Governors

Meet Our Governors

Ewan Cochrane – Chair of Governors.

My wife and I have lived in Strensall for over 10 years and have 3 kids.

Our daughter is in Year 1 and both of our boys are now at Secondary School having attended Robert Wilkinson.

I have a keen interest in rugby and running.

My background is in finance and I currently work at Homes England, a Government Agency providing residential development finance to house builders across England.

What I enjoy about the Governor role is the chance to make a difference and use my experience and knowledge to contribute to the successful running of my child’s school.

Ian Davidson – Vice Chair 

I have lived in York for over 15 years and in Strensall for 3. My wife and I are parents to 3 girls (two currently at RWPA in Year 2 and Early Years). One of the key reasons for moving to Strensall was because we heard fantastic things about Robert Wilkinson and the opportunities it provided to the pupils.

My professional background is in change management and consultancy in financial services and I currently work in an IT role. Outside of work and family I love all sports, and particularly playing golf.

Despite not having a background in education I was keen to become a parent governor to try and use my experience to support and develop the school. After a year of working remotely since joining the governing body I am looking forward to getting into the school to see all the good work first hand.

Amy Holden (Wilkinson, Cobb and Hodgson Trust governor)

I am a Wilkinson, Cobb and Hodgson trust representative governor.

I have been a governor at Robert Wilkinson for around 3 years and have previously been a staff governor in a school. I have been a primary school teacher for over 13 years with a specialism in early years and special needs. I have two children attending Robert Wilkinson one in pre-school and one in year 1 and they both love coming to school.

I adore the outdoors and spend a lot of time with my children on Strensall common or at the beach with picnics. We also grow our own vegetables and have pet chickens.

I wanted to become a staff governor, a position which I have held for the past two years, to support our governing body in any way I can. As a local lad (my family moved to Sheriff Hutton when I was 10 – I even had primary school swimming lessons in our pool!), I take a great amount of pride in being a teacher here and working with our governors to continue developing engaged, enthusiastic and hard-working young adults of the future.

Anna Moore (Parent Governor)

I have lived in York my whole life and Strensall for 8 years. I have two young boys both in early years, at Robert Wilkinson. I am a Forensic Psychologist, currently lecturing Forensic Psychology. I wanted to join the Governing Team at Robert Wilkinson, to use my experience to support and help develop the school and its policies. Outside of work, I have a keen interest in sport, particularly netball and play regularly in leagues.

Phillipa Dunford-Jeffs 

I returned to York after a number of years to be close again to family and friends and my husband and I chose to live in Strensall for its proximity to work and the reputation of RWPA. It has been wonderful to have such a supportive community around us throughout lockdown.

Our son is in Year 3 and I hope through this role I can help make a difference to the future of RWPA, bringing a different slant with my background and work experience. I work in the independent school sector for St Peter’s School, York, though I am responsible for fundraising and maintaining contact with former pupils, so this will also be a great opportunity for me to learn more about the educational aspects of the school.

I enjoy regular bootcamp sessions and undoing all the hard work with baking! I can often be found cheering at the side of the football pitch on the weekend.

Mel Clark – Staff Governor 

Holly Fox – Parent Governor 

Daniel Pillai

I am the founder of several companies and groups developing and promoting new sustainability technologies in industry. I have held senior international roles in buildings systems, business development, strategy, general management and sales and marketing. I have a wealth of experience in the international business world which will enable him to challenge and support the Senior leadership at RWPA. I am currently a Member of The Oak Learning Partnership a multi academy trust.

Hannah Gains

I grew up in Strensall where I attended Robert Wilkinson Primary along with my two siblings. My partner and his brother were also pupils here, so our families have a long history with the school and the community. Since leaving Strensall, I have returned on various occasions, spending my work experience at the school and more recently, bringing my two children here on a weekend for their swimming lessons.

I work full time as the Education Business Development Manager for Portakabin across England and Wales, covering all education establishments from early years to universities and everything in between. This enables me to gain a lot of insight into the sector, the challenges it faces and the fantastic work which goes on within it. I am passionate about improving outcomes for young people through the improvement of their education environment.

With my son starting school last September, I have seen from a parents perspective (along with hearing it direct from many of my work connections) just how important and valuable Governors are to the pupils, staff and parents. This is my first Governor role and I can’t wait to be part of such a brilliant school.

Governing Body Structure

Local Governing Body Members: 

Local Governing Body Meetings:
Cycle 1.1: Wednesday 9th October 2024 at 6pm

Cycle 1.2: Wednesday 20th November 2024 at 6pm

Cycle 2.1: Wednesday 5th February 2025 at 6pm

Cycle 3.1: Wednesday 23rd April 2025 at 6pm

Cycle 3.2: Wednesday 9th July 2025 at 6pm

Kelly Dale resigned as a governor from November 2024

Jessica Haigh resigned as a governor from November 2024

Committee Groups (To be minuted): 

Link Governor Roles (3 x cycle visits, call report to be competed for each cycle):

Additional Information

You can download a copy of the Governors poster here

Governor Attendance at meetings 2024/ 2025

Governor Attendance at meetings 2023 / 2024

Governor Declarations

Robert Wilkinson Governors Declaration of Interest and Declaration of Eligibility 2023-24 (Responses) – Form responses 1

Further details are held on file

Link to Ebor Governance page – https://eboracademytrust.co.uk/governance/applying-to-be-a-school-governor/