Our Governing Board
At Cedarwood Primary School, we are fortunate to have an active and committed Governing Board that plays an important part in the life and development of our school.
Our governors include parents, staff, members of our local community and governors appointed by the Local Authority. They work closely with the Headteacher and school team, offering both support and challenge and helping to shape the strategic direction of Cedarwood.
Many of our governors are parents of current or former Cedarwood pupils and have a strong connection to our school community. Our governors regularly visit the school, meet with staff and take an active interest in different areas of school life. This helps them to understand our strengths, recognise our successes and identify where we can continue to grow and improve.
Our Governing Board brings together a fantastic range of skills and experience from education, health, finance, health and safety, engineering and local government. Four of our governors have backgrounds in education and, between them, bring more than 50 years of experience, from Early Years through to secondary education.
This mix of professional knowledge, personal experience and different perspectives helps our governors make thoughtful and well-informed decisions on behalf of the school.
Above all, our governors share a genuine passion for Cedarwood and a commitment to our children and families. They are proud to be part of our school community and work together to help ensure that every child at Cedarwood is happy, supported and given the opportunity to achieve their very best.
Meet the Team
Hi, my name is Nic and I am a co-opted governor with responsibility for Safeguarding, SEND and GDPR. I attend the Learning, Teaching and Assessment and also Premises, Health and Safety sub committees. I have had a long standing relationship with the school as my three adult sons all attended Cedarwood and received the highest quality experience, which gave them the best foundation for high school and beyond and fostered a lifelong love of learning. Outside of my governing role, I have worked within the NHS for 39 years as a Nurse and I am currently responsible for community paediatric services across Suffolk.
Nic Smith-Howell – Chair of Governors
Hi, my name is Amanda. I joined Cedarwood as co-opted governor in 2023.
During the day I am an Operational Manager for community safety with a specialism in Domestic Abuse. I am really looking forward to bringing my skills to the school, doing what I can to support both staff and pupils, and giving back to the community.
I am also mum to 2 children who are currently at Cedarwood and thriving.
Amanda Page - Vice Chair
Hi, my name is Andrew, I am a co-opted governor who joined the Cedarwood board in January 2024. I attend the Finance & Personnel and Premises, Health and Safety sub-committees.
I am the Chief Operations Officer for an International ICT services company with over 20 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry and look forward to brining some of that experience to supporting the school and students.
Outside of my roles I have a passion for cooking that I picked up from my first career as a chef with focus on Middle Eastern culture and cuisine which are flavours from my childhood being born and raised in the Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Andrew Goodchild
Hi, my name is Jon and I joined the board in 2020 as a co-opted governor & in addition attend the Finance & Personnel committee. My two sons are currently at Cedarwood and I am really pleased with how my children are learning and developing, whilst having fun at the same time! I am a Chartered Engineer and work at Sizewell B as a Senior Shift Operations Engineer.
Jon Battle
Clare Banyard
Hello, I'm Amy - Staff Governor, Assistant Headteacher and SENDCo at Cedarwood Primary School. I feel honoured to be supporting children and families at Cedarwood including those who are somewhere along their SEND journey. In my role as Staff Governor, I sit on the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Committee. I feel really strongly that if children have different needs, this should not be a barrier to their learning and development. My background is in psychology, my MEd (University of Cambridge) and experience of working in a range of school settings all help me to contribute to the Cedarwood Team.
Amy Ward
Hi, my name is Elaine and I joined the board in 2023 as a Parent Governor. I have a son who started at Cedarwood in 2023 and another son who is set to join in 2027. I'm really impressed and pleased how quickly my oldest has settled at school and was even told that his favourite part of the day was when he was learning.
I have worked in education for nearly 10 years so I am passionate about making a real difference for both the children and the staff who alongside them. Using my experience from working in a variety of roles at primary level, I believe I can contribute effectively to the Cedarwood team.
Elaine Cain
Hi, my name is Deborah. I'm a co-opted governor and as part of my role I also attend the Premises Health and Safety Group. My day job sees me working in an Operations Manager role at Ipswich Borough Council and over the years there, I have been lucky enough to develop lots of skills and knowledge in several areas so joined Cedarwood to give something back to the school and the fantastic community I live in.
Deborah Goldsmith-Carr