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.

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.

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.

Sam Myall

Parent Governor

I bring a blend of lived experience, academic knowledge, and practical skills that I believe will add value to The Beacon school governing body.

As a parent of a child with special needs, I have developed resilience, empathy, and a strong understanding of inclusive education and the importance of collaboration between schools, families, and professionals.

My ongoing Open University studies in psychology, child psychology, mental health, and family law have given me insight into child development, safeguarding, and wellbeing. Alongside this, my background in care and customer service has strengthened my communication, organisation, and problem-solving skills.

I am passionate about helping the school community thrive and believe in fostering strong, positive relationships to helping every child thrive and achieve their potential and have a passion to develop a strong school parent community.

Alison Grimmett

Safeguarding Governor

I am proud to join the governor team at The Beacon, having worked for the school for three years as the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children, part of the Zone 5 team and a member of the Research and Development Focus Group, before recently retiring.

Prior to joining The Beacon, I was the Assistant Principal, SENDCo and Main DSL of a large mainstream primary school. One aspect of my role was writing and delivering training programmes to support Teaching Assistants and Early Years practitioners. This developed their practice, ensuring that pupils were able to reduce barriers to learning so that they could reach their full potential. As a SENDCo I worked closely with parents and carers of pupils with SEND to ensure that their educational needs were met.

I was an experienced Designated Safeguarding Lead for a number of years and look forward to bringing these skills and knowledge to my governor role, to further support the good work already being undertaken by the MAST team at The Beacon.

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.