Governors

We are very grateful for the support of our Governors. Please read below to find out who they are:

Mandy Grayson - Headteacher

I joined the school in January 2015 and as part of my role as Headteacher I became a member of the Governing Body. Previously I have served on three other Governing bodies in my capacity as a senior leader in other schools across the county.

I have been in the teaching profession for over 20 years having completed both my degree and post graduate qualification later in life. My degree is in Creative Studies and English Literature both of which are still passions of mine.



Before teaching I ran my own business offering music and movement sessions to young children and their parents or carers. Setting this up reignited my passion to become a teacher and so I returned to night school to gain my qualifications.



I have two grown up children who have both now flown the nest. My daughter is in education working with vulnerable young children and my son in a performer on the stage in the West End. In addition, I have been a foster carer, caring for several boys in my time.



On deciding to become a Headteacher I looked for a school which had a diverse community working together for the good of the children and their families. I think that I have found this at Padnell. For me education is not only about academic success but also about 'GROWing' individuals and their families, building on an ethos which embraces citizenship, social skills, personal confidence and resilience. I hope that through my leadership and in partnership with the Governors we can achieve the very best of outcomes all round for the community of our school.

      Lindsay Garland - Chair of Governors

Melanie Tracey– Acting Chair of Governors                                                                                (Co-Opted Governor)

I moved to Waterlooville in 2011 with my husband and two gorgeous children Abigail and Olivia-Grace. Our family has since grown with the birth of our beautiful son Liam. All of my children have had the pleasure of attending Padnell Infant School, with Liam starting the journey in September 2017. I have loved seeing the School grow and improve and I am keen to support that growth in my role as Governor.

I am a Financial Adviser focusing on Mortgages and Protection in my day to day role. I am self-employed and highly driven which I feel is one of the best attributes to bring to the Board of Governors.

I am looking forward to seeing how I can support the great team Padnell are fortunate to have and also see how we can push forward to even greater heights. 

                                        Matthew Barnes – Parent Governor

                                                 

I live in Waterlooville, and have 3 young children which will fill Padnell's pipeline for the foreseeable future! I am very passionate about Portsmouth FC and horse racing and can be often found at either Fratton Park or Goodwood. 

I have a strong desire to be part of Padnell's governors board, helping to make decisions to help with the current and future children that pass through the school and am very excited to help in any way I can.                                                                    

 Pip Inche - Staff Governor

Steve Jones – Local Authority Governor

I have lived in Waterlooville for 20 years and been a governor at the school for over 10 years, firstly as a parent governor while my 2 children were at the school and more recently as a Local Authority governor. My children were both very happy at the school, moving on to Padnell Juniors and then The Cowplain School.

I have worked in a variety of roles such as project management in the pensions industry for virtually my entire career, and this experience has proved invaluable in my role as a governor, and being chair of the Resources Committee.                                  

Christopher Longden-Thurgood

I’m Chris and I have lived in Waterlooville all of my life. I was a former pupil at Padnell Infant School and have a nephew that now attends with niece soon to follow.

I work as Lettings Manager and have been in my industry for around 7 years. My favourite thing to do is holiday, I have been to some amazing places in the world and would love to travel and see more.

                                                    Helen Martin – Co Opted Governor   

I have lived in Cowplain for over 30 years; my 2 children who both attended Padnell Infant School over 20 years ago. I support the Governors at Padnell by using my background knowledge of Finance and Administration and put my educational experience to good use whenever I can.

Serving on both the Curriculum and Resources Committees enables me to learn how the school develops its resources strategically to provide high quality and enjoyable learning experiences for all pupils. As I personally enjoy spending time outdoors, I have been particularly interested in the development of the school’s outside learning provisions within the school grounds. Being a School Governor is a worthwhile experience and I have been truly inspired by the energy and commitment of the Headteacher and all the staff. I look forward to continue helping the school achieve its vision of becoming an outstanding school.

Kate Mew – Co Opted Governor

My name is Kate Mew and I am a Co- Opted Governor. I have a long association with Padnell Infants which began when my children attended the school and continued when I became a teacher here for nearly 20 years until my retirement in 2019. I am grateful that as a Governor I am still involved with the school and I hope that I have the skills and experience to support the Headteacher and the school community to ensure the best outcomes for all of our pupils here at Padnell. 



I believe every child deserves the best from their school and are entitled to a safe, engaging environment which fosters a love of learning whilst enabling each child to reach their full potential and grow into happy, confident, caring citizens. 

Roger Osborne- Co-Opted Governor

My association with Padnell Infant School began in the 1980’s when my two children attended the School and I have maintained that association in a variety of forms for many years. Consequently I was pleased to become a Governor and then Chair of Governors before I stepped down earlier this year.  I am also a Governor of Padnell Junior as we all believe that the two schools working together is beneficial to the children.   

I began teaching, from which I am now retired, in 1970 as a teacher of Physical Education. In January 1975 I became Head of PE at Cowplain Community School where I worked for the next 38 years. Surprised they put up with me for so long! Throughout this time I had connections with the Padnell Schools which has continued since I moved to Oaklands Catholic School three years ago.   I am a sports fanatic with football being my main passion.  Despite my avid interest, I’m now only able to spectate and advise the players what they are doing wrong - they never seem to listen!  Being Portsmouth born and bred I still continue to be a Portsmouth Football Club season ticket holder. I have not yet had any therapy for this ailment so I manage to balance watching Portsmouth play with frequent visits to the Emirates football stadium.  

I should like to thank all pupils, parents and friends for their immeasurable support given to Padnell Infant School as it continues its development. 

 Jenny Tyler - Co-Opted Governor  

I have lived in Waterlooville since 2013 and am lucky enough to be Mummy to two small boys, the eldest of whom is a pupil at Padnell Infants.

I work as a hospital doctor and so have experience of governance throughout my career and am familiar with how it can help to bring about positive change. I enjoy a challenge and the satisfaction of a job well done and am looking forwards to giving my all in my role as a governor.

Outside of work, I am a busy and active person and enjoy spending lots of time with my friends and close-knit extended family.



My hobbies include fitness (I regularly train for and run obstacle courses), reading and sewing.

  Caroline Wyatt - Co Opted Governor  (Safeguarding)

I have lived in the Portsmouth area for over 20 years.  After completing my degree at the University of Portsmouth, I stayed in the area, having met my husband whilst studying. We now have 2 primary school aged children. As a family we love living by the coast and we enjoy living in a place where there is always something to ‘see’ or ‘do’. We enjoy walks, bike rides and generally spending time together outdoors.

In terms of my work experience, while I have not had any direct school experience, I have worked as a civil servant for over 16 years and I personally feel very committed to ‘helping make a change’ in my community. I work in community protection and rehabilitation and have had experience working in a therapeutic community. I feel very committed to helping create 'safer communities' and feel passionate about helping to support ‘positive change’ in my community.

With this being said I am keen to learn more about the education system.  I hope to use my knowledge and experience to provide an outside perspective to help and support Padnell Infant School in their journey, and with their visions and aspirations, as they continue to help every child at Padnell to 'GROW'.  

                     Paula Young – Associate Member (Assistant Headteacher)   

I joined the school in September 2019 after taking on the role of Assistant Head teacher. The GROW ethos and the strong sense of community at Padnell Infant school are two of the many features that attracted me to the school. Since then I have been an associate member of the schools Governing Body.

I have been in the teaching profession for 15 years, during which time I have worked in Infant, Junior and Primary schools in several different local authorities included South London, Portsmouth and Hampshire. I have been a member of two senior leadership teams previous to this post and have lead several different subjects across the curriculum. I strongly believe in the importance of ensuring all children have access to a great education and the right to a childhood.

Before teaching, I was fortunate to take part in charity work abroad and completed several travelling trips. I enjoyed getting off the tourist track as much as possible, experiencing the different cultures and traditions associated with each place I visited.

I now have two young children, who take up most of my spare time when I am not teaching.

Emma Neal – Clerk

I have been a local authority clerk since 2014 and am currently attached to two schools: a local Federation and Padnell Infant School. My role is to provide administrative support and advice to the governing body on governance, constitutional and procedural matters. I have completed the Clerks' Development Programme and gained my Clerks' Accreditation with Merit. I also attend the biannual Clerks' Support Meetings run by Hampshire Governor Services and participate in whole governing body training.

Attendance 2021/22

Please contact the School Office for Minutes of Governor meeting.