and to continue to serve your school as a Governor.

I am pleased to have been a School Governor since July 2019.

Mr Alan Atkin-Park

My wife and I moved to St Mary’s Platt in 2018, and we, along with our two young children (and Bella the dog!), have been excited to watch the new school grow in its new location. We were keen to make a contribution to the village, so I was delighted to have been appointed as a Foundation Governor.

I work at the Thames Barrier in London, and hope I can bring some environmental and health and safety benefits to the governor group.

Mr James Cooper

I am excited to take up a position as a Foundation Governor for this brilliant local school. My wife and I live in St Mary's Platt with our young son and 2 dogs and love the local community.
I am hoping to bring my expertise from working in financial services and understanding of risk management, statistics and communication as a member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries to help to improve the futures of all of our local children.

Outside of work I am a keen sportsman, dog walker and family man.

Mr Matthew Palin

I am Matt and I'm a parent governor at Platt school with two children, one who is at Platt school and one who joins later this year so I have a vested interest in the success of the school. Platt is a wonderful school and I am delighted to be a governor.

I am a qualified chartered accountant working for Hovis. I love playing football in my spare time and spending time with my family.

Mrs Fiona Newton

My husband, Ben, and I moved to St Mary's Platt, from Sevenoaks, in 2017. I am recently retired from teaching but I am delighted to still be involved in education through my role as a governor. I taught in a Catholic school for over 17 years as a class teacher and as a member of the leadership team. I have a keen interest in the teaching of maths and how schools can support parents in the development of a child's faith.

As a governor I am involved with safeguarding and monitoring the curriculum.

Mrs Natalie Sultana

I was appointed as foundation governor in April 2022 having decided I wanted to serve the local community. I have been living in Platt since 2016 and have two grown up children. I have a background in medicine and am now retired. I am grateful for the opportunity to play my part in ensuring the children at our school are safe, happy and receive the best educational experience possible.

My governing roles are in well-being and ensuring the school’s Christian vision is promoted at all levels.

Miss Jackie Lane

Mr Torquil Macrae - Staff Governor

Mrs Katy James

I moved to Platt with my husband and two young children in September 2022 and was appointed a governor for the school in September 2023. I wanted to become a governor to help serve the community in which we live. Our eldest has also just started at Platt in Reception so it is fantastic to be able to be involved with the school.

I have an undergraduate degree in History from UCL and graduated with a PGCE from the Institute of Education in 2011. I have worked in secondary schools for the last 12 years, both as a classroom teacher and a middle manager.

As a governor I am involved in the provisions for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, pupils who qualify for pupil premium and looked after children.

Mrs Julie Dunford

Following graduating with a BA in French and Management Studies, I achieved QTS through a PGCE in primary and secondary teaching in 2003. I taught in a Kent secondary school from 2004-2014, leading the Modern Foreign Languages Department for the majority of the time. I was appointed as a Specialist Leader of Education, delivering training to schools nationally, supporting teachers to become “Outstanding” and supporting Heads of MFL in increasing uptake at KS4. I completed an MA in Educational Leadership in 2013 and was nominated for a Pearson Teaching Award.

In 2014 I set up my own childcare business and re-trained in the EYFS so that I could be with my own children. My setting grew and I ran a small home from home nursery for six years, graded as “Outstanding” by Ofsted in all four areas.

One of my childcare clients was equally as passionate about education and together we set up our own Independent Primary School (The Family Learning School) in 2019, offering children three days per week of classroom learning, one day per week of Forest School and the fifth day as an offsite “Adventure Day.” I led the school through four successful Ofsted inspections in this time, including a pre-registration inspection and two Material Change inspections, consistently meeting all of the Independent School Standards.

I'm proud to still be the Director of this small, nurturing, now “Flexi” school and in 2023 I also set up Sevenoaks Learning Hub in Platt, offering flexible educational and creative sessions for home educated children, many of whom are neurodivergent and cannot access mainstream schooling.

I moved to St Mary Platt in 2021 and began supporting St Mary the Virgin Church by delivering their children's sessions, "Splatt!" I was delighted to join the Governing Body at Platt Primary School in 2024 and to have the opportunity to use my passion and experience in education to support all stakeholders in the school's development, whilst learning a lot myself along the way.

According to the Instrument of Governance Platt CE Primary School's Governing Body consists of 14 governors:

(a) 2 Parent Governors;
(b) 1 Local Authority Governor;
(c) 1 Staff Governor;
(d) 1 Headteacher;
(e) 1 Co-opted Governor;
(f) 7 Foundation Governors;
(g) 1 Ex-Officio;

The following are the Foundation Bodies, and if applicable, persons entitled to appoint Foundation Governors and the appointments are to be made on the following basis:
Three appointed by the Rochester Diocesan Board of Education.
Three appointed by the St Mary’s Platt Parochial Church Council.
One appointed by The Bishop of Rochester.

The holder of the following office shall be a Foundation Governor Ex-Officio:
The Principal Officiating Minister of the Parish of St Mary, Platt.

Platt CE Primary School operates a circle model of governance (no committees).
The 3 core functions of the Governing Body are explained in the Governance Handbook as:

Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff
Overseeing financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent