Oatlands School Governing Body

Our Governing Body provides strategic leadership and accountability in school with a focus on 3 core areas:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff;
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

The Full Governing Body holds its regular meetings once every term.  All Governors are expected to attend.  To read the minutes of these meetings, please see the documents at the bottom of this page.

Meet Our Governors

Cécile Dorvault - Chair of the Governing Body (chair@oatlands.surrey.sch.uk)
Cécile joined the Governing Body in 2011 and became Chair in 2019. She has 4 children who previously attended Oatlands. She has been involved in school governance for the past few years as member of Surrey County Council Children & Education Select committee and as a governor at Cleves school. She brings more than 20 years of business experience at director level in management, marketing and technology.

Keven Bader - Vice Chair
Keven joined the Governing Body as a Co-opted Governor in March 2015 and was elected Vice Chair in March 2019. Keven is keen to give back to the local community and help the school maintain its high standards of teaching and learning through values based education. He has two sons who have both been pupils at Oatlands. Keven runs a professional membership association within the legal sector and supports the school as a member of the Finance Committee, the Pay Committee and the Facilities Committee, the latter of which he is currently the Chair.

Hilary Butler
Hilary joined the Governing Body in September 2020. She is one of the Elmbridge Borough Councillors for the Oatlands and Burwood Park Ward and is the Local Education Authority’s appointed governor. She was previously a governor of a secondary school for ten years. Hilary is a Parliamentary Adviser, an English language teacher and currently Chair of the Personnel Committee.

Kathryn Friend
Kathryn joined the Governing Body in October 2020. She has had one son attend Oatlands and currently has a daughter in Year 2. Kathryn has a background in Learning and Development across a number of private sectors with a special interest in Health and Wellbeing. As a parent of a child with Special Educational Needs (SEN), Kathryn is a passionate advocate of diversity, inclusion and opportunity for all children.

Kate Howells
Kate joined Oatlands as a Co-Opted Governor in July 2019 and has two children who are enjoying life at Oatlands! Kate is very passionate about giving back to the local community and helping Oatlands continue to deliver quality of education throughout. Professionally, Kate has a strong business development background across a number of different sectors including Financial Services, Risk, Media and Events. At Oatlands, Kate strives to bring these qualities to the board and support the school as a member of the Curriculum Committee. Kate is the nominated governor responsible for Safeguarding.

Claire King
Claire joined Oatlands initially as an Associate Member in summer 2022, reporting to the Curriculum Committee and then as a full Governor in autumn 2022. She has one daughter at Oatlands and another due to start in September 2023. Claire has taught in the UK and overseas, with a depth of experience supporting a variety of nationalities. She was appointed Deputy Head for Curriculum whilst working in Oman and is experienced in leading a range of subjects. Claire recognises the importance of values-based learning and supporting children to be enthusiastic learners.

Charles Langley
Charles was elected as a Parent Governor in March 2022. He has 2 daughters at Oatlands and is keen to offer his time and enthusiasm to a school that has nurtured his children so well. Charles is a barrister with over 20 years’ experience. He also sits as a Recorder (part time Circuit Judge). He has considerable committee experience, having sat for the last 10 years on his chambers’ management committee with responsibility for decisions relating to finance, employment, lease negotiations, future business strategy and regulatory matters. He aims to use these skills to strengthen the board and be a worthy representative for other Oatlands’ parents.

Rosanna Leney
Rosanna has been a Secondary School History teacher in comprehensive schools since 2013. She is passionate about education and nurturing a lifelong love of learning in young people. A passion she hopes to utilise in her role as governor at Oatlands. Rosanna has been with the Governing Body since September 2019 and is a member of the Curriculum Committee.

Devina Mistry
Devina joined the Oatlands Governing Body in July 2018. She has one daughter at Oatlands and another soon to be joining. Devina has worked in the field of corporate governance and risk management over the past 17 years across FTSE 100 companies and a leading professional services firm. Devina wishes to apply the skills she has gained in the corporate environment to the personal part of her life that has significantly grown in importance, being the management of education for children.

Carolyn Neale
Carolyn joined the Governing Body in January 2020. She has lived in Weybridge for 15 years and has one son at St Georges Junior School and another at Red Balloon nursery. Carolyn is a Marketing Director with a vast experience in global tech brands as well as sport, and is currently co-founder of a new sports platform, launching in 2022, as well as running her own marketing consultancy.

Hannah Nicholas
Hannah became a staff governor in September 2019. She joined Oatlands in 2015, and is the Year 2 Leader. Having completed an Undergraduate degree in Sports Science, she moved onto completing a MSc in Sports Performance Analysis before completing a PGCE in Primary Education. She is committed to the Oatlands ethos and helping the school thrive.

Sara Nursaw
Sara joined the Governing Body in March 2022 and has 2 children at Oatlands. Sara has a background in operational management and heads a Corporate Responsibility function, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Sara is passionate about inclusion, community engagement and continuous improvement.

Chrissy Prebble
Chrissy joined the governing body in 2018 as a co-opted governor. All three of her children previously attended and loved Oatlands school. Chrissy worked as a primary school teacher in London for 8 years before moving to Surrey to work as a consultant in primary Maths and English. She is passionate about education, helping children to develop a love of learning and the excellent values-based education that Oatlands offers. Chrissy is currently chair of the curriculum committee.

Alison Skeffington
Alison joined the Governing Body in November 2011 as a parent governor and subsequently a co-opted governor. Alison became an associate member in November 2019. She has three children, who previously attended Oatlands. Alison is a qualified solicitor and teaches Law on the postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

James Tilly
Educated in Weybridge, James joined the Governing Board at Oatlands in 2001, the same year he became Deputy Head of a local preparatory school. Three Headships later, James remains passionate about supporting the delivery of education at Oatlands. He currently sits on the Curriculum Committee and looks forward to his termly monitoring visits when he can observe the children’s enthusiastic learning in their classrooms.

Moya Tytherleigh
Moya became Clerk to the Governing Body in May 2017. She has two daughters, one at secondary school and one at 6th form college. Moya has over 30 years of admin experience and provides advice to the Governing Body on governance, constitutional and procedural matters as well as helping support and organise the governors with their busy timetable. Moya also supports the administration of partnership working and is Clerk to the Trustees of Cleves School.