Governors

Cat Heygate: I’m Cat and I’m Vice Chair of Governors at Bealings. I’m also a parent of two, in y2 and y5 and I can sometimes be found helping in the school kitchen. Being a governor gives me a meaningful role in the life of the school and a chance to work alongside the headteacher on the strategy and ethos. I have been a Governor since 2021 and it is a privilege and a huge responsibility to be part of the transition of the school from the inimitable Duncan and Kelly, who, having worked tirelessly on the project of creating an alternative within the system, left in 2023. I have had many conversations about education over the last few years with the community and see them as a rich resource to draw on as we guide the school through this chapter. The community staff, parents, grandparents and carers are very special here at Bealings and they are an enormous part of why I volunteer.

Claire Miller: My name is Claire Miller and I’m a parent of two children at the school, in Year 2 and Year 4, and I have been a local resident for over 15 years. During that time I have contributed to the community in voluntary roles: I founded the Suffolk Home Birth education and support organisation, ran the Ipswich branch of the Suffolk Cloth Nappy Library, and as Chair of Ipswich Hockey Club. I have a keen interest in supporting the school culture, deepening the Mantle of the Expert pedagogy, and upholding the aims and values of Bealings School. I am a Mechanical Engineer by training and have always lived by the Bealings’ ethos that we create to understand. I now work at the intersection of the decarbonisation of transport and energy. The skill of continuous and enthusiastic learning throughout our lives has never been more important for our children to develop, preparing them to tackle the existential threat of climate change and adaption with pragmatism, creativity, and hope. There is no better school to support that than Bealings and I’m honoured to serve as a Governor. 

Helen Clarkson-Fieldsend: I’m Helen and I’m Chair of Governors at Bealings. I have lived in the village for several years and love hearing the squeals of joy that emanate from the playground. Learning by creating means that the children have incredible confidence, are eager to participate, constantly challenge themselves, empathise with others, and develop skills that will last their whole lifetimes. After spending 28 years in marketing and advertising for global pharmaceutical clients working in New York, London and Milan, I settled in Suffolk and now spend my time doing what I can for the community.

In addition to serving as the Deputy Chairperson of Home-Start in Suffolk and working in a local church development project for the part 7 years, I became a Bealings school governor in 2022. I am a member of the Education Committee. It is a privilege to serve a school where curiosity is cultivated in such a creative, innovate, collaborative and respectful manner. 

John Harrod: I've spent 12 years teaching in secondary schools across Norfolk and Suffolk and am currently a Head of Computing at a local school. I am the nominated Safeguarding Governor and I feel my experiences in education enhance my ability to work with all stakeholders at our school  to ensure it remains a safe, creative and exciting place to learn. 

I visit the school on a regular basis to look at safer recruitment, site safety and safeguarding practices within school - including within the curriculum. This is a really important part of governors' work and is of paramount importance for us on the board. 

Hailey Smith: Hi, I’m Hailey, Parent Governor.

I currently have two children at the school, one in Key Stage 1 and one in Key Stage 2. My eldest son has just started his learning journey at High School, having just finished his 7 wonderful years at Bealings.

I have lived in Playford for 10 years and used to run the parent and toddler group in the village and have enjoyed watching the transition of many of your children throughout their learning adventure. 

I now find myself in the fortunate position of being an advocate for supporting the school’s ethos and values and to ensure the continued success of raising happy and friendly children. 

Claire Robinson: I first heard of Bealings School in 2011 when we were looking for a school for our then 4 year old; once we visited we knew this was the school and so began a desperate search for our new home in the village. I then became a teacher here in 2018, and have been a staff governor this past year. I love working in Early Years, and have worked in many Reception and Nursery classes, as well as a Local Authority Early Years Consultant, and enjoy putting all the gathered good ideas into practice. 

One of the things I really value about Bealings is the wonder and awe at everything we are learning, and how the adults facilitate the learning with the children. For me this is very important.