About Our Governors
james saunders
Headteacher
I joined Honywood as headteacher in April 2018 after leading a local cross-phase teaching school and Challenge Partners school improvement hub, working with schools across Essex. I hold a degree in Music, MA in Electronic Media and an MBA in Educational Leadership. Prior to teaching I worked as a freelance sound, graphic and web designer. I then retrained as a computing teacher; a subject I continue to teach as Headteacher. I have a deep interest in technology and, in 2014, was one of 50 people globally who were selected to work with Google and awarded the status Google Certified innovator.
I have also served on the ethics committee at UCL between 2017 and 2020 and am a founding fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and fellow of the RSA. I am also a Trustee of a local primary school Trust, a member of another local trust and Vice Chair of governors at my son's primary school. I am also senior partner for Challenge Partners.
HELEN MULLEY
Chair of the Governing Body
With over 12 years of experience as an education journalist, I now work as a freelance editorial consultant, focusing on the education and charitable sectors. I believe that all children should have access to schools that are inclusive, aspirational, and holistic in their approach.
Honywood embodies these values, and I am immensely proud of the school's commitment to high-quality teaching, the nurturing of meaningful relationships between staff and learners, and its relentless drive for improvement. Since joining the governing body in 2018, I have relished the opportunity to work collaboratively to both support and challenge senior leaders, ensuring the best possible outcomes for all learners. Witnessing the transformative impact of Honywood’s exceptionally caring ethos on young people's lives is a privilege and a source of constant inspiration.
Briony Grogan
Vice Chair of Governing Body
I am a HR Director in London with a strong interest in diversity and inclusion. I'm also a mum of two with both my children at primary school. I live in West Bergholt, near Colchester with my family and dog.
PHILIPPE BILBY
Staff Governor
SCOTT CAYGILL
Staff Governor
SARAH GARNER
Co-opted Governor
Details to follow.
mICHAEL GOODMAN
Parent Governor
I am a Professor in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, specialising in Cold War history. I have a strong interest in education and supporting children to realise their potential. My son has been at Honywood for 4 years. Outside of work and family life I am an Army Reservist, enjoy running and playing football, and following the trials and tribulations of West Ham.
Melanie Cork
Parent Governor
It is my pleasure to have joined the Honywood Governing body as Parent Governor. I have two children who attend Honywood in Years 7 and 10. Throughout my teaching career, I have developed a real passion for education and special educational needs, and hold a Masters’ degree in Educational Leadership and SEN. I am currently a Deputy Headteacher, SENCO and Designated Safeguarding Lead at a large primary school in Colchester, and have held a Governor position in the primary sector for around 18 years.
Walking the dog, spending time with my family, swimming and the theatre are all pastimes that I enjoy.
TIM STYLES
Co-opted Governor
Now in my 18th year as a Governor of Honywood Community Science School I’ve been privileged to play a part in the exciting journey that the school has taken over this time. Initially as a Parent Governor and subsequently as an appointed Governor I have had two terms as Chair of Finance and Personnel and in 2016 became Vice-Chair.
I grew up in Coggeshall and after a decade in London my wife and I returned to the town with our young sons nineteen years ago. Both my sons have passed through Honywood and gone on to University. My wife is a teacher at St. Peter’s C of E Primary School.
I’m an IT professional and currently act as Group Chief Information Officer for a private equity backed collection of fifteen businesses which is varied and challenging. In addition to IT I have an interest in business in general and have a Masters in Business Administration which I gained from the Open University Business School in 2002.
Andrew Wood
Parent Governor
As a seasoned professional with a long and varied background in information technology, and more recently in the last 13 years specialising in cybersecurity. I provide strategic leadership for one of the UK's foremost consultancy and digital service providers where I lead the development and implementation of an expansive, multi-million-pound cybersecurity strategy to enable the delivery of cutting-edge, resilient digital solutions to a wide array of clients, ranging from UK Government agencies to notable private sector brands.
I am an advocate for lifelong learning and actively foster a culture of continuous education and skill development within my teams. I firmly believe that learning is an ongoing process that extends far beyond formal schooling. This belief is reflected in my own academic achievements where I have obtained an MSc in Computer Security and an MBA with specialisation in Cybersecurity Management, both as a mature student, alongside numerous professional certifications in both IT and security.
Outside of my professional life, I enjoy gardening, playing the piano, and spending time with my wife, my daughter, and my son who has recently joined Honywood in year 7.
I look forward to being able to support the leadership team in continuing their successful journey at Honywood School.
Liam teller
Having tried a couple of different jobs upon leaving education I finally settled into a Career in Retail Management. I worked in the industry for 10 years, in which time I had a mixture of roles, from turning around failing Stores to Cluster Management and then on to a position of Business Manager in which I was responsible for the day to day running of the business. This included HR, Recruitment, Staff Development and Training, Procurement and managing P&L as well as diversifying the business.
Early in 2019 I decided that I fancied a change and wanted to use my existing skill set, whilst broadening my knowledge, so I looked for a different industry that would also give me more time with my family. An opportunity then arose for me to retrain as a Driving Instructor. This has been an exciting challenge and is now a career which I love.
Now that my stepson has joined Honywood as of this year, I saw another chance to not only broaden my own knowledge further but also to give back to the community and have more of an input into his education.
I am proud to have the opportunity to become a Governor at Honywood, and I hope to use my skills to help support the Leadership Team and staff at the school with its continued success.