The Wells Free School Board of Governors
The Wells Free Schools is governed by Trustee and Member Governors: each of our governors bring some form of specific expertise to the Governing Body. All Trustee Governors work in partnership with our talented and dedicated staff team to deliver the best possible educational experience for the children. Many of our Member Governors have returned to our governing body after being founder members of the school or previous trustee members, as they still have a passionate interest in supporting our school.
The governors can be contacted via the clerk: clerk@thewellsfreeschool.co.uk
Trustee Governors
Chair of Governors: Louise Hallam
Appointed by: Governing Body
I have recently retired from a long and very rewarding teaching career in Bath, Luxembourg, and in Kent and Sussex. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to spend my working life surrounded by children and young people. There is nothing better! I am delighted to be part of the governing body of TWFS and look forward to working with staff, children and parents and to being able to contribute to this happy, friendly school.
Headteacher: Kate Le Page
Appointed by: Ex-Officio
Krista Bradford
Appointed by: Governing Body
I have been involved in Education for 30 years. For most of that time I have been a Key Stage 2 teacher, but I have also been involved in teaching and providing professional development for adults and have taught in Bromley, Kingston and then in Kent since 2007. I have also been a teacher trainer for VSO in Uganda and spent 7 years working abroad. I have a particular passion for the teaching and learning of Maths and have taken every opportunity to develop my skills in this area. I am interested in how children learn best and am fortunate to have some research published, be accredited as a Teaching for Mastery Specialist and to take part in the DFE China-UK exchange.
I am currently a Key Stage 3 Maths teacher in a local Secondary School.
Having spent 3 years teaching at the Wells Free School, I am excited to take on the role as Governor and to continue to be involved in the development of this unique school.
Carol Davidson
Appointed by: Governing Body
I have a lifetime of experience of working with young people, initially as an outdoor education and PSHE teacher, and latterly as a freelance outdoor education instructor. This could be working with young people who are enrolled in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, running forest school sessions or working with primary school children on team building activities. I love to see young people achieve things they did not think they were able to, as this can give them confidence in many areas of their lives. I love the outdoors and go walking as much as I can. I have a therapy dog called Inca who is a black Labrador often comes to work with me, though she is slowing down a little now and can’t do the long walks we used to but still enjoys her daily walk. I also enjoy music and love going to concerts and the theatre. I am really looking forward to my new role at the Wells Free School.
Tony Kung
Appointed by: Governing Body
I joined The Wells Free School as a governor in September 2021. I was a hospital pharmacist for many years in East Sussex before settling in Tunbridge Wells and I currently work as a general practice pharmacist in primary care. I am passionate about education and training and have experience in teaching in higher education. Therefore, on the flip side, I am interested in exploring more about early years education and different key stages, especially as a new parent.
I believe knowledge and creativity are equally important. I look forward to working with the school and continue to deliver teaching excellence as well as to develop our pupils’ strong sense of equality, diversity, and inclusion to our community.
Samantha Lewis
Appointed by: Staff
I have worked at The Wells Free School since the opening of the new building in 2016. I have had a variety of roles including Teaching Partner, one-to-one pupil support, speech and language support and after school club supervisor. I am now the Outdoor Learning Leader helping the children to partake in Forest School, woodwork and gardening sharing my experience as a senior youth conservation worker.
I am looking forward to advocating on behalf of all school staff as the staff member of the governing body and having worked in many different roles throughout the school I feel confident in achieving this.
Lucy McKenzie
Appointed by: Governing Body
My experience as an educator took off during a gap year teaching classes of up to 70 children in a remote village in Nepal, with little more than a piece of chalk and a lot of youthful enthusiasm to guide me! Fast forward several years and, with a PGCE and Masters in Education from Cambridge University under my belt, I became a Year 5 teacher; initially in the UK and then in Australia, where I additionally acted as a Student-Teacher Supervisor and presented at the Australian National Interactive Teaching and Learning Conference.
After the birth of my daughter, I swapped my classroom for a studio here in Royal Wells Park, setting up a newborn and family photography business in 2018. However, I missed the vibrancy and enthusiasm of children in a school setting, so I started volunteering at The Wells School in January 2024 as a ‘Reading Angel’ for Reception and Year 1 pupils – I really appreciate the opportunity to work one to one with the children and seeing their reading skills and confidence grow so rapidly during these early years of education feels almost like magic!
Stephen Smith
Appointed by: Parents
With a daughter in Year 4, I am excited to be on the Board of Governors to get a greater understanding of how the school is run and to work to make sure that it remains a successful and happy place for our children to attend. With a PhD in Biochemistry, education has always been important to me and I'm keen to ensure that all the children at the school not only achieve all that they can but develop a love of learning that can carry them forward into secondary school and beyond.
Robert Taylor
Appointed by: Parents
My daughter is in Year 8 having completed her entire primary school journey at The Wells Free School. With my son in Year 5 still at the school, I volunteered to become a governor in September 2023. I’m excited to take on the role of Parent governor and supporting the other governors and staff to ensure the school continues to develop and grow our children’s minds and personalities in preparation for their move to secondary school. I’m a great believer in lifetime learning and believe The Wells Free School can set our children up to enjoy continuing to learn throughout their lifetime and hope I can assist in the school achieving this.
MEMBER GOVERNORs
Hugh Fenton
I have been in business for many years, including running my own IT based businesses, helping to establish a Canadian IT company in Europe, and subsequently helping the company become a public company on the North American NASDAQ stock exchange. Over the last 16 years, I have run my own consultancy business, helping small and medium sized business owners to establish and implement their business growth plans.
I have been involved with various schools over my career, including Governorship and Chairman of various PTAs
Jane Page
Previously I was a Parent Governor at TWFS from 2017 until 2021 when my daughter left the Free School to move on to secondary school. After an 18-month break, I have been persuaded to get involved again – this time in the role of Member Governor as part of the two-tier Governing Body structure.
Professionally, for the past nine years I have been the Group HR Director for a large, CQC registered, domiciliary care company and so have extensive experience and understanding of safe recruitment practices, managing people, training and development and career development within a highly regulated sector. These are all areas which are easily portable and relevant to the education sector and to TWFS.
It is really good to be back involved with TWFS again – it has a special place in my heart and I look forward to supporting the school to go from strength to strength.
Jude O'Connor
I feel a strong connection to and affection for The Wells Free School having been one of the founder members and then both governor and parent in the early years of the school. I am delighted to have been asked back to become a member governor and I hope to bring to the role some of the knowledge and experience I have gained in the intervening years as a specialist dyscalculia & maths learning difficulties teacher. It’s been wonderful to see the school grow and change with the passing years and even more wonderful to meet the fantastic, creative and inspiring children and staff who continue to make this school such a special place.
Liz Grant
I was on the school Governing body from January 2018 until April 2021. I previously worked in the IT department of a local through school for 12 years, 7 years of which I was the Network Manager which including managing budgets and school wide IT projects additionally I was the Chair of the Royal Wells Park Residents’ Group from January 2019 to January 2022. I very much enjoyed my time as a Governor of The Wells Free School and it is good to come back in this new role and watch the school continue to grow.
Monica Pell
I was a founder member of The Wells Free School and served on the Governing Body until 2017. It has been wonderful to see the school go from strength to strength, and I look forward to its 10th anniversary in 2023. I qualified as a teacher in 1971 and have been involved in education, in one way or another, ever since. I am currently the Chair of Governors of a federation of small rural schools in East Sussex.