Meet Our Governors

Graham Emmett (Co-opted Governor)

Chair of Governors

I am the Northwich Town Councillor for Castle and Winnington and as such have a keen interest in seeing our children grow and become the best they can.

I was pleased to be asked to apply to become a governor at Charles Darwin - my local school - and have now seen the great work done by the school, supported by the governors.

It is a delight to work with the Head Teacher and all the staff to maximise the value the children get from every school day and when I see how happy, bright and engaged the children are, I know we have done the best we can for them.

Sally Gray  (LA Governor)

Vice-chair of Governors

I have been a member of the Governing Body of Charles Darwin Community School for seven years and it has been a pleasure to be involved in the school’s continuing drive for excellence in all it does. As a retired Headteacher and Early Year’s educator, I take a special interest in the younger children in the school and enjoy my regular visits to their classrooms and activities.

Claire Harrison (Co-opted Governor)

I am excited to have joined the Governing Body of Charles Darwin Community Primary School. I have been a head teacher for the last 14 years at a local primary school and I hope that the skills I have developed, and my experience, will enable me to offer support in my role at Charles Darwin. I am really looking forward to working with staff, children and governors alike.

Jenny Foulkes (Parent Governor)

I was elected as a parent governor in 2021 and was thrilled to take up the role. I was a pupil at Darwin St Primary in the 80s/90’s and currently have two daughters and a niece in the school. I have always lived in the area and the school is very special to me. I work as a Children’s Rights Advocate for The Children’s Society and champion the voices of vulnerable children in our area. I have worked within the education system including as a secondary Art teacher and as an Education Welfare Officer for Cheshire West Council. I am a creative person, love art and crafts, holidays and have a dog called Lottie who we adore!

Lee Siddall (Co-opted Governor)

I'm a Town Councillor for Winnington and Castle with three boys attending Charles Darwin Community Primary School. I have been an operations manager for a chain of coffee bars before owning my own catering business for nine years until Covid came along.  I also worked as a personal trainer and gym instructor for many years in my 20's, so I know the importance of health and fitness too. 

Charles Darwin is a fantastic school with extremely talented and dedicated staff who consistently go above and beyond to make the school a great place to learn.  I try and get involved within the community as much as possible.  I feel that my dyslexia could help me to see things from an alternative perspective and help to add more value to this amazing school.

Jen MacDonald (Parent Governor)

I joined the Governing Body of Charles Darwin in October 2022, having been a parent at the school for just over a year. I work as an Admin & Finance assistant at a Primary School in Nantwich so have a good understanding of school policies, finance and processes, and relish the opportunity to make a positive impact at Charles Darwin.

Marianne Bennett (Staff Governor)

I joined Charles Darwin in 2015 as a class teacher and Deputy Head.  Having been a teacher for 21 years and having worked in a number of local schools (both secondary and primary), I have had the privilege of working with many children from the Northwich area and have enjoyed seeing them grow in understanding and confidence as their time in school progresses.  I am delighted to represent the staff as Staff Governor at Charles Darwin.