To contact the governors please email clerk@dawlish.devon.sch.uk
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| Sam Banks Headteacher |
Lisa Johnson ChairCo-Opted Governor |
Hannah Grant Vice ChairCo-Opted Governor Link for attendance / behaviour / inclusion / student wellbeing and careers |
Victoria Póčová Link for Safeguarding |
| Sam Banks has been working in education since 2009, initially as a teacher of modern foreign languages (French & German) and currently as the Headteacher of Dawlish College, a school he joined as Assistant Principal in 2021. The school’s mission under his leadership is to eradicate educational disadvantage in Dawlish. | Lisa was appointed as a Co-Opted Governor on 4 April 2022. As a resident of Dawlish, Lisa applied to be a school governor to offer something back to the community where she and her family lives and works. Lisa brings her skills as an experienced change and operations manager to the role of school governor. | Hannah was appointed as a Governor at Dawlish College on 18 July 2023. She was previously a deputy head at a primary school in Bristol and has many years of experience in the classroom. She now works in higher education, where she is a project manager. She has experience in the development of strategic plans and the development of new teaching and research programmes, alongside the management of large events. She moved back down to Devon two years ago and became a governor to contribute to the local community. | Victoria was appointed on 8th October 2024. She has been working for Children and Family Health Devon as a Specialist Safeguarding Nurse for the last five years, supporting Community Nurses, Doctors and Practitioners with providing safeguarding training updates, safeguarding supervision, ensuring they are fully aware of current guidelines and policies. Part of this requires joint working with the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)/Devon’s Front Door.
Prior to this, Victoria worked as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visitor) for NHS Wales and Devon County Council and was previously at Cardiff University Hospital Critical Care. She is a parent helper/Team Manager for Dawlish Swimming Club, and a parent helper for Teignmouth Surf Lifesaving Club. |
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| Simon Dunn Link for Careers and Disadvantaged |
David Lidbury Co-Opted Governor Link for Exclusions and Behaviour |
Andy Dykes Link for Health & Safety and Premises |
Elizabeth Merson-Jones Link for Educational Visits |
| Appointed 8th October 2024
Simon Dunn is Director of a Dawlish Charity which helps and supports the Dawlish community in a variety of ways. Including providing furniture, household items and clothing for those in need. By collaborating with other community organisations Simon and the charity are able to offer further support and signposting to individuals and families. Simon is passionate about supporting the Dawlish community and is keen to be involved with the local school as a Parent Governor. |
David was appointed as a Co-Opted Governor on 15 December 2022. David is a lawyer specialising in the law relating to children. | Andy was appointed on 10th December 2024. He worked in roles within education during the 1980’s, qualifying as a teacher in the 1990’s. He taught Business Studies and ICT, and this later lead to department leadership for two secondary schools in Cheshire.
He first visited Dawlish in 1977, finally relocating to Torbay in 2012, where he continued to teach until 2019, providing cover in various schools across the county. This also included working in two SEND schools. During his working life, he has been committed to ensuring that all pupils achieve their full potential. He believes that successful schools are those that prioritise the needs of both pupils and staff, and create a supportive and nurturing environment where they can thrive. He feels that with his experience he can provide an effective communication between staff and governors, and play a key role in ensuring voices are heard and that everyone is working towards the same goals. |
Elizabeth was appointed as a Co-Opted Governor on 4 March 2025. Having worked in the education sector since 2020, Elizabeth is now an English teacher at a secondary school in Exeter. Her current role focuses on supporting students who struggle with attendance and behaviour, building students’ confidence and developing key literacy skills. Passionate about literacy initiatives, Elizabeth is a volunteer ‘reading buddy’ at her local primary school. Previously, Elizabeth has also worked as a SEND Teaching Assistant and as a Project Worker in a charity supporting homeless individuals in Cambridge. Elizabeth applied to be a school governor in order to contribute to the local community. |
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| Julia Sutherland, Local Governance Officer | |||
| Julia was appointed Local Governance Officer in June 2023. For the last 20 years Julia was the Examinations Officer for a secondary school and previously worked in the Health Service (mental health), Local Government at County and District Council level, and for Dartmoor National Park Authority. Julia is confident that her previous work experiences, many of which entailed following government procedures and protocols, will enable her to provide a good service to the Governing body so that they meet their statutory requirements. | |||