Governance at St John’s
St John’s Marlborough Governors sit on an Academy Committee (AC), whose purpose is to support and advise the Principal and Excalibur Academies Trust’s Board of Trustees in delivering effective welfare, behaviour and extra-curricular provision. In every aspect of its work, ACs look through the lens of the child, asking: “What is it like to attend this school?”, whilst being mindful to avoid adding to the Principal’s workload.
ACs help shape a school’s vision, build links with local community, provide specialist volunteer skills/knowledge and give vital input to statutory processes (for example complaints, exclusions and recruitment).
The responsibility of monitoring and improving educational outcomes lies with the Trust’s professional Academy Improvement Team.
Responsibilities
To fulfil these functions, the Academy Committee has the following responsibilities:
- Culture, vision and ethos
- Personal development and staff and pupil welfare
- Behaviour and Attendance
- Extra-Curricular provision
- Safeguarding
- Engagement and promotion within local community
- Staffing, behaviour and complaints panels
Governor Roles
The Academy Committee must appoint Governors to the following roles: Careers Governor, Health & Safety Governor, Safeguarding Governor & SEND Governor. Depending on the school’s size, additional roles should also be assigned; examples include Education Performance Governor, Pupil Premium & Inclusion Governor and Finance Governor.
Safeguarding & Training
Excalibur maintains a strong safeguarding culture and ethos, with all Governors applying for an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, in addition to undertaking mandatory safeguarding and cyber-security training. It is the responsibility of the nominated Safeguarding Governor to ensure this is adhered to and the Trust monitors compliance. Supplementary training to support Governors in their role is also available.
All Governors and Trustees must agree to be bound by the Excalibur Academies Trust Code of Conduct, with annual compulsory recommitment and declaration of business interests.
More information
Further information about the Excalibur’s Academy Committees can be found by visiting:
https://www.excalibur.org.uk/governance/join-us/
Mr Thomas Barnes
Parent Governor
Tom Barnes is a resident of Manton with a daughter in year 7 and a son who will be joining next year. Tom is the Managing Director of a Wiltshire based timber company as well as being active in UK forestry.
Ms Linda Culley
Community Governor
Linda Culley has a keen interest in the physical and mental wellbeing of young adults. She has delivered group exercise training programmes to participants in the local area for the last 20 years and works in a large local Corporate successfully delivering complex transformation programmes. She is confident communicating at all levels and dealing with resistance to change. She is easily approachable and always tries to be positive and engaging.
Mrs Georgina Franklin
Parent Governor
Georgie, a parent governor, has a daughter in her early years at St John’s and a son soon to make the transition from primary school. Born in Newbury, Georgie attended her local secondary school, Park House School, and completed A Levels at St Bartholomew’s. After graduating from university, Georgie moved to London pursuing a career in marketing, heading functions for Samsung and then Sony. Georgie and her husband moved to Wiltshire in 2013 to raise their family and run a coaching business supporting professionals in large international businesses (legal, finance and marketing) at an individual, team and Board level.
Georgie enjoys running, cycling and paddle boarding, and is currently keeping busy training their young puppy.
Mrs Rachel Gear
Parent Governor
Rachel hails from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire and studied at the University of Leicester for her BA (Hons) degree in Combined Arts and subsequently a Masters in Modern Literature. Her career has been mainly in educational publishing, working for some of the largest publishing houses such as Pearson, Bloomsbury and Taylor & Francis in senior editorial director roles. In 2023, Rachel had a change of career direction and became Head of Business Development at New College Swindon. Her role involves working with employers across Swindon and Wiltshire to support apprenticeships and work experience opportunities at the college. She is passionate about helping young people to be ‘workplace ready’ through careers events such as mock interviews, CV building and skills bootcamps.
Rachel’s eldest son is at St John’s and her youngest son hopes to join in 2026. She is also Chair of the Friends of Chilton Foliat Primary School where she has been running a successful fundraising events programme for the past 7 years.
Rachel is committed to a strict fitness regime and enjoys long-distance running, cycling, cold water swimming and strength training. She enjoys taking part in fundraising events and recently completed the Brecon Beacons Six Peaks challenge in aid of the Youth Adventure Trust.
Mrs Anna Olson
Parent Governor
Anna grew up in the Marlborough area and attended St John’s a long time ago; now her two sons are at the school. She has spent much of her working life overseas and returned to Wiltshire a few years ago. Her background is in finance, although she is now studying upholstery and working as a freelance consultant.
In terms of community work and volunteering, she has in the past been a Samaritan, run various employee inclusion networks at work and currently volunteers with Love Marlborough Kids Meals.
Her hobbies are open water swimming, amateur dramatics and standing on the side-lines of myriad sports matches in freezing weather.
Ms E Pearce
Parent Governor
Emma was born and grew up in Hampshire before completing her BA Hons degree in secondary teaching. She started her first teaching job in Swindon before moving across to a school in Newbury, where she has been for the last 18 years taking on roles relating to improving enrichment activities and curriculum subjects on offer. She is passionate about the curriculum being fit for all pupils to attain the best they can.
Her family moved to Aldbourne in 2016, and now both sons are at St Johns, so she is looking forward to serving over the next 4 years while they are both there, focusing on personal development of the staff and pupils using her extensive expertise from working in similar secondary school.
Mrs J Stevens
Community Governor
I have worked for 40 years in Education and have had experience of teaching and leading as Head Teacher in the Independent sector, the State sector and in the Academy Trust sector. When I was working, I trained as an ISI Inspector and have seen at first hand the enormous amount of varied work that goes into being a successful school. I look forward to being part of the St John’s Community and to helping their success continue.
I am married with 2 adult children and 2 granddaughters, and my interests are travel, music and gardening.
Miss C Treacher
Community Governor
My name is Caroline. I have 20 years’ experience in the NHS and Social Services as a community involvement worker. I have worked in Primary schools as a TA and currently work as a progressions coach with young people aged 14 to 19 to support them to connect with their possible selves in the future so they can work towards their goals with guidance. I have recently graduated with a BSc in Psychology as a mature student; I have two children of my own.
I am excited to help support the link between local education and community and have personal and professional experience managing disability SEN and inclusivity.
Welcome to Academy Committees Jan 2026
