Kelly McDonaghI have always lived locally in East Sussex, growing up in Shinewater in Eastbourne; I attended St Thomas a Beckett, St Richard’s, and Park College. I then moved to Brighton and studied law at Sussex University. I now work as a court clerk at Lewes Crown court, which is fascinating and varied!
I really really (really!) like walking. My husband and I chose to walk from Land’s End to John O’groats for our honeymoon (1200 miles in 3 months!) and I have walked 100k in 23 hours. I also run and go to the local book club. I live in Upper Dicker with my husband and three young children, the eldest has just started in reception at Park Mead. I really love being part of village life, mucking about with the kids, and contributing to our community.
I have been part of the governing board since before Park Mead joined the Pioneer Federation. As Alan says, as governors, we must be responsible for strategic direction but avoid involvement with day-to-day management. We also want to support our teachers as much as possible but provide critique and ask challenging questions to ensure our children’s education is the best it can possibly be. I am specifically linked to Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing alongside Ms West, which is challenging but thought-provoking, as is scrutinising the implementation of strategies to encourage our children’s confidence and resilience.