Governors
Our Governing body:
- Works in conjunction with the Head Teacher
- Conducts their work mainly through committees and meetings lead by members of the governing body, with guidance from the Head Teacher and the relevant paperwork
- Makes decisions collectively as a team, specific committees or individuals
- Works with a scheme of delegation from the Board of Trustees of The University of Chichester Academy Trust. For details of the board of trustees please click here.
School governors:
- Ensure a high standard of educational attainment
- Oversee the school budget, including staffing and pay levels
- Maintain a balanced curriculum, particularly that the National Curriculum and Religious Education are taught
- Review and question reports on test results and pupils continuing achievement in National Curriculum assessments
- Partake in the appointment of senior staff (including the Head Teacher) and govern staff conduct and discipline
- Accept widespread responsibility for the conduct of the school
- Formulate targets for pupil achievement
- Draft action plans after an Ofsted inspection
You can read more about the role of a Governing Body in the Dfe Governors Handbook. The DfE have also compiled a 'Competency Framework for Governance' which you can read here.
All of the governors at The Flying Bull Academy are appointed by Chichester Academy Trust. For information of the names of any committee the governor serves on, positions of responsibility and their term of office please click here.
Unless explicitly detailed alongside the name of the governor, the governor has declared no business or financial interests that impacts The Flying Bull Academy.
The representatives of the Governing Body are:
Viv Kies (Headteacher)
email: head@fbacademy.co.uk
Viv is the Headteacher of Flying Bull Academy.
She has worked over 20 years teaching experience and has worked within the Academy Trust since 2014. She has experience of working as a Special Needs Coordinator and Deputy Headteacher in a range of schools.
Viv is passionate about quality education for all and truly believes that education has the power to change outcomes and open doors for individuals.
Viv enjoys walking, running, being by or in the sea and generally being out in the fresh air - whatever the weather!
(Appointed by the LGB)
Chair of Governors
My Name is Cheryl Letts and the Year 6 governor.
I have worked in education for over 35 years! I started life as a secondary school teacher up in the Midlands, and I worked at the University of Chichester from 1997 as a lecturer in Physical Education, and in recent times I led the School Direct teacher training route for both Primary and Secondary age.
My passion is to see children and young people inspired by great teachers and being given the opportunities to believe they can all achieve throughout their school life.
As Chair of Governor at The Flying Bull Academy, it is a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and talented staff team who are committed to wanting the very best for every child in the school.
I love sport, especially football, and have been a lifelong supporter of a team in blue (sorry not Pompey). Also, I enjoy travel, walking, cooking, and reading, and have a large, lazy, ginger cat!
My name is Starlene George and I am a Lecturer in Education on the Primary Teacher training and Education Studies programmes at the University of Chichester, where I specialise in Social Justice Education and Global Citizenship.
During my time teaching in Hampshire, I worked on the development of Global Citizenship projects both inside and out of the classroom resulting in the establishment of a scheme of work for “Identity, Equality and Diversity education”, which has been integrated as a permanent fixture of the school's curriculum. I have worked in partnership with Portsmouth City Council as a co-writer to produce the 'Anti-racism toolkit for schools, colleges and early years settings - a guide to support educators in navigating discussions about race'. Additionally, I also co-wrote the Pearson Global Citizenship Programme inclusive of a complete thematic curriculum, resources, assessments and teacher guide to deliver this core subject in international schools.
I am passionate about the development of representation and inclusion of the Global Majority in UK History within schools and the National Curriculum; thus, I am currently completing future research in this field. Furthermore, I have an extensive background as a trained dancer and used this expertise to support PE teaching and encourage active learning.
I have worked in education for many years teaching across the primary age range in schools in
London, Hampshire and Portsmouth. I have also held specialist teaching roles throughout my career,
including supporting children learning English as an additional language, teaching children with
Special Educational Needs, advising for the multi-agency behaviour support service and as an Early
Years Advisory teacher. I feel privileged to have worked with and taught children from a wide range
of backgrounds and with unique needs and interests, which has taught me a great deal, brought
many different experiences and challenges, as well as lots of fun! I am especially passionate about
the importance of early education and making sure our youngest children, and especially those who
face their own additional challenges, have the best possible start to their educational journey.
I have two children of my own, one of whom has special educational needs, who are old enough to
be doing their own thing now, but the joys of parenting never end and they still keep me busy! I
enjoy walking and my dog ensures that I have plenty of daily exercise. I love the great outdoors,
travel and exploring new places.
I am delighted to be working with the Flying Bull Academy as a governor, becoming involved in
school life and in supporting the school, the staff and its children in its journey to excellence.
My name is Natalie, and my journey in the world of finance began with my studies at university, where I pursued a degree in Accounting and Finance and subsequently a Master's in Accounting.
For the past seven years, I've had the privilege of working with a leading Big 4 company, initially starting in Audit and later transitioning to the Deals department where I have been advising companies of all sizes on mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and divestitures etc
Beyond my professional endeavors, I hold a steadfast belief in the power of education to shape futures and open doors to opportunities. I advocate strongly for equal access to education, recognising its potential to maximise individual potentials and foster societal progress.
In my free time, I like to run, play badminton or board games with friends and family. I also have a lovely cheeky tabby cat called Lumos.
Simon Rist
My name is Simon Rist
I am a father of five children. My fifth child is now in year seven and is a child with SEND, therefore I have some experience of SEND protocols.
I have been a governor at The Flying Bull Academy for just over two years amd was also a founder member of the Friends of Flying Bull (PTA) which has given me experience in fundraising, organising and advertising events and public relations.
I was a member of the Nuffield speech and language advisory group for the NHS which has given me an insight into speech and language therapy and what is involved in helping children with speech and language difficulties.
I was also a member of the Portsmouth parent and carer group run by the Portsmouth City Council which helps parents and carers who are having trouble coping and help point them in the right direction for help and support.
Marc Light
My name is Marc Light.
I am the current staff representative on the board of Governors, who currently works in the Hewett-Dale Inclusion Centre. This means I am lucky enough to work with children from across the city.
My entire teaching career has been in Portsmouth. Having grown up in Copnor and attended Portsmouth schools, I am now raising my own family in the Buckland area.
When I decided to become a teacher, I decided that I wanted to only work in my home town to help improve the chances of children from Portsmouth. This later developed into a desire to support some of the city’s most vulnerable students and families and as a result, led me to working outside of the mainstream classroom and in specialist settings.
I have a range of experience from working in schools within a variety of roles. Before working at Flying Bull, I spent time in mainstream EYFS, Yr2, Yr3, and Yr4 where I was also assistant head teacher. After this, I worked within specialist provisions for Yr5-Yr9 as part of the site’s leadership team.
I am a true blue and a Pompey season ticket holder.