Our Governors

Mrs Kathy Fordham

- Trustee & Chair of Governors

For the last 20 years I have worked in various jobs in health and social care for local authorities, the NHS and the voluntary sector, as a nurse, social worker, advocate, manager etc. My husband and I are also farmers in Little Horsted and Isfield - we grow arable crops and beef cattle. We also own and run the village stores in Isfield, selling a wide range of local produce. I have one son at Ringmer CC, who is doing A- Levels in the Sixth Form. In my spare time, I am a member of Isfield and Little Horsted Bonfire Society.

Mr. David Collins

 -  Vice Chair of Governors

I have 40 years experience in Town Planning and related subjects, both in the Public and Private sector. I am a Chartered Town Planner and Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. I now run my own Planning Consultancy business. I also have a sporting background and am a senior cricket coach. I had two children at Ringmer who have completed their higher education and finished University.

Dexter Allen　

  - Trustee & Governor

I am a married father of four, two of which have happily attended Ringmer Community College. My full time employment is with the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service's Fire Safety Department, previously I have spent a number of years facilitating professional education in the Fire Service, as well as serving operationally. I have a keen interest in organisational development and public sector modernisation. In my spare time I read, swim and go to the gym. I bring to the Governing Body, skills in health and safety, business and finance.

Mrs Sandra Pratt

- Parent Governor

I am married with one daughter who is currently at Year 8 at Ringmer.　I originally qualified as an accountant, and during my career I worked as Finance Manager at Worthing 6th Form College.　I changed careers when my daughter was young and have been working as a Teaching Assistant at East Hoathly for six years, and enjoying the many challenges that teaching provides.　I was also staff Governor at East Hoathly for almost four years, and now I am studying for my NVQ3.  I have horses, that my daughter rides and, which take up most of my spare time!

Mrs Justine Sipprell　

 - Governor

I have lived in this area for the last seven years and have two children, one of whom is in year seven at Ringmer. I am originally from London but was partly educated in the U.S and my family mainly live in North America. I teach the piano and violin and work as a shiatsu therapist from a clinic in Lewes. I specialise in pregnancy and birth and teach midwives shiatsu techniques. I am currently training to become a Pilates instructor. Previously I worked in Early years education and still volunteer, helping families with young children. I enjoy skiing, sailing and travelling.

 Mr Duncan Craig 　

- Trustee & Governor

I joined the Ringmer Community College Board of Governors in 2010, shortly after my wife and I moved to Lewes from the Netherlands. There I had been the director of Continental European operations and a main board director of Logica plc, an IT services company. My voluntary work there included being the Finance Governor of the British School in the Netherlands. I was educated in the UK and our 2 children went to Dutch state schools. My other voluntary work includes business management for a small not-for-profits publisher based in the USA.

Mr Stephen Rigby

 - Parent Governor

A broad career in business, management and consultancy, having begun work in International Banking at 17. I have been a Regional Manager of a Life company, and involved in property consultancy and management for many years and worked in areas including business strategy and analysis, contract construction and negotiation across retail, financial services, property, and education sectors. I have also had experience in the information technology sector having worked with IBM for a number of years.  I am currently a Director of two companies, one involved in property, and the other in electronics and software design, currently working on a project to actively involve the community in education. I am also a member of the Industrial Liaison Board at the University of Sheffield, currently working with the Department of Computer Science.  I have two children, one of whom is at Ringmer and one living near Barcombe.
Over the last seven years I have coached Rugby to young people and found it to be one of the most humbling and rewarding experiences I have had.
I hope to be able to make a positive contribution to the positive influences already present in the Governing body.
‘Down-time’ is something of a rarity, but when I get a chance enjoy skiing, travelling, sailing and painting.

Mrs Dawn Orchard　

 - Governor

My working career began when I left secondary education and joined the Royal Navy, defence cuts affected the branch I worked in and I opted to leave and was fortunate to secure employment with a large hotel chain undertaking a personnel assistant role. I have remained within this line of work for the last 16 years. I have worked for a variety of organisations in different sectors undertaking Personnel and Training related work.　My current role is as a Human Resources Business Partner working within the Criminal Justice System.　I am qualified with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and enjoy my work and the variety it presents.
I have a son who attends Ringmer Community College and in my limited spare time enjoy following Rugby and walking.

Mrs Rosemary Lewis

- Governor    

My career as a teacher started at a grammar school in Surrey and when we moved to Sussex, I taught at, what was then, Stanmer Secondary School. After taking time out to have two children, I returned to teaching part time at a small independent school, Southover Manor, in Lewes before taking up a full time post at Roedean School to teach science and chemistry up to year 11 and Biology throughout the school to A level. After 4 years I became the Deputy Head and then the Acting Head before being appointed to the headship of Burgess Hill School, an independent school for over 700 girls aged 3 to 18 years. During this time I also became an inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate, affiliated to Ofsted.
On retirement I continued to inspect schools but also trained Senior leadership Teams  in a number of UK schools and the International College in Aiglon, Switzerland, and carried out a number of appraisals of Heads on behalf of their Governing bodies.
I have been a governor of three other schools including Worth School where I chaired The Governor’s Education Committee for five years.
My husband was a member of staff at Sussex University in charge of all the computing services and we lived in Lewes for 40 years before moving to Ringmer two years ago. My spare time is taken up enjoying family life, travelling, music and gardening. I hope to be able to use my years of experience in education to benefit the Academy in the future.

Ms Ceetah Grieves                            - Governor  

I qualified as a commercial lawyer at one of London's top city law firms, Allen & Overy.  I went on to specialise in commercial media work and worked as in-house counsel for various media organisations such as Warner Music and Channel 4.  One of the fun projects I worked on was the yearly recordings of Glyndebourne Operas filmed live at Glyndebourne for Channel 4.  Since having my three sons my working life has become more part time as they keep me very busy but I still find time to run a tv production company with my husband.  We have just moved back to Sussex and settled in Ringmer after living in London and Somerset.  I enjoy riding and running and trying to keep pace with my boys.

I am currently the Senior Science Technician in Ringmer Community College and have worked here now for 6 years. I am also the Chair of the Staff Forum which liaises with senior staff on a range of items.  I qualified as a Medical Laboratory Scientist and spent the first part of my career working in Pathology at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. Those skills were then transferred into the commercial world where I worked for a large Health Diagnostics company in Sales and marketing. I have two children who have both been students at Ringmer, the oldest; my son is now training as a Junior Soldier in the Army. In my spare time I enjoy outdoor pursuits and am a member of an Amateur Theatrical Society.

Mrs K Stonier -

Principal & Governor