Meet the Governors

 

My name is Robert Court. I am Vice-chair of the governing body having been a governor since 2017. I am a foundation governor, nominated by Eyam Church. My wife and I live in Foolow. Until I retired, I was Head Master of Birkdale School in Sheffield, having previously taught in London. My main subject is physics, although I also taught some Maths and general studies. I stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Derbyshire Dales in the 2019 General Election and will be the candidate at the next  General Election too.

 

My name is Ruth Nuttall, I am a local authority governor and I joined the governing body in November 2021.  I grew up in Eyam and am a former pupil of the school myself. I have two children, one of which is in Hedgehogs.  I work as a curriculum leader in further education at Buxton and Leek College with over 20 years FE teaching experience. 

 

 

 

My name is Rosalind Buckingham. I live in Eyam and my four children all went to Eyam school.  I was asked to become a governor several years ago to help with the school finances and, with others, I have been endeavouring to keep the school finances in a healthy state since. 

 

 

 

 

Hello, my name is Kay Mason. I’m currently an associate governor, over the years, I’ve also been a staff and co-opted governor. I live in the village and have worked here at school, in the office, since June 1993. I attended Eyam School, as did my mum, grandma, my children and grandchildren. When I’m not working I enjoy being a hands-on grandma, cooking and gardening. 

 

 

 Hi, I’m Pippa Lord, I’m a parent governor. I moved to Eyam in 2023 and my two children attend the school. I work in the NHS for children and young people, specialising in the Special Educational Needs and Disability agenda within health. It’s a privilege to be part of this community, and I hope to use my skills and experience to support the school.

I am Chris Barrett, I am a parent governor. I was not raised in the valley but was fortunate enough to meet my wife growing up in Leeds who has been born and raised Hathersage. I run my own building company based in Stoney Middleton and before working in the building trade I worked for many years in the outdoors and the ski industry as an instructor and guide before running a large Ski and Snowboard Centre. It's the skills from these roles in combination that I believe allows me to offer something to the school and community.I'm looking forward to helping in any way I can. 

Hello, I’m Alex. I moved to the village 3 years ago so my children could settle before starting school. Come September both my boys will be attending Eyam school and I am currently a midday supervisor there. In my spare time I enjoy cooking/ baking, crafting and reading. 

I'm Steve Richman and have lived in the village for only a few months.( Feb 2026) I am however keen to be involved with the all aspects of village life and having been the teacher for many years felt that supporting. the school was a logical avenue to explore. I've been a Governor several times before and feel that I  can contribute to help maintain the thriving, successful school that is today. I have two children both at Lady Manor's school and enjoy painting and playing football.

What is the role of the Governing body?

The governing body is responsible for the strategic planning and management of the school. The role of the governors, is to challenge, question and support the headteacher and staff to ensure that the children at Eyam Primary School receive the best possible education and care. 

Please find below details of how our Governing body is structured, including the names, categories, responsibilities and terms of appointment for each Governor. 

Committee Structure and Remit of the Governing Body

Governors Code of Conduct 

Governor Roles and Responsibilities 

Welcome Back to Eyam CE Primary School Autumn 2026!

Dear Parents and Carers,

Half term is almost upon us and I hope that everyone is settling well into their new school and classes.

As we welcome everyone back for another school year, we wanted to take the opportunity to introduce ourselves and share a little bit about what makes our school community so special.

The Board of Governors works alongside the fantastic school staff, children and families to support school life, provide opportunities for our pupils, and help make Eyam School such a wonderful place to learn and grow.

What does the Governing Body do?

The Governing Body plays an important role in supporting and guiding the school. Governors work closely with the Headteacher and staff to help ensure that the school provides the best possible education and opportunities for all our children.

Governors have a strategic role, helping to set the school’s vision and direction, monitoring its progress, and making sure that resources are used effectively. We also have responsibility for overseeing important areas such as safeguarding, finance, staffing, and the quality of education.

Importantly, governors do not run the school day-to-day. This is the responsibility of the Headteacher and school staff. Instead, governors provide support, challenge and accountability, asking questions and working together with the school leadership team to help the school continue to develop and improve.

Everyone at Eyam School is committed to the wellbeing of every pupil, and all governors are approachable and happy to talk and listen, as are the teaching and support staff at school. If you would like to contact the governors formally, this can be done by contacting the school office.

The Governors thought it would be lovely to start the new school year by looking back at some of the amazing things our children experienced and enjoyed last year.

And what a busy year it was!

Music, Performance & The Arts

 Music and performance featured throughout the year, with our children taking part in:

• Owl Class brass lessons, with fantastic Christmas and end-of-year concerts

• Choir performances at school services in church 

• Choir performances at the Church Centre Christmas lunch and Buxton Music Festival, as well as an end-of-term concert at school
• Soloist concerts
• The Year 5 & 6 play (it was great!)
• Drama Morning
• Claire Parker Artist Day

Enrichment Beyond the Classroom

Alongside all the fantastic classroom learning, the children enjoyed a huge range of activities and experiences, including:

• A virtual visit to the British Museum
• Christmas Science Competition
• New phonics programme
• World Book Day
• Fire & Rescue Service visit
• Author visit
• Camouflage Day and learning about birds
• Soup and a Chat with members of our local community (Y5 and Y6)
• Christmas Decoration Day
• Polytunnel and Gardening Club
• Stretch and Relax sessions

School & Church Community

We enjoyed lots of opportunities to work alongside our local church community, including:

• Harvest Festival
• Nativity and Scratch Nativity
• Easter Service
• Open Doors sessions at church

• Family and Celebration Worship

• Music for the Mind

• Litter collections

Trips & Adventures

There were plenty of opportunities to get out and about too!

• Owls’ Observatory visit
• Forest School
• Deva Roman Experience in Chester
• London
• Lea Green
• White Hall
• Buxton trip for our Infants
• Eyam Hall visit
• STEM sessions at HVC
• Ogden Trust science projects at Lady Manners
• Hathersage Swim and Walk

 Sport & Activities

The children had the opportunity to try an incredible variety of sports and activities, including:

Skateboarding • Cross Country • Karate • Tennis • Scooting • Dance • Basketball • Athletics • Orienteering • Rounders • Cricket • Swimming

We also welcomed Hathersage Cricket Club into school and enjoyed another fantastic Sports Day.

PTFA

As well as funding much of the above, our brilliant PTFA worked hard throughout the year to provide lots of fun events and activities for the children, including:

• Bonfire Night
• Christmas Disco
• Jam Jars at the Victorian Market
• Red, Gold & Green Raffle
• Easter Egg Competition
• Easter activities in school
• Spring Fete (with Y6 stalls)
• Leavers’ Disco

Clubs & Other Opportunities

There were plenty of other opportunities for children, families, and the wider community to get involved in, including:

• Family Signing
• Climbing for Y6
• Bikeability
• Cake Sales
• Support sessions for parents
• Smartphone-Free Childhood event
• Nursery development and welcoming a new class of Rabbits
• Expanding provision in the Green Zone and outdoor space
• Welcoming new Teddy Bears

The current board is:

Martina Hodgson (Co-Chair), Ruth Nutall (Co-Chair), Rober Court (Vice-Chair), Oona Gilbertson (Headteacher), Hannah McGuire (Senior teacher), Nicky Pledger, Pippa Lord, Sara Townsend, Alex Gilbourne, Chris Barrett, Steve Richman, Rosalind Buckingham, Kay Mason, Paul Wiles, Barry Lomas

We look forward to working with you and supporting our children and school community throughout the year.

Have a great half-term break,

Martina Hodgson