Local Governing Committee

I have lived in Woking for 18 years together with my family, including two teenage children. I qualified as a solicitor in 2003 specialising in corporate law and lived in London, working for an international law firm for a number of years.

I am passionate about education and what a difference it makes to our children’s development. I believe that great teachers are not only the gateway to learning but also, eventually, to promising future opportunities for children as they grow towards adulthood. With my own children I have seen firsthand what a difference inspiring and committed teachers make. I believe in helping our young people to reach their full potential, including and especially those with challenges. I enjoy using my skill set to help support our schools in providing a first-rate education within our local community. I believe that learning should be fun and rewarding and that our children should feel secure, nurtured and supported in their educational journey.

Having previously served in the role of Safeguarding Governor I have got to know our schools well. As Chair of Governors, I am delighted to continue on as part of a dedicated and experienced team of Staff and Governors and I look forward to welcoming you to The Hermitage Schools.

My name is Gill Carter and I am a retired lecturer. I have three children, now adults, and my daughter and son are both primary school teachers. I worked full-time while bringing up my so I do understand the pressures on family life! I worked as a lecturer in English in Further Education in Coventry and at the University of Warwick. I have also worked as a development officer for National Open College Network, an accreditation agency, where I designed qualifications for large and small training providers. I then worked on a government funded project based at London South Bank University to encourage students on vocational courses to progress to university. After I retired I decided to follow my passion for education and volunteer as a school governor. I believe that every child should have the best that education can offer and I thoroughly enjoy being part of the Hermitage and Oaktree Local Governing Council and watching the school develop its quality and excellence. My particular interest is in the schools’ teaching of English and Literacy and I am impressed with the quality that is delivered to our children. I love the way the children are engaged with their learning and are friendly and confident when I visit the classes. I am also impressed with the Orchard Centre and the work that is done at both schools by the SENCOs. The caring and inclusive behaviour of all the children in both schools is to be commended. My particular role as a Governor is to oversee and be responsible for the teaching of English and The Wider Curriculum. I take pride in being a Governor of your schools and look forward to continuing to support the head teacher and the staff in achieving excellence for the children.

My name is Debbie Kimani and I have been a teacher at The Hermitage School since October 2015. I am the Year 5 team Leader and also the Reading lead. I love working at The Hermitage and want to help to make sure we provide the best education and opportunities that we can for our students.
I live in the Woking area and have 2 secondary school/  college aged children. I have been teaching for over 25 years both locally and internationally, so feel I have a lot of experience to offer the school. I provide a link between the members of staff and the governors, so that we can all work together to help move the school forward.

My name is Robert Clark and I have been a member of the Local Governing Committee since December 2020. I have lived in the area for over 12 years and I have two children both attending The Hermitage School.
I am a lawyer, with 20 years' experience working with clients, large and small, in the public and private sectors. I was inspired by the commitment I saw from the staff, children and parents of The Hermitage Schools to make my own contribution by applying to be a Governor.  
I strongly believe that parents, staff and governors working together can provide a fun, safe and creative environment for children to thrive. I have been so impressed by all the hard work by the school team to adapt to recent challenges and I want to help them in their endeavours.

I have been serving long term as a Community Governor, joining the LGC in November 2019.

I am currently Health & Safety Lead and sit on the Pay Committee.  I am an an ex-pupil of the Hermitage Schools (attended 1979-1987) before moving up to Winston Churchill.  I work in the Legal profession as a Solicitor in the Financial Services industry.

Although I lived in London for many years, I moved back to Surrey in 2015 with my wife and now 11 year old son, Max. I have maintained strong links with the local area over the years and firmly believe that my early schooling provided me with a solid foundation for my future studies and career.

My name is Amy Botha and I am a newly appointed Parent Governor at The Hermitage Schools. In addition to being a Governor, I’m also a parent with a child in The Hermitage Junior School and have previously been the Co-Chair of the school’s Parent Teacher Association. These experiences have allowed me to gain valuable insight into the school’s operations and some of the challenges we, as a school community, face, which has deepened my commitment to making a difference.

I’m an HR Director and with over a decade of experience in human resources. I’ll be using skills that are directly transferable to foster wellbeing amongst both staff and children, ensuring they have the support they need. Creating supportive environments that promote wellbeing for everyone will allow our school community to be happy and healthy which are key to a thriving school.

My professional and personal experiences have taught me the importance of collaboration. I’m dedicated to ensuring that every voice – whether it’s from parents, carers, teachers, or children – is heard and valued. I’m eager to work on initiatives that enhance the children’s educational experience while supporting our amazing teachers and staff at The Hermitage Schools. I look forward to the opportunity to help create a nurturing environment where everyone can thrive.

My name is Mary Martin, and I am a Forest School Leader and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Teaching Assistant at The Hermitage Infant School, in addition to being one of its governors.

Following a career at Sony and James Walkers, I have now worked at The Hermitage Infant School for over two decades and seen it grow and evolve. We pride ourselves on creating a safe, happy, and supportive environment for children of all backgrounds and all abilities.

My husband and I have always lived in the area, and our children were lucky enough to attend both The Hermitage Infant and Hermitage Junior schools

I have seen first-hand — as a teaching assistant, a governor, and as a parent — the high standards both schools hold themselves to and the genuine care every staff member provides.

I am hugely honoured to welcome new children to our school and see the next generation flourish.

My name is Louise Finke, I am married with 2 children that have benefited from the values, education and learning environments of The Hermitage Schools.

As a Director of Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry, I was delighted to be selected as Parent Governor 6 years ago, joining an established SWAN Trust Local Governing Committee (LGC) as the Safeguarding Governor, a role I take great pride in.

I have been an active member of the LGC supporting the cultural evolution of both schools over the last few years. As a Parent Governor to our local school, I support Staff, Parents and Care Providers in ensuring all pupils are learning in an environment that enables true potentials to be reached. I wanted to give something back to my local community, supporting the school we are very fond off achieve the best possible outcomes for every child’s education. The thing I see most often when I visit the school are happy children learning in fun and safe environments, and that is something I am immensely proud to be contributing towards within my role as Safeguarding Governor.

In 1982 my husband and I moved to Woking. I worked for an investment bank until 1987 when we started our family. When our younger daughter went to secondary school I trained with a charity to read with children in a local infant school. The charity eventually pulled out of Woking and around the same time I was invited to become a governor of The Hermitage Infant School where I have worked since 2004. In recent years the infant and junior schools have been working closely together and it has been a pleasure to become better acquainted with The Hermitage Junior School.

I am a ‘hands on’ governor who enjoys coming into school to attend events and work with the children. Twenty years ago I saw volunteering as an opportunity to ‘give back’ but I quickly realised that it works both ways as I have gained so much from working at The Hermitage Schools.