The Governing Body

Our governors have a wide variety of experience and expertise and play an active role in all parts of the school community. The Governing Body has high expectations for all of our pupils and works closely with the senior leadership team to develop our outstanding provision.

Nicola Webster-Hart

Chair of Governors

I am very proud to be a recently appointed Parent Governor to The Beacon School as the staff, expertise and resources at the school (and before it, Foxwood School) have made a huge impact on the life of my youngest child and as a result, my whole family and I wanted an opportunity to give something back to the school. I have experience in the Health and Social Care sector as I am a Trained Nurse and from working as a specialist foster carer; in law working for City Law firms and in more recently in Executive Search/recruitment. I have always had a special interest in promoting women’s achievements and volunteered to help run The Sweet Charity and The Women of Year Lunch and Assembly, a high-profile event held annually, raising both awareness of women’s issues and celebrating women’s achievements, as well as raising money for its nominated charity, then NCH Action for Children.

I also previously managed the events for The Adelaide Group, a women’s networking forum to promote Women in Business. I have had my own recruitment business and now spend my time directing the industrial and pharmaceuticals practices of a niche executive search firm specialising in private equity backed businesses, being a Parent Governor for the Beacon School, an artist and much more importantly, Mum to 3 incredible children.

Kate Yeoman

Co-Chair of Governors

I have been delighted to have been connected to The Beacon (then Foxwood and Highview) initially through my work at CCCU; I teach student teachers and support them during their school placements. The Beacon is an exceptional school. The dedicated staff team use an impressive range of skills and knowledge to assist pupils (and student teachers) with their learning. As a governor, I am privileged to be part of a team whose role is to ensure that the school continues to provide an appropriate, ambitious and inspiring education for all pupils.
My interest in special educational needs and the provision of an appropriate and inclusive education for all children stems from my years as a primary teacher and SENCo in central London. I moved to East Kent with my family in 2009 and love living between countryside and sea.

Alison Youd

Co-Chair of Governors

I am passionate about supporting the learning of young people with SLD/PMLD/ASD to improve the quality of their lives and those of their families. I taught in special schools in South London for 30 years in all roles from class teacher to Executive Head Teacher. As a Head I led the school from special measures to outstanding and have deep experience in school improvement and development. I am very proud that both the schools I led were judged Outstanding by Ofsted at my last inspection. I was one of the first special school Headteachers to be appointed as a National Leader of Education and was a consultant headteacher for the Nation College of School Leadership.

I have an MA in special education and I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

I have spent the last 6 years as a senior lecturer at CCCU supporting the development of the next generation of teachers. I was thrilled to represent CCCU on the board of KSENT from its inception. I have been school governor and MAT director in various schools for 25 years. Now I am mostly retired with interests in history, archaeology, gardening, the arts and I am a local parish councillor. Special schools are my natural home and I am delighted to be able to contribute to the future of The Beacon and have the opportunity to continue my lifelong involvement with special education.

Daisy Madder

Co-Opted Governor

I have worked in safeguarding for about a decade. I currently work as the Safeguarding Specialist for Folkestone and Hythe District Council, overseeing all aspects of safeguarding work for the council including oversight of all safeguarding referrals made by council staff to Kent County Council, delivering safeguarding training to all staff, and providing advice and guidance on any safeguarding matters that arise. I am an accredited safeguarding trainer for the Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership.

Prior to this, I worked for the Independent Schools Inspectorate for over ten years in a range of roles, holding the post of Safeguarding Officer for the last six years of my employment. While not directly working in a school, as part of the role I dealt with concerns relating to a range of topics from handling allegations against staff to the impact of recent disclosures of peer-on-peer abuse revealed by the Everyone’s Invited website. In addition, I have familiarity with school inspections and the Ofsted inspection framework.

Jessica Budd

Parent Governor

I was honoured to be asked to support The Beacon School as a Governor and am also the parent of a child who attends the setting.

I am so proud of my own child’s progress as well as that of his peer’s and cannot speak more highly of the Teachers and Support Staff who have and do work so hard.

I am a passionate advocate for my son and intend to apply that same passion to my role ad Co-opted Governor.

I am a HR professional with over 10 years’ experience in the Civil Service, Local Authorities, and in Schools’ and hope to add value to the school with my skills and knowledge.

Nathan Moore

Staff Governor

I have worked at The Beacon/Highview School for the past 8 years. I am very passionate about teaching and especially passionate about special educational needs. I have worked as a Teaching Assistant, Higher Level Teaching Assistant and now a teacher so I am aware of the expectations and duties needed within the school. I have witnessed first-hand the dedication and care that each staff member puts into each working day and hope to share all the amazing things we do within our governing team.

I love seeing our pupils grow in confidence and secure in themselves, which enables them to achieve their dreams and aspirations. It is a privilege to be one of the governors at The Beacon and I aim to use my experience gained from The Beacon to aid and guide my fellow governors in any way that I can.

I also look to maintain the outstanding levels of teaching and provision that the school already holds and will assist in any improvements needed to help see the school grow.

Chris Farnfield

Co-Opted Governor

I started my IT career as a Junior Technician and worked my way up to Network Manager at St. Edmunds Catholic School in Dover, where I spent four years learning the ropes. Then, I moved on to Pent Valley Technology College as the IT Manager for nearly six years. I’ve been in the private sector for the last nine years, starting as an IT consultant and eventually becoming the owner and Managing Director of an IT support company.

I am very honoured to be asked to be a governor for The Beacon. I hope to bring my technical know-how, problem-solving skills, and understanding of schools’ operations. But more than that, I’m here because I care about giving the younger generation especially in our community the best start in life so they can go on to do great things.

On the personal side, I’m a family man through and through. My wife has been my rock, and our three kids keep life interesting, to say the least! I’ve got a big love for astronomy and physics, and I can quickly lose hours watching YouTube videos about the latest discoveries. When I’m not stargazing or working, I enjoy getting outside, enjoying nature, and spending time with friends and family, whether playing computer or board games or simply hanging out.

I hope this gives you an idea of the drive in my life and my values.

Stewart King

Co-Opted Governor

I am honoured to take on the role of School Governor at The Beacon School and excited to support its mission. With over 25 years of experience working with complex and vulnerable children and young people, I am passionate about ensuring they receive the care and education they need to thrive. I began my career as a community worker in Maidstone, where I saw first-hand how many young people were not receiving the support they needed. I prioritise finding ways to guide students through challenges and overcome perceived barriers, helping them achieve their dreams and ambitions.

In 2003, I founded King’s Reach Charity to support vulnerable youth, which later expanded into education and care services, including a registered children’s home and an independent SEN school for students unable to find placements elsewhere.

I look forward to utilising my experience to help The Beacon School achieve its goals.

Stewart Green

Governor

Sharon Page

Clerk

Constituted under The School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012 on 1 September 2016 as a new school.

The Governing Body of The Beacon Folkestone operates the circle model with Governing Body meetings held termly (at least six meetings per academic year). The Governing Body has agreed on Monitoring Groups with the following responsibilities to monitor specific subjects and priorities of the School Improvement Plan:

Leadership and Management
Finance	Alison Youd
Pay Committee	Nicola Webster-Hart, Alison Youd
Learning, Behaviour & Safety	Kate Yeoman, Nicola Webster-Hart, Alison Youd

A Governor will be responsible for ensuring statutory guidelines are followed:
Health and Safety	Alison Youd
Child Protection and Safeguarding	Daisy Madder
Headstart
Relationship & Sex Education
Children-in-Care
Governor Training & Development