Meet the Governors

Our Trust of Schools

Tracey Stephenson

Headteacher

Aaron Meredith

Chair of Governors

CEO of The Inspire Multi Academy Trust (South West) and Executive Headteacher of Ernesettle Community School and Tor Bridge Primary School, was originally appointed when Ernesettle Community School was deemed to be requiring special measures in May 2010. Within 18 months, the school was graded as ‘Good with Outstanding features’ by Ofsted and in 2019, graded as ‘Outstanding’. In April 2013, Aaron was seconded to part time for two years to open Devon’s first primary free school, Marine Academy Primary; the academy became the south west’s first ‘Outstanding’ free school in June 2015. Aaron was designated as a National Leader in Education (NLE) in 2018 and when the trust sponsored Tor Bridge School in 2021, it consequently became one of only three schools in the South West region to ever achieve moving from Special Measures to Outstanding in its next inspection.

Sharon Mercer

Parent Governor

Vice Chair
Link Governor SEND

I am originally from the east of England, where I grew up on the family farm near Ely in
Cambridgeshire.
I spent 3 years in Huddersfield at University completing a HND and BA (Hons) Degree in
Business and Finance. My husband and I moved to Plymouth in 2007 due to an employment
opportunity.
I started my working life at Cambridge Cable Group, which over the years became NTL, then
NTL Telewest and finally Virgin Media. I took redundancy in November 2019, thus leaving
before its current transformation into Virgin Media 02. The majority of my 24 years was
involved with managing projects, firstly local ones and then companywide, including pan
European programmes.
In January 2020 I had a change of direction and took over the management of a Care Home in
Torquay; this was a very challenging experience especially with the onset of Covid, but still a
real privilege and pleasure to care for people in their twilight years.
I am now about to start a new position working for Plymouth City Council and I am very
excited about another new challenge.
Following my son joining Tor Bridge High in 2021, I felt it was appropriate to give back to my
local community and those involved with the education of both my children. I hope that the
mix of my experiences will enable me to contribute positively to the school, both now and in
the future.

Charlie Huitson

Co-opted Governor

Co-opted Governor
Link Governor Careers

My "governor journey" started when my twin daughters joined Estover Community College
(ECC) way back in 1998. I wanted to be there to support them indirectly in the best way I
could during their time at school, so I thought what better way to do this than to be on the
inside as a then Parent Governor, learning the role of governor so we could all progress
together!
It was quite a steep learning curve to start with, but what with bringing my personal skills
and attributes to the governing team I soon fitted in to enable me to start to effectively
contribute, not only to the school, but to my daughters too!
Having originally been a governor with the old ECC, it was a natural transition to move
"into" the new Tor Bridge High (TBH) when building was completed. I cannot say how
exciting it was to see the new buildings rise from the foundations laid by the "old school" –
only a wordsmith such as Shakespeare could describe that feeling!
TBH has such a buzz about it now, from the students to staff to governors, all with a
common goal, to provide the best possible start in life to provide high quality education to
young people entrusted to TBH.
I’m very proud to "fly the flag" for TBH as a governor as we move onward and upward as a
school. From the youngest to the oldest student who attend TBH, I want to ensure that we
as governors maximise opportunities for young people.

Martin Bowles

Parent Governor

Parent Governor
Link Governor Disadvantaged (inc. Pupil Premium)

I have a vested interest in the future of TBH, my eldest daughter attended and my youngest started Sep 21, in addition my wife Joanne is employed by the school as the Senior Librarian.
I currently work in the Public Sector as a Project, Programme and Portfolio manager, prior to this I was a Royal Marine regular now a reservist so retain my links with Plymouths Armed Forces community. These roles provide numerous transferable skills for the challenges and opportunities that come with the role of governor, which I will utilise for the benefit of the school, parents, staff and most importantly the children on their journey through Secondary education.

Emma Nadin

Staff Governor

I began working in education at Marine Academy Plymouth Secondary in 2014 before moving to Tor Bridge High in the academic year of 2022-2023. The time I have spent in multiple roles, from HLTA to teacher and coach, has enabled me to gain a vast and insightful perspective of schools and how they function at various professional levels. I am currently a teacher of history, a member of the developmental coaching team and completing my NPQ for leading teaching. As staff governor, I aim to utilise my experiences to serve my local community, represent the staff body and ensure students have access to the best education.

Sarah Swain-Pope

Co-opted Governor

Linked to Safeguarding
Sarah, a former student of Tor Bridge High (then Estover Community College), went on to study Law at Cardiff University. After returning to Plymouth, she began her career in banking and insurance sectors before finding her niche and building her career in project and program management at a L&D consultancy. Now, Sarah works for The Key Group, an organisation who provides various services across the education sector, and Sarah is responsible for Portfolio Change and Transformation. Sarah’s work with The Key Group and their passion and links to the education sector brought her back to her old school, igniting a desire to give back. She wants to support the fantastic progress the school has made, especially since it joined the Ted Wragg Trust.

As the Co-opted Link Governor for Safeguarding, Sarah is passionate about making sure every child's welfare and safety is a top priority. Her background in project and change management and auditing gives her a sharp eye for detail, which she uses to provide rigorous oversight and constructive challenge to the leadership team. She loves working with the safeguarding team, regularly reviewing their practices and making sure the school's processes are as solid as can be. Sarah is committed to helping the school create a safe and nurturing environment for all its students.

Kady Steele

Co-opted Governor

Link to SEND
I’m Kady Steele, a primary school teacher currently on secondment with the Early Years South West Stronger Practice Hub. In my role, I support early years practitioners across the region to strengthen practice and improve outcomes for young children.

I’m a former student of Estover Community College, and my daughter has just joined Year 7, continuing our family’s connection with the local schools. I live close to Tor Bridge High and am proud to be an active member of the community.

I’m passionate about early education and believe in giving every child the best possible start through high-quality teaching, collaboration, and a love of learning.

Brad Turner

Governor

Hannah West

Co-opted Governor