Welcome to the Kemsing Primary School Governor’s page.

Our Governing Body is a diverse group of volunteers, made up of parents, staff and members of the local community, who have a common interest in education and have made a commitment to the staff and pupils to provide strategic leadership and accountability. Each Governor has an area of responsibility and reports back to the full Governing Body at least once per term.

Our Governing Body has 3 core functions, as set out by the Department for Education:

· Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.

· Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.

· Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure it is money well spent.

Our Governing Body carries out these responsibilities by reviewing and monitoring core policies, overseeing school improvement and ensuring a broad and enriching curriculum is taught. Through regular meetings and visits to the school we have strategic oversight of curriculum, finance, safeguarding, SEND and Health & Safety. Whilst day-to-day management of the school is the responsibility of the Headteacher, the Governors provide challenge, support and constructive advice.

On this page, you can meet all of the Governors of The Darent Federation, and learn a little bit of their background and their interest in governance.

Kemsing is a happy school, filled with smiling, confident children, with a love of learning. As part of our monitoring visits, we are privileged to witness this in action and we are all proud to serve on the Governing Body of such a nurturing, welcoming school.

Meet the Governors

Here is a list of Governors and their roles within the Hybrid Model of Governance. Attendance at Governing Body meetings in 2022/23 is noted in brackets below each governor and shows how many meetings they attended against how many they were required to attend.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE GOVERNORS

Tom Hardwick - Executive Headteacher

As  Executive Headteacher of the Darent Federation of Schools, (Sundridge & Brasted  and Kemsing), I take great pride in working alongside our Governing Body, staff team and parent body to ensure that our schools provide the very best education for each and every one of our pupils. Previously in my career I have been a staff governor at three other schools and have been involved in school governance for over 10 years. 

Rebecca Hamburger - Co-Chair

I am Co-Chair of Governors for The Darent Federation. Previous to that, I was Chair of Governors for Sundridge & Brasted for many years and prior to that my role was Community Governor. My daughter was at Sundridge & Brasted school for seven years from Reception through to Year 6 and was extremely happy there. I also have responsibility for mathematics which means I monitor the learning and teaching across the schools. In my other life I work as an Independent Educational Consultant.

Kirsty Oliver - Co-Chair

I have been involved with Sundridge & Brasted as a Governor since 2003 and became Vice Chair of the Governing Body in 2013. I am now Co-chair of The Darent Federation's governing body with Rebecca Hamburger. I am a Chartered Accountant, employed by a London firm and work mostly from home. I have lived in Sundridge since 1999. I have three children.

Tara Anderson - Vice Chair

I am a full time mum to 3 children, who all attend(ed) Kemsing Primary School. Before children, I worked in both politics and investment banking whilst, more recently, I have been kept busy working on our self-build project. I became a governor in June 2015 as I’d been an active member of the PTA for 6 years and wanted to make a contribution to and support the school in a different way. I have a keen interest in education and how it is evolving and wanted to help ensure the school continues to provide our children with an excellent education, whilst caring for their wellbeing and also nurturing their individuality.

Rev Sophie Sutherland

I have lived in Brasted for 20 years and was for many years a junior church leader Sunday at St Martin's Brasted. Following ordination in 2012 and four years as curate at Chevening Church I currently work as a Chaplain to Older people at St Peter and St Paul  Bromley and a Bank and Honorary Chaplain at the Princess Royal Hospital. My original subject was Modern Languages and I worked for many years in national museums and galleries.  I am married and have twin daughters at university. I joined the governing body of Sundridge & Brasted in 2021.

The Chair of Governors can be contacted via the Clerk to the Governing Body via the school office or at gclerk@kemsing.kent.sch.uk