Governors

Kings Heath Primary Academy is governed by an Academy Scrutiny Committee.

Our governors are:

• Sarah Durbin
  Principal
  Sarah Durbin

  Sarah was appointed on to the ASC on 5 May 2017 as a Staff Governor but became Interim Principal on 1 September 2023, and substantive Principal in 2024. She became interested in seeing how the school is run from a wider perspective. She knew it would give her a chance to develop skills she already has and the opportunity to continue to be part of a team whose main focus and purpose is the best outcomes for children. Sarah is a teacher at the academy. She brings her knowledge of education to the committee and her 'on the ground' perspective. She spends a lot of her spare time with her family, especially with her son. Together they like to go out for meals and are avid movie watchers. She loves to read at every opportunity and this could be anything from historical nonfiction, to comics to sci-fi novels; and everything in-between.

• Megan Morris
  Trust Senior Link
  Megan Morris

• Jolen Grantham
  DRET Appointed Governor (Chair)
  Jolen Grantham

  Jolen was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on 4 June 2018. He is an advocate for equal opportunities through education and has worked within the system as a leader for over a decade. Through his work, he has experience in securing outstanding outcomes across primary and secondary schools, especially in areas of socio-economic disadvantage. Jolen began his governance journey in 2016, supporting a local primary school as their designated governor for effective safeguarding. He is currently the Chair in three schools - primary and secondary - and sits on the governing bodies of a further four schools in Northamptonshire. Through his work in governance, Jolen seeks to inspire the continuous drive to ensure every child receives a world-class education which begins in the classroom and is supported by a full-bodied pastoral provision where opportunities are at the heart. He is interested in reading about developments in education, the outdoors and holidaying.

• George Mullan
  DRET Appointed Governor (Vice Chair)
  George Mullan

  George was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on 6 December 2018. After working in education for several years, he wanted to gain a wider understanding of how academies work and the knowledge of why certain decisions have to be made. He also wanted to gain valuable leadership experience. George's experience has mainly been within secondary schools and therefore he wished to learn more about the primary school curriculum. He has since been elected Vice Chair by his fellow governors and has the governor link responsibilities for Safeguarding, Behaviour and Attitudes. He has worked at secondary schools with a high involvement of pastoral care, safeguarding, behaviour management, inclusion, LAC, PP and SEN. George has a wide understanding of education and an excellent knowledge of the external agencies within Northampton. His passions and interests include Baking, Rugby, Cars and House refurbishment.

• Lekan Alli-Balogun
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Lekan Alli-Balogun

  Lekan was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on 3 June 2020 after wanting an opportunity to share insights from industry to help support schools. He also wanted to bring a perspective from an ethnic minority. Lekan is a Program Management IT Consultant. He enjoys playing guitar, Travelling and making an impact.

• Stephanie Holley
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Stephanie Holley

  Steph is serving her second term of office as a DRET Appointed Governor. She originally joined the ASC as a Parent governor in April 2019. Steph is a Further Education Teacher at Northampton College working in the Supported Learning and Foundation Department. Their programmes specialise working with students with Behavioural/SEND and or SEMH needs. Their pathways help young people gain qualifications in Maths, English and Vocational studies from Entry level up to GCSE. Steph has a sound understanding of working with young people with additional needs and has just completed her SENCO qualification. Steph has three children who take up most of her spare time and they enjoy visiting various country parks around Northamptonshire. When she can, Steph enjoys watching live music and travelling.

• Anna Woroniecka
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Anna Woroniecka

  Anna joined the trust in 2020. She is currently an IT & AI Innovation Lead for the Trust, and is a governor at a number of DRET schools.

  She became a governor because of the potential positive impact on the learning, development and wellbeing of pupils and staff within schools. She is particularly passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as attendance and its impacts on education.

  Her experience as a DRET primary senior administrator as well as a primary data analyst, allows her to bring unique perspective and understanding of the academies to the ASC.

  In her free time she enjoys Dungeons and Dragons, video games, cooking and making art.

• Louise Faulkner
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Louise Faulkner

  Louise joined the ASC in May 2024. She chose to volunteer as she is passionate about enabling children from all backgrounds to reach their full potential. Louise attended Kings Heath as a child and has fond memories of her time there.

  For over 38 years Louise has worked in various roles in Local Government and has developed skills that assist her in her Governor role.

  Outside of work, Louise enjoys reading and travelling, often combining the two. Louise enjoys travelling to new places, often staying in the local communities where she can learn and explore the many different local cultures.

• Alice Ireland
  Staff Governor
  Alice Ireland

  Alice joined the ASC in 2022 to gain greater insight into how the school is run and to be a voice in change to support the growth of the school and its provision for the local community.

  Outside of teaching, Alice enjoys spending time with her family, gardening and going to the gym

• James Foster
  Staff Governor
  James Foster

  James joined the ASC to gain greater insight into how the school is run and ot be a voice in change and supporting the school.

  Outside of teaching, James enjoys history and the football team Spurs.

• Bethany Spring
  Parent Governor
  Bethany Spring

  Beth was appointed a Parent Governor on 4 May 2023. She believes that every child should receive an education that they can be proud of and the academy offers that. She is proud that her daughter attends a school where she feels safe and is offered a variety of topics to learn as well as activities outside of the normal school day. Beth works in a secondary school canteen preparing food for the children. She understands the needs of the community and has experience with working with children directly and speaking with them. She is happy to offer ideas and listen to others. Beth and her husband are also an approved adoptive parent and have completed multiple training courses that link to looked after children and safeguarding. Beth attends a local karate lesson once a week, enjoys musical theatre and visiting local attractions.

• Mohamed Touati
  Parent Governor
  Mohamed Touati

  Mohamed was appointed a Parent Governor on 6 June 2023. He became a governor to offer support and guidance where its needed and to give something back to his community. He also wishes to support all pupils in achieving their best possible outcomes. Mohamed is a Communication Officer working for the largest security provider in the UK since 2013. Through his employment experience, Mohamed has excellent communication and problem-solving skills which will benefit the ASC. In his spare time, Mohamed enjoys Sea fishing and Marshall arts.

• Teresa Elkin
  Clerk
  Teresa Elkin

  Teresa Elkin has been clerking academies within the Trust since 2014. As a former Chair of an Outstanding primary school and part of the governance teams at Northamptonshire County Council and the David Ross Education Trust, she decided to become an independent clerk to support governing bodies. Teresa also supports other maintained schools and academies in the county. Teresa's initial career was in advertising and marketing but a move into education, governance in particular ensured that she had a wide range of skills to bring to governing bodies. Teresa is an experienced governor and Chair, a governor trainer and mentor to individual governors and Chairs. Her passions and interests are the Theatre, literature and international travel.

Current Governors 

Former Governors 

Contacting Us

The Governance Officer for Kings Heath Primary Academy is Victoria Linthwaite. Victoria can be reached at governance@dret.co.uk. 

To contact a governor, please contact the Trust Governance Team by emailing governance@dret.co.uk.

If you are looking to contact a Governor to make a complaint or share a concern, please note that as per our Complaints Policy, governors do not investigate complaints at Stage 1 or Stage 2.  This enables them to be impartial should a complaint be escalated to a Stage 3 governor panel. If you wish to make a complaint, please complete this form and your complaint will be investigated accordingly.

Scheme of Delegation

Information about the David Ross Education Trust’s scheme of delegation is available here.

Minutes of the Academy Scrutiny Committee

Should you wish to view a copy of the minutes of the ASC at this academy, please contact the Trust Governance Team (governance@dret.co.uk), who will be able to provide you with an electronic or paper copy of the minutes.

Are you interested in becoming an academy governor?

We are looking for new governors to support our academies. Our governors work closely with their academies to support the Trust’s goal of broadening the horizons of young people through a world-class education, equipping our students with the skills and experiences to become their confident, academic best, no matter what.

If you have an interest in, and commitment to, improving education and would like to make a difference within your community, please register your interest in becoming a governor by completing our governor application form. If you have any questions about a governor’s role or responsibilities please contact us at governance@dret.co.uk or review our information pack below. 

march 2024 governor recruitment booklet.pdf

What is it like being a governor with DRET?

To understand what it is like to be a governor with us, take a look at our testimonial booklet and videos which contain insights from serving governors.

governor testimonial booklet .pdf

 Emma Bennett 

Angela Watts 

Stephen Platten 

Garry Allen 

What training do Governors receive? 

We offer an extensive range of training opportunities. Take a look at what is on offer for the current academic year.