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Cavendish School Governors

The Local Governing Board

The Governing Board meets termly. Its purpose is to monitor key aspects of the school in accordance with the Trust’s strategic plan; safeguarding of pupils & staff, local stakeholder engagement; admissions; exclusions; panels; community relations; standards. Cavendish Education Trust Webpage 

Clerk to the Governors. Rita Skinner – clerk@cavendish.cet.uk

Our Governors

Neil Small

Chair of Governors

Term of Office 6 October 2022-5 October 2026.

Neil is a former headteacher and currently works in a large Multi Academy Trust.He has more than 25 years of experience of education form teaching locally to Ofsted inspecting. He currently sits on Creative Education for West Sussex and has a passion for creativity in education.He has a child currently in the primary phase of Cavendish.

Dr Hasan Gilani

Governor

Term of Office 2 December 2023-1 December 2027.

Hasan is a Principal lecturer and course leader at Brighton Business School, University of Brighton, with a special interest in education quality, standards and student experience.  He has more than 25 years of experience as an academic as well as in the corporate sector. Hasan has worked in the broad area of marketing with national and multinational organisations like Pepsi, Motorola, M&S, Debenhams and British Gas. He has also worked as a consultant for developmental projects in the NGO sector, working jointly with German (GTZ), Dutch (PHMP) and British (DFID) organisations; he has also worked at a senior level in the corporate sector.

Hannah Perry

Governor

Term of Office 17 May 2022 – 16 May 2026.

Hannah is an experienced science teacher of children ages 8-18, as well as being mother to two teenagers. Over a 20 year career, appointments have included Head of Science, Housemistress and Designated Safeguarding Lead. Currently she is enjoying being back in the chemistry lab at Eastbourne College, as well as being an Officer in the Combined Cadet Force, taking sport and supporting the Duke of Edinburgh Award. She has an MA in Education Management and Leadership from King’s College London and PGCE from the University of Cambridge, as well as a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Educators. Having previously been a school governor, she looks forward getting to know the Cavendish community and all this wonderful school has to offer.

Ellie Messer

Staff Governor 

Term of office 16 October 2023-15 October 2027

Ellie joined the Cavendish Primary teaching staff in September 2022 and since then has been a classroom teacher in year 4 and year 5. Ellie is currently also the ‘Primary PE subject champion’ and ‘Upper Key stage 2 Lead’. Ensuring quality first teaching for all pupils is Ellie’s passion and providing a wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities is very important to her.

Dr Steven Hobbs

Governor 

Term of office is 21 October 2023-20 October 2027

Steve Hobbs was born and educated in Eastbourne. His academic background and interests cover English Literature, language, pedagogy and politics. His doctorate in education from the University of Sussex focused on developing interdisciplinary masterclass /scholar educational theory and programmes as well as the concept and practice of the ‘research’ professional and the ‘research’ learner.

His professional work in teaching and learning has been varied. Steve has experience in English department middle leadership in secondary and post-16 institutions. He also has experience in secondary English teacher training and as an English and English literature examiner for GCSE English and Literature. At A Level, he has been an English Literature coursework moderator and regional coursework adviser. He has given lectures and seminars at Sussex and Brighton Universities on a range of topics and issues relating to profound and democratic learning.

He has previous experience as a governor in primary, secondary and post-16 institutions and is pleased and honoured to be able to help in the Trust’s aim of becoming ‘outstanding’ in the near future.

Phil Hall

Parent Governor 

7 February 2025 – 6 February 2029

Phil has over 20 years experience in Public Policy & PR, including working for various educational institutions both in the UK and overseas as well as awarding bodies including the London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) and the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). Phil spent five years working for an MP who was a member of Parliament’s Education & Skills Select Committee including a year seconded to work as a Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Education.
Phil attended Cavendish School in the late ’80’s and early ’90’s and now has a child in the primary phase.
Phil Drouet

Parent Governor

21 March 2025, End of Term 20 March 2029.

Phil is a technology leader in the fields of cyber security and application development/delivery and has more than 30 years of experience working with large organisations to modernise their IT systems. He has worked as a independent consultant as well as led high performing teams in global companies. Phil brings practical knowledge and experience of the business world, building, mentoring and leading teams, and how the evolving world of technology and artificial intelligence impacts our lives and our children. He has a daughter in the primary phase of Cavendish.’

Governors who have left the Local Governing Board within the past 12 months

Kirsty Reid

Governor 

23 November 2023-2 April 2025.
Jitka O'Brien

Parent Governor 

Term of Office

23 November 2023 – 24 November 2024

Michelle Horne

Governor 

Date of resignation 25 January 2025.

Dave Miller

Parent Governor 

Date of Resignation 26 February 2025

%

of pupils achieved 9-4 in English.

After School programs

%

of pupils achieved 9-4 in Maths.

Years Established

Celebrating Success

The staff and governors of Cavendish wish to congratulate all of our Year 11 pupils for the fantastic GCSE grades they have achieved this year.

Headteacher, Peter Marchant said, "The grades that our pupils have achieved are a reflection of their hard work throughout their time at the school and they can rightly feel proud of what they have achieved through these  challenging times."