Governors
DECLARATION OF BUSINESS INTERESTS AND OTHER GOVERNANCE INFORMATION
The Board of Governors
ANDREW BROWN, chair of governors
Andrew grew up in Redbridge on the edge of London but has lived in Buckinghamshire for the last 30 years. He studied Computer Science at City University in London and initially he worked in the design and development of computer systems mainly for the banking industry including a stint based in Singapore. Andrew changed in the mid-90s to marketing, but still in the software industry, and he has undertaken a wide range of business marketing roles for global organisations. Until his retirement he was Marketing Director for the payments business within NCR.
Andrew first became a Governor in the mid 90s at his children’s Primary School. As they moved to Secondary he too moved and joined the Governing Board at Chesham Park Community College and later led it through the transition to Chiltern Hills Academy where he is currently Chair of the Trustees. He is also on the board of Knowledge Schools Trust.
Term of office, four years. Appointed May 2021. Reappointed September 2025 for a further four years.
Roger Cumming, Governor
Roger was born and grew up in Kent. After school he won a commission in the Royal Marines and served for 10 years at home and abroad from a base in Devon. Then, as a mature student he studied computer science at Exeter University and worked for a short while as a software engineer. He and his young family moved from Exeter to his current home in Pitstone in the mid 80s when he joined the civil service. He worked in a variety of roles in government until just after the London Olympics. After a few years working for a global design and engineering company he left to establish his own consultancy specialising in infrastructure protection strategies.
Roger was a parent-governor at Brookmead School in Pitstone in the 90s which his son and daughter attended. Now, with two young grandchildren (and more on the way), he knows the vital importance of a sound start to a child’s education and is keen to find opportunities to apply his knowledge and skills to the advantage of Edlesborough School, its pupils and staff.
Roger is an enthusiastic, but not particularly talented, golfer.
Term of office, four years. Appointed November 2022.
CHRIS TATE, GOVERNOR
Chris grew up in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire and moved to Edlesborough in the summer of 2024 with his family.
He studied Banking & Finance at the University of Essex, upon completing his degree he joined Essex County Council and studied to become a Chartered Accountant. Chris then moved to Hertfordshire County Council working in the Finance team. In 2022, Chris moved into Management Consultancy where he continues to support Local Authorities with a wide range of topics.
Term of office, four years. Appointed September 2025
Sue roberts, governor
She worked as a Head of English at a local secondary school then spent many years as an Assistant Head then Vice Principal before moving briefly to an Independent school. She set up and ran an English teacher training programme as well working for a Local Authority to support newly qualified teachers and deliver management training.
Sue has been a governor previously when her two children attended Edlesborough School (as it was then) and believes strongly in the vital importance of supporting children through their education. In her spare time, she loves reading, travelling and skiing.
Term of office, four years. Appointed September 2025.
Governance
Edlesborough Primary Academy and its neighbouring school in the Trust, Dovery Academy, share a local governing body. It is responsible for the quality of education at the school. The governing body is a committee of the Knowledge Schools Trust Board.
Governors focus on ensuring the schools have a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction. We hold our headteacher to account for the educational performance of the schools, and we oversee the financial performance of the schools including ensuring that their budgets are well spent.
We currently have nine governor positions on the team including parent governors and a staff governors. We've recruited a governance team to bring the skills and experience that we need to perform the functions described above. As such, we have governors with experience of working in education, finance, the local community and business.
Our governing body will evolve as the school grows and develops. However, in line with both Lord Nash and Sir Michael Wilshaw’s comments about the excessive size of some governing bodies, we intend to keep our team small to ensure it is effective.
Governors exercise their responsibilities and powers in partnership with the headteacher and staff. We do not make day to day decisions on the operational running of the school unless there are weaknesses in the school, when governors then have a duty to investigate and take action. Instead, governors focus on longer-term strategic issues and on checking that the daily operations are taking place in line with the school’s vision, aims and strategic plan.
The Chair of Governors can be contacted directly at EPAchair@epa-primary.org
