Governor Profiles

Rushbury School Governors

The School governing body comprises two members of staff, including the headteacher, and up to 10 persons drawn from the local community. The following provides brief details of the current non-teaching governors, with some direct contact details. Please feel free to contact the governors either directly or via the school office (01694 771233)

Laraine Oxley (Chair of Rushbury Governing Body)

Term of office from 01/09/2022 until 31/08/2026

With a daughter at Rushbury School (and a son who has moved on to secondary school), Laraine has actively supported the school through her work with the Friends and also as a classroom volunteer. She is delighted to now support the children, staff, parents and community by leading the school's governing body.

Laraine moved to Rushbury from Derby over five years ago. Since moving to Rushbury, she has focused her time on her house renovation project. In her previous professional life, she worked as an ergonomist and manager for the Health and Safety Executive, supporting organisations to improve employees health and safety.

Sue Koenig

Term of office from 01/07/2020 until 30/06/2024

Sue Koenig was born in Birmingham and trained as a registered nurse at mid-Worcestershire School of Nursing ( Kidderminster and Bromsgrove). Having trained in Accident and Emergency Nursing she spent over 25 years in South Hertfordshire, of which she spent 8 years in School Nursing and 4 years as a Governor of a large urban Primary School. She moved to Shropshire 14 years ago, when her identical twin boys started their universities. She was also an active director of her husband’s locksmith/ security business in north London. She has maintained her interest in children’s education and was delighted to be invited to become a Foundation Governor at Rushbury. During her time as a governor she has been able to support the school and help to strengthen the school’s link with the churches of Apedale.

Kevin Hercock (Vice-Chair of Governors and Parent Governor)

Term of office 01/06/2019 until 01/02/2026

With a family of three young girls, who all attend Rushbury School, Kevin is an integral part of the school governing body and is committed to helping and supporting staff, parents and the local community.

Originally from Lincoln, Kevin has lived and worked in Shropshire for many years now, as a design consultant - enabling organisations to understand and develop new creative environments. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys running across the Shropshire hills and family trips away in his campervan.

Becky Hotchkiss (Co-opted Governor)

Term of office 20/05/2020 until 20/05/2024

Hello, I’m Rebecca Hotchkiss, but everyone calls me Becky.

I am married to a local farmer and have 3 children, who all attended Little Acorns and Rushbury School.

Before children I worked for a number of years as a Midwife, now I am kept busy running the administration side of our farming business.

Having seen my children grow I strongly believe that their start at a small local school has helped them with confidence, a joy of learning and a sense of community that they have carried forward and as a Governor I look forward to seeing this continue with the current students.

Jeannette McFarland (LEA Governor)

Term of office from 01/04/2019 until 21/03/2024

I’ve lived in Longville for last 20 years and been a Governor since 2019. My youngest son attended Rushbury and I’ve always been impressed by the culture at Rushbury that enables children to be happy, curious and to be their best

I’m a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and have spent my career working in finance or operations within engineering manufacturing companies. These days I work for ASSA ABLOY who make security products for residential, commercial and high security applications. Outside of work I’m a Magistrate and also volunteer with The Princes Trust.

Sue Jelleyman (Foundation Governor)

Term of office from 14/02/2021 until 13/02/2025

Assistant Curate in the Apedale Parishes.

I’ve been ordained and working part-time in our parishes since 2018, but I have known and loved our area and its communities for more than thirty years. I lived in Longville for twenty-eight years but now live in Church Stretton, having needed to move into town due to my husband’s health. His care now takes up a proportion of my time, balanced by my work in the parishes.

I bring to the governing body not just my present situation but a twenty-year background in teaching mainly in Shropshire schools and ten years thereafter in education support roles.

I have a long-standing interest in environmental sustainability and the challenges of the global impacts on environments and peoples of the profligate uses of the world’s resources. I had the good fortune for some years to be able to combine this concern and my teaching experience through one of my education support roles. In this role, I developed and managed the Waste Education Support Programme, which was geared to helping schools work on sustainability of and build the principles of ‘Reduce Reuse and Recycle’ into their curriculum and site management processes.

Phaedra Mcgill (Governor)

Term of office 03/03/2022 until 30/06/2026

Awaiting Content

Mary Sheppard (co-opted governor)

Term of office 03/03/2022 until 30/06/2026

Mary is a dual British and American citizen who has lived in Shropshire for the last 30 years. She is married with twin daughters and two dogs. She has recently retired, having worked on the business side of mental healthcare sector for most of her career. She welcomed the opportunity to work with the school to support and enhance the current team and to utilise her skills and knowledge to support the children, parents and staff of Rushbury CE Primary School.

Kate Reeves (teacher governor)

Term of office 01/11/2020 until 01/11/2024

Kate joined Rushbury CE Primary School in September 2019. She teaches the Upper Key Stage 2 pupils - known as Stanway Class. Before her career in teaching, Kate had careers in journalism, television production and global equine tourism before teaching English overseas. Kate graduated from Oxford University with a BA honours degree in politics, philosophy and economics. She qualified as a teacher in 2019 with a PGCE from the University of Cumbria.