Local Governing Body
Carla Barnard (Chair)
1st September 2018 - 1st September 2022
Term has been extended
Appointed by: GB/Board
Carla is a local, having lived in and around Launceston all of her life. She led a varied career until 2008 when she joined a successful Materials Handling Company and then became a Company Director of the firm in 2013, which she still does today. Carla lives with her family at Yeolmbridge, she has two children that attend both Egloskerry Primary School and Launceston College. Carla has been a Governor since 2017 and she is passionate about ensuring our children receive the best well-rounded, broad and balanced education available.
Lucy Huckle (Community Governor)
13th October 2020 - 13th October 2024
Appointed by: GB/Board
Lucy is an Early Years Teacher with particular interest in children's social and emotional wellbeing in the Early Years. She has worked in various roles within the Early Years sector for over 15 years at Cornwall Council, the Early Years Alliance, Action for Children and Early Years settings. Lucy is now Director and Early Years Teacher at The Long Garden Early Years Centre situated within the grounds of Launceston College.
Kate Mansfield (Community Governor)
13th October 2020 - 13th October 2024
Appointed by: GB/Board
Katharine was born and educated up until Degree level in Jersey. She attended Seale Hayne part of the University of Plymouth and completed a BSc Hons in Food Quality with Management including an industry placement year. Katharine worked for 13 years in the Chilled Food Industry where she held management positions covering food safety and systems. She has 13 years of internal audit experience and running of an internal audit system. Katharine has three boys who are in Year 2 and Year 6 at Altarnun Primary and Year 8 at Launceston College.
Christina Medland (Head of School - Altarnun Primary)
4th September 2019 - 4th September 2023
Appointed by: GB/Board
Mrs Medland is Head Teacher at Altarnun Primary School. She gained a Bachelor of Education (1st Class with Hons) from the University of St Mark and St John in 2006 and is about to begin a National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH). Prior to her teaching career, Mrs Medland worked as a Personal Assistant for the director of a Launceston based agricultural merchant before moving into the Early Years Sector as manager and playleader, during which time she worked within the Early Years Forum and led the Bude Early Years Forum.
She has worked in Cornwall throughout her teaching career, having experience of both small and large school settings and mixed aged teaching, working across all age ranges. She served on the Senior Leadership Team in a large primary as Mathematics lead and Key Stage 1 coordinator. She also led the Newly Qualified Teacher Programme. She joined Altarnun Primary in 2017 with responsibility for EYFS, KS1 and English Subject Lead and became Senior Teacher in 2020.
With a passion for early reading, Mrs Medland is Phonics Champion for Altarnun Primary and works with the Senior Leadership Team in supporting phonics in reading and writing. She has worked with the local authority in supporting teachers to use English and Mathematics in role play. She is passionate about children’s oracy and is keen to develop greater confidence in speaking and thus raising their understanding of oracy to speak like a specialist in different areas of the curriculum. As well as leading Key Stage 1 English within Altarnun Primary she is also responsible for History across the Primary Athena Trust. She is a member of the Historical Association and Key Stage History Association.
Caroline Stanmore (Parent Governor)
13th October 2020 - 13th October 2024
Appointed by GB/Board
Caroline is a Careers professional with over 20 years’ experience of working with both adults and young people to provide careers advice and guidance to support their journey into work or education. Currently she is an Enterprise Coordinator supporting schools across Plymouth and South Hams to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance and specialises within this role to support Special Educational Needs schools as well as mainstream education settings. In her previous role she managed the National Careers Service contract across Devon and Cornwall and prior to that the Work Programme Contract supporting long term unemployed adults.
Christine Wakely
27th June 2022 - 27th June 2026
Appointed by GB/Board
Mrs Wakely has worked in Childcare settings for 26 years. For 13 years she was the Manager of Altarnun Pre-School and was there from the very beginning when they opened in 2005.
Her current role is Forest School Leader at Tiny Tots Nursery, where she run Forest school sessions throughout the nursery and for their Holiday Club.
She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and love for the great outdoors to the new children starting at the school and for the children who will be part of the school in the future. Making memories and teaching the children new skills are what excites Mrs Wakely the most.
Jenna Branch
27th June 2022 - 27th June 2026
Appointed by GB/Board
Mrs Branch has worked in childcare for nine years. She began her childcare career with Tiny Tots Nursery leading the Pre-School room and later joined St Catherine’s Nursery where she has benefitted from learning new skills of how the early years team work together as part of a school.
Mrs Branch is incredibly passionate about the environment children learn in and she is keen to pass on her passion for loose part play as well as real life resources.
Emma Kerr - Executive Principal Altarnun, Egloskerry and Launceston Primary School
23rd September 2019 - 23rd September 2023
Appointed by: Ex-officio
Mrs Kerr is the Executive Principal at Launceston and Egloskerry Primary schools. She holds the National Practitioner Qualification for Headship (NPQH), has a BSc (Hons) degree in Business and completed her PGCE teacher training at the University of Plymouth's Exmouth campus (Rolle College). Prior to being a teacher she worked in London buying programming for ITV but moved to Cornwall in 2005 to train as a teacher, be closer to family and enjoy being by the sea.
She has taught in a variety of schools, across all age ranges, in both Devon and Cornwall and also in Sydney, Australia. Mrs Kerr is the Prince's Teaching Institute (PTI) South West Hub lead, and Co-Lead Nationally, delivering high-quality and subject specific Professional Development for teaching staff. The South West Hub consists of 21 schools and positively impacts hundreds of staff and thousands of pupils.
A keen petrol-head, Mrs Kerr started the Greenpower Goblin project at Egloskerry in 2008; children design, build and race electric kit cars. She thoroughly enjoys delivering lessons through a cross-curricular topic led approach to learning. Mrs Kerr is now a Trustee of Greenpower Educational Trust. She has a keen interest in polar exploration, especially Shackleton, and has enjoyed sharing this with the children via her 'Antarctica' topic work. She is a member of the Geographic Association Early Years and Primary Phase Committee and regularly writes articles for publication.
Rachel Davey (Head of School - Egloskery Primary)
25th April 2022 - 25th April 2026
Appointed by Ex-officio
I have been in education for 20 years both in teaching and leadership capacities across both state maintained and independent schools, working in schools in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and now Cornwall.
I have a passion for creative approaches to teaching and learning across the curriculum and in building children's confidence in their own abilities.
In my spare time I enjoy anything historical! as well as going on long cliff top walks.
Sarah Green SENCo and Inclusion Lead
September 2022 - September 2026
Bio coming soon!
Emily Hayden
Emily is a Chartered Building Surveyor who has worked within the property industry in Devon and Cornwall for over 14 years, delivering a range of construction projects from housing to an award winning museum. She has lived locally all her life and started her own surveying business based in Launceston in 2022. Emily is passionate about children receiving an enriching and stimulating education, with a personal passion for reading and encouraging a love of books from an early age.
To get in touch with the Clerk to the Governing Body, please contact: gfahey@athenalearningtrust.uk
Historic - left within the last 12 months
Sarah Watson
7th April 2022 - 7th April 2026
Appointed by GB/Board
End of term: 6th March 2023
Natalie Donnelly
25th April 2022 - 25th April 2026
Appointed by: GB/Board
End of Term: 6th February 2023
Angela Restall
13th April 2020 - 13th April 2024
Appointed by: GB/Board
End of Term: 1st September 2022
Rebecca Crispin
1st April 2021 - 1st April 2025
Appointed by GB/Board
End of term: 1st September 2022
Stefanie Charlwood
9th December 2019 - 9th December 2023
Appointed by GB/Board
End of term: 1st September 2022
Asha Wilton
7th September 2021 - 7th September 2025
Appointed by school staff
End of term: 12th July 2022