Governance
Governors are well informed about the work of the school. They offer expert and insightful challenge to you and your senior team. The Chair of the Governing Body is rightly very proud of the school and he ensures that the governing body now offers very good strategic support for its development”. – Ofsted, 2016


School Governors are there to ensure that schools are well run. They are volunteers who help to decide on the direction, focus and ethos of schools. Each school has between 9 and 20 Governors who together form ‘The Governing Body’, our school has 16 Governor positions. Governors represent people from many walks of life: school staff, parents, the local community and even organisations connected to the school. This means that decisions are made by people with a wide range of views and experience.

Our Chair of Governors is Mr Ben Chubb and can be contacted via our Clerk, Jane Scott at jscott@oriel.w-sussex.sch.uk.


What do the School Governors do?

They are there to give a long-term strategic direction to how the School is run; to be critical friends to the school and to ensure the school is accountable for its actions.

Governors discuss and have input on:

  • school policies, such as behaviour, teaching & learning and uniform.
  • long-term plans and the future of the School
  • how the school budget will be spent
  • Our Governing Body also has sub-committees of Governors to look at specific areas such as Buildings & Finance; Teaching & Learning and Personnel.


How much time do Governors give?

Normally governors serve for four years, but as volunteers they can leave at any time. Previous Governors can normally apply to be re-appointed or re-elected if they wish to return. A Governor’s main task is to attend meetings of the full governing body (normally 2.5 hours once a term). In addition, a Governor will be appointed to a sub-committee whose meetings take place once a term and last approximately 2 hours. Governors are also committed to carrying out a school visit to their linked department to observe a lesson and familiarise themselves with this department and how it works.


Meet the Governors

Ben Chubb

Ben joined the governing body in 2018, having previously served between 2011 and 2014 on the governing body of a local infant school. Ben is now Oriel’s Chair of Governors and is also the Vice Chair of the Building & Finance Committee and the Careers Link Governor. His current role, working for a global bank in Fintech Payments and Finance Innovation, has evolved from previous roles in which he had a national role in the bank promoting education and entrepreneurial mindset/activity in schools, colleges and universities, which is where his passion still lies.


Lee Waters

Lee is our Vice Chair of Governors, taking on the role in May 2022. He also sits on the Buildings & Finance Committee.


Chris Davies

Chris is the SEND Link Governor. He joined the school Governor team in 2018 and sits on the Personnel Committee. Chris is a Police Officer and an experienced senior manager. He has a good knowledge of HR procedures, Health and Safety management, delivering change and partnership working across the public sector.


Lorraine Grigg

Lorraine is the Child Protection and Safeguarding Link Governor. She joined the governing body in 2018 and is the chair of the Teaching & Learning Committee.  Lorraine is a former Police Officer leaving in 2021 after full service following on from nursing training where she qualified as a registered general nurse. Lorraine brings a vast experience in safeguarding children which was her previous role for many years in the Police.  She now works for a busy Investigation company and does exam invigilating.


Adrian Dodwell

Adrian has been a governor at Oriel since November 2013 and sits on the Buildings & Finance Committee and Personnel Committee.  Adrian has had long experience in education and as a senior manager in a further education college, most recently as a Deputy Principal.



Josef Kane

Josef joined the governing body in June 2015 and sits on the Personnel and Pay Committees. He is a paramedic and has had substantial experience in the health and care industry. Josef holds qualifications in both employment law and health and safety and has played a leading role nationally as a union negotiator and representative in the public sector. He is currently a Lead Inspector in the Care Quality Commission.


Vanessa Singhateh

Vanessa joined the governing body in January 2022 and sits on the Teaching & Learning Committee. Vanessa currently works for the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), Department for Education. She has been a Civil Servant for over 23 years, having worked for the Department for Business, overseas for UK Trade and Investment and most recently, for ESFA.

Joanne Chapman-Cohen

Jo works as a Finance Manager for a multi academy trust and joined Oriel’s governing body in September 2023.  Having previously worked as School Business Manager Jo has a broad understanding within the school environment and sits on the Buildings and Finance Committee. She also is a qualified mental health first aider for both adults and young people.


Oli Green

Oli joined the governing body in October 2023 and sits on the Personnel Committee. He has many years’ experience in recruitment. Oli brings a strong knowledge of recruitment and retention, having worked closely with school leaders across Sussex since 2012.



Philip Stack

Philip Stack is the Headteacher Governor at Oriel and also is a governor at Gresham Primary School, Croydon. Philip sits on the Buildings & Finance, Teaching & Learning and Personnel Committees.


Ben Cleaveley

Ben is Oriel’s Staff Governor and sits on both the Teaching & Learning and Buildings & Finance Committees.  Ben has been a governor since 2012. Ben is an IT teacher and a senior pastoral team member at the school.  He has also had substantial private sector experience in the publishing industry.



Governors Committee Structure, Meeting Schedule and membership