Governors' Information

Birchwood is governed by a Management Committee

Information

The Governing Body of our school is responsible for:

Ensuring that pupils receive high quality education and that the conduct of the school
reflects this aim
Working with the Headteacher on the strategic planning of the school
Discussing and approving the targets for improvement
Setting and monitoring the budget
Monitoring the performance of school

If you would like to speak to our Chair of Governors, Mark Lester, please contact the Birchwood Office via email: office@birchwoodpru.kent.sch.uk

The board have appointed the following individual delegated governors:

Statutory Roles

Safeguarding (including Child Protection) - Jamie Maclean
SEND - Jamie Maclean
Careers – Charles Jospeph

LA Required Roles

Finance - Shaun Simmons
Health & Safety – Ben Williams

Non statutory/Best Practice

Training and development governor – Mark Lester
Whole school wellbeing – Mark Lester
Attendance – Ben Williams
Pay Panel – Shaun Simmons and Scott Norman

Agreed by the board: 25 September 2025

Biographies

Chair of the Management Committee

Mark has been the Principal at The Folkestone School for Girls since 2018 and has some 22 years experience across a range of roles and a range of schools in Kent. He is fully committed to the vision at Birchwood School which aligns so closely to his own. What sets Birchwood apart is the personal development and cultural capital opportunities that lie at the heart of the school’s curriculum offer. Of particular note the trips to Barcelona and Paris of recent years; these are simply not heard of in similar schools. In themselves they are brave and bold, but in conjunction with the much broader outcomes achieved beyond ‘just’ grades, they are part of a simply transformational curriculum; the evidence is clear in the young people who leave Birchwood and their onward destinations.