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Andy Owen (Chair of Governors)

Category: Co-opted Governor

Term: 15 Oct 2020 – 15 Oct 2024

Current membership and responsibilities

I am vice chair of the Finance committee and sit on the Standards committee and the Academisation committee. I am the link governor for the Broader Curriculum, Social, Moral and Spiritual Education, and I’m also the governor responsible for e-safety.

Governor Experience

None previously. Though I do have an 8 year old daughter at Whittington who regularly tells me what I’m doing wrong in my governor role (and in my life in general).

Professional Experience

I have BA and MA degrees in Town Planning. Fittingly I have worked at various local Councils and on behalf of developers as a Planner. I currently work for the government as a Town Planning Inspector. This involves determining appeals against refusals of planning permission, so effectively I adjudicate between Councils and developers, often at public meetings. As you’d imagine these decisions are often contentious, never straightforward and involve balancing contrasting arguments to achieve a fair outcome.

Personal Interests

We moved to the village about 8 years ago on the same day my wife was in hospital giving birth to our daughter. It’s a recurring debate at home as to who had the toughest day. Since then, I have got involved with the community as much as possible. I usually assist with setting up the annual countryside fair, regularly help to set up the monthly markets in The Bell car park, planted bulbs for the Whittington and Fisherwick Environmental Group and I even cut the grass in the churchyard once. I also briefly sat on Whittington Parish Council. I feel being a governor is another opportunity for me to contribute to the community and to support the school to thrive.

I am an average gardener, enthusiastic but slowly deteriorating runner, and a supporter of Crystal Palace (who could also be described as both slow and deteriorating). I can also play a mean E Major chord on a guitar.

Business Interests

None

Financial Interests

None