Governors

Our Governors

Cedar Road Primary School is governed by an Academy Scrutiny Committee.

Our governors are:

• Clair Mills
  Principal
  Clair Mills

• Damian Panton
  DRET Appointed Governor (Chair)
  Damian Panton

  Damian’s appointment as a Parent Governor was confirmed on 1 December 2022, and he became a DRET Appointed Governor in March 2025. Damian was keen to understand more about how an academy operated and wanted to offer any help he could to drive the academy forward. Damian has been working for Barclays Bank since 2008, mainly in risk and governance roles across many different parts of the bank. He has managed different teams over the years with a broad skill set. Working for such a large organisation Damian carries out his job trying to see the bigger picture, which is a key skill needed to be a governor making sure each and every child is in an environment which is safe and will allow them to achieve their potential. Damian is married and has two boys. He loves to cook and bake as much as his can and travel with the family when they get the opportunity.

• Meena Tobias
  DRET Appointed Governor (Vice Chair)
  Meena Tobias

  Meena is serving her second term of office as a DRET Appointed Governor. She originally joined the ASC in 20 November 2018. She became a governor as she was keen to understand the statistics and measures supporting the school strategies due to her children attending the academy. She works as a Portfolio Lead for International Supplier Management, bringing to the ASC a wealth of financial and procurement knowledge, problem solving, project and stakeholder management with great negotiation skills.

  Meena is a Mother of two children and is passionate in teaching them what she feels is morally and ethically right but equally in driving cultural awareness and diversity in all engagements she has. Cooking is also another of her passions and she loves south Indian cuisine.

• Anna Woroniecka
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Anna Woroniecka

  Anna joined the trust in 2020. She is currently an IT & AI Innovation Lead for the Trust, and is a governor at 4 DRET schools.

  She became a governor because of the potential positive impact on the learning, development and wellbeing of pupils and staff within schools. She is particularly passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as attendance and its impacts on education.

  Her experience as a DRET primary senior administrator as well as a primary data analyst, allows her to bring unique perspective and understanding of the academies to the ASC.

  In her free time she enjoys Dungeons and Dragons, video games, cooking and making art.

• Laura Hancock
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Laura Hancock

  Laura joined the ASC in February 2024, and is a School Business Manager in a nursery school. Laura became a Governor as she believed she could learn about the education sector whilst providing her input from an Early Years perspective.

  Outside of work, Laura loves spending time with her family, especially walks in the park.

• Andrew Bayley
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Andrew Bayley

  Looking to give back to his local community and ensure that children are able to access the best opportunities possible, Andrew joined the ASC in January 2025.

  Andrew is currently studying Sound Engineering and Audio Production at University, and outside of his studies enjoys music, films and TV and Formula 1 racing.

• Sue Flaherty
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Sue Flaherty

  Keen to work with fellow governors and school leadership team to provide constructive challenge and contribute to school improvement, Sue joined the ASC in May 2025.

  Sue is a dedicated Civil Servant with over 22 years experience ensuring public safety, upholding policies and working collaboratively to improve communities.

  Outside of work, Sue enjoys reading, arts and crafts and spending time outdoors. Sue also has a lifelong love of genealogy and is a British Sign Language user (Level 3).

• Graham Champsey
  Staff Governor
  Graham Champsey

  Graham decided to become a governor because he has a passion for education and would like to channel that into making improvements in schools.

  Outside of work Graham enjoys reading, particularly non-fiction stories of historical events as well as science fiction. Graham is also interested in IT, which includes building and improving computers and programming.

• James Au
  Staff Governor
  James Au

  In addition to his role as Deputy Headteacher, James joined Cedar Road's ASC as a governor in December 2024.

  Outside of work, James is a keen musician and sportsman. James enjoys playing the guitar and will regularly support with playing music in his local church. James also enjoys playing football, rugby, tennis and golf.

• Daniel Dawson
  Parent Governor
  Daniel Dawson

  Keen to discover how the school operates and understand some of the longer term aspirations of the school, Daniel joined the ASC in April 2025. Daniel believes he can help the school on it's journey of continuous improvement.

  Daniel has worked in advertising sales since 2002. Outside of work, Daniel follows current affairs, enjoys watching sports, cycling and is a a keen home cook,

• Brooke Robinson
  Parent Governor
  Brooke Robinson

  Looking to support the education of her own children and children in years to come, Brooke joined the ASC in April 2025. For work, Brooke is an Osteopath and enjoys the challenge of solving problems as efficiently and as effectively as possible.

  Outside of work, Brooke enjoys the outdoors, particularly if dogs can come along or a tent or campervan are involved. Brooke also loves travelling to other countries, exploring the food, and then coming home to cook from lots of different cultures for family and friends.

• Vicky Bayley
  Clerk
  Vicky Bayley

  Vicky joined DRET as a clerk in December 2023 and is also a DRET appointed Governor and Vice Chair at Eastfield Academy. Her professional roles have encompassed public service as a midwife, working in a police force control room and as a one-to-one learning support assistant in a primary setting. Vicky enjoys using her leisure time creatively in various crafts, playing her baritone and likes to read.

Current Governors

 Former Governors 

 Below is a list of Governors that have served in the past 12 months. 

Contacting Us

The Governance Officer for Cedar Road Primary School is Victoria Linthwaite. Victoria can be reached at governance@dret.co.uk. 

To contact a governor, please contact the Trust Governance Team by emailing governance@dret.co.uk.

If you are looking to contact a Governor to make a complaint or share a concern, please note that as per our Complaints Policy, governors do not investigate complaints at Stage 1 or Stage 2.  This enables them to be impartial should a complaint be escalated to a Stage 3 governor panel. If you wish to make a complaint, please complete this form and your complaint will be investigated accordingly.

Scheme of Delegation

Information about the David Ross Education Trust’s scheme of delegation is available here.

Minutes of the Academy Scrutiny Committee

Should you wish to view a copy of the minutes of the ASC at this academy, please contact the Trust Governance Team (governance@dret.co.uk), who will be able to provide you with an electronic or paper copy of the minutes.

Are you interested in becoming an academy governor?

We are looking for new governors to support our academies. Our governors work closely with their academies to support the Trust’s goal of broadening the horizons of young people through a world-class education, equipping our students with the skills and experiences to become their confident, academic best, no matter what.

If you have an interest in, and commitment to, improving education and would like to make a difference within your community, please register your interest in becoming a governor by completing our governor application form. If you have any questions about a governor’s role or responsibilities please contact us at governance@dret.co.uk or review our information pack below. 

march 2024 governor recruitment booklet.pdf

What is it like being a Governor with DRET?

To understand what it is like to be a governor with us, take a look at our testimonial booklet and videos which contain insights from serving governors.

governor testimonial booklet .pdf

 Emma Bennett 

Angela Watts 

Stephen Platten 

Garry Allen 

What training do Governors receive?

We offer an extensive range of training opportunities. Take a look at what is on offer for the current academic year.