Governor's Profiles

Vivienne Turner

Chair of Governors/ Trustee/ Health & Safety

My name is Vivienne Turner and I have lived in Langley for over 30 years. I have three children who all attended Marish. My youngest child only left in 2021. I became a parent governor about 9 years ago, and was appointed co chair of governors after Reverend Grayson retired. I work for British Airways as a dispatcher, fortunately part time, which gives me free time to support the school. It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to be a part of the Trust and to see the hard work of all the leaders and staff that drive the success of our schools.

Stephen Hall

Trustee and Chair of Finance Audit and Risk Committee

I have a background in education and worked for a large multi-academy trust in Luton, (which shares some characteristics with Slough), as a chief operating officer, before entering the charity sector, over a decade ago.

I am now the CEO of Makaton and have a heart for improving the outcomes for people with special needs. I joined the trust board as a trustee seven years ago and have taken on the chair of finance for the last five as this role uses part of my professional skill set. Recently I visited the schools, during the school day and was bowled over afresh, by the work the team is doing, for all children, but especially those with special needs. This is in challenging circumstances with pressures on staff, space and resources, but Marish Academy Trust remains not only a haven, but a place of hope and stepping stone towards a brighter future for many families.

Gill Denham

Executive Headteacher and CEO, Marish Academy Trust

It’s my privilege to be the Executive Headteacher and CEO at Marish Academy Trust, leading an evolving ‘dream team’. My teaching career spans three decades and half of that time I have spent at Marish. No two days are the same here, but as a teacher and a leader, every day provides an opportunity to make a difference, which is why I am still here.

Amanda Court

Substantive Headteacher

I have been the Substantive Headteacher at Marish Academy Trust for 5 years now. I joined Marish Primary as an NQT 18 years ago and have worked in the senior leadership team across both schools for the best part of 11 years. I am passionate about inclusivity and my strengths lie with data, outcomes and the progress of our disadvantaged groups. I continue to teach daily to ensure I maintain positive relationships with staff and children when driving school improvement.

I have been fortunate enough to be part of Marish’s journey from inadequate to good during my time here and I love watching the Trust go from strength to strength, doing whatever it takes to build bridges in our community and empowering every child to ‘strive for the heights!’.

David Sinclair

Deputy Headteacher

I have been at Marish Trust for ten years, first as an Assistant Head and laterally as a Deputy Head Teacher. I initially decided to become a primary school teacher as I wanted to help lay the foundations – morally, socially and academically- that would enable children to flourish later in life. This is something that I feel Marish excels at and I am proud to contribute towards. I am passionate about Literacy and, in particular, enabling young writers to find their voice.

Sunitha Vaidyanath

Trustee

I joined Marish as a Parent Governor in January 2020 when the world was grappling with the challenges of the pandemic. Having worked in this school as a volunteer for a few years, I had the urge to contribute more to the school and wanted to become a governor to make a positive impact on the student community.

I have a Bachelors in Commerce(Hons) and started exploring the field of education following a long career as a Banker in different geographical locations -where I was a Senior operations analyst handling the remittances, audit and internal controls.

I enjoy being robust and working together as a team, interacting with parents and helping anxious children grow – while keeping our society in mind at all times! 

Clare Johns

Trustee

I have worked in television for over twenty years and first came across Marish as part of my research for a documentary about disadvantaged children not having enough to eat outside term time. Marish was even then, back in 2018, doing marvellous work to support the disadvantaged and children with SEND. When the pandemic came, I knew that Marish would want to help: it is what their ethos is all about and so I became involved as a trustee to try and support them in their aim of not just education children but nurturing whole families. Marish Academy Trust is an extraordinary example of how a motivated team can be catalyst for change at a local level and really make a difference.

Deepa Damera

Trustee

My first contact with Marish Academy Trust was as a parent when my two daughters joined year 1 and year 4 about 10 years ago. Within a year, I had become a parent governor, a role I had to resign, when I decided to work in the Trust as first a teaching assistant and latterly to qualify as a teacher.

My situation has come full circle as I had to leave the trust to care for my mother and my children are now both at secondary school. However, I still wanted to be involved in Marish Academy trust and so for the last three years have been a trustee. I am immensely proud to be part of Marish  Academy Trust

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