Welcome to our Governor's Section

Thornhill Primary School has a brand new Governing Committee, this is the start of an exciting new era for the school. 

The committee runs as part of the overall Hamwic Governance structure, more details on that can be found here - http://www.hamwic.org/governance 

The committee has three core functions as set out in law. These are:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction.
• Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.

The full Governing Committee meets twice each term and is currently composed of:

• The Headteacher
• Two Staff Governors
• One Parent Governor
• Two Co-opted Governors
• The Clerk of Governors

There are vacancies so if either yourself or someone you know might be interested in joining the Governing Committee please email the school office to express an interest at: office@thornhillsch.net

Elected Governors are appointed for terms of four years, after which they will either stand down or seek re-election. The parents and guardians of children attending the school have the opportunity to elect the parent Governors when a vacancy occurs. Co-opted Governors are normally appointed for terms of four years and are chosen based on the skills they offer the Governing Body. 

The main duty of the Governors is to set the strategic direction of the School and to provide the overall governance. They are not responsible for the day-to-day management of the school.

Governor Information 

Christopher Lawrence (Chair)

Hello, my name is Chris Lawrence and I am really pleased to be appointed as the Chair of  Governors for Thornhill Primary School. This will be the first time I have undertaken the role of Governor for any school and I look forward to growing and learning with the support of the school and the Hamwic Education Trust.   

During the day I work in the building industry for Kier Construction. I have been employed at Kier for over 20 years most of which has been in the Hampshire region. During this time, amongst other things, we have built several schools. I have lived locally since 1980, my current home is at Locks Heath. I am married with three grown up children, one of whom teaches at Thornhill  Primary School. This is one of the reasons I applied for the Governor role.

During my time as a Governor, I hope I can use the experience I have gained from my time in business to provide support and guidance to the staff and leadership team at the school. As with any organisation, the aim is for  continual improvement and this will be a key focus of the Local Governor Committee as we move forward.  Finally, I look forward to your support and the chance to meet you over the coming months.

Jenna Dyke (Staff Governor)

I am proud to be a staff governor at Thornhill primary School. I have been a teacher here for 10 years and feel extremely honored to teach the children of Thornhill.

I am also the Senior mental health lead looking after staff and children's mental health. 

I am passionate about teaching and ensuring all children rich their true potential both socially and academically. Being part of the governing body means I can help and support the school and children to grow.

Joanna Allen  (Staff Governor)

I am one of two staff governors at Thornhill Primary School.  I have over 10 years experience of school governance as well as a previous career in finance behind me.  Currently, I am the Attendance Officer at Thornhill.  I am passionate about ensuring that children come into school regularly to access their education and the opportunities which learning presents now and in later life. I work hard to build positive and productive relationships with our children, their families and the people I work with.  I am therefore proud to part of the governing body.  

Franco Gramuglia (Parent Governor)

Information to follow

Murray Carter (Co-opted Governor)

Hi, my name is Murray Carter and I am delighted to be a School Governor for Thornhill Primary School. I will have a steep learning curve to get to grips with the educational sector, however, hopefully the experiences that I have gained throughout my corporate career will add some value to the school.

My career was mainly in the transport arena where I held various Executive Director roles, with 14 years at Red Funnel as Group Operations and Customer Services Director and at Lucketts Travel / National Express for 4 years where I was Regional Managing Director. I then decided to take the plunge and set up my own business, Carter Travel Co Ltd, which opened in November 2023.

I live in Hedge End with my wife, 2 daughters (and 3 dogs!!) and am really looking forward to working with the Governor Committee and the Thornhill Primary team to build on the superb foundations that are already in place.

Riccardo Carmin (Co-opted Governor)

Ciao! I’m Riky. Originally from northern Italy, I moved to the UK in 2013 to complete my studies in Maritime Engineering. Since graduating, I have worked for a global leader in maritime safety based in Southampton.

Over the past nine years, I have held several positions within the same company and currently serve as a Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist. I also previously acted as an employee representative for the Europe and UK region, helping colleagues raise concerns and collaborating with area directors to find solutions.

Joining the governing body is a new and exciting opportunity for me, and I look forward to bringing both my professional experience and my curiosity to the role.

Contacting the Governing Committee

We hope you will be very happy with everything at our school and would welcome positive feedback at any time. It is always good to know what you feel we are doing well. Equally, if you ever have a concern about an aspect of our school it is important that you let us know. Your first contact should always be with the Headteacher but, if required, you can contact the Governors.

If you wish to contact a member of the Governing Body this can be done in person at the school office or email - office@thornhillsch.net