Meet the Trustees and Members

Graveney Primary School became an Academy in February 2012.  We are a Single Academy within a Multi Academy Trust (MAT).  Our governing body consists of the Headteacher, 3 x Co-opted Trustees, 3 x Parent Trustees and 1 x Staff Trustee.

Trustees who have resigned in the last 12 months:

• Alison Blackwell resigned as Accounting Officer 07/10/2025
• Timothy Thomas resigned as Chair & Trustee 01/09/2025
• Rina Kreitman resigned as Member 23/09/2025
• Carla Hodgson resigned as a Co-opted Trustee 20/02/2026
• Charles Rumsey resigned as an Appointed Governor 20/02/2026
• Leon Robichaud resigned on 02/06/2026

Members & the Board of Trustees of Graveney Primary School

Andrew Bowles (Member)

I was born and brought up in Graveney and my children attended Graveney School. I became a Local Authority Governor in 1980 after playing a leading role in opposing a County Council proposal to close the school, as it had less than 20 pupils on role. I am a member of Swale Borough Council and KCC. I no longer sit on the Board as a Governor but remain a Member.

Mary Hewitt (Member)

I have lived in Faversham for well over 30 years and began my teaching career in a girls’ secondary school in Sittingbourne. Following the births of my children, I retrained as a primary teacher and went on to serve as Headteacher in two different Kent Schools. I retired from my post at the end of December 2016. I have been chair of governors at Graveney School. I now look forward to my new role as a member of this board.

Dreena Knibbs

I have been associated with Graveney since 1986 when my children began school.
They have now grown up and moved on, and I am still here. I am currently the staff governor; I have completed my AAT Technician and my diploma in school business management. I have been a governor here for a number of years in various different roles.

Martin Wicks (Chair)

I moved to Faversham 15 years ago and have two children in a local primary school. As a Chartered Accountant with a background in both Internal and External Audit in the public and private sectors, I bring strong financial scrutiny to the Board of Governors along with a real passion to ensure children get the very best from their primary school education.

Charles Rumsey (Member)

While I have only very recently moved to Whitstable, accepting a role as Trustee at Graveney is both a privilege and an opportunity to support my local community. I am a lawyer in the Government Legal Department, and so I have a particular interest in supporting the governance and compliance functions of the Graveney board.  

Sam Bishop

I've lived in Kent, more specifically Sittingbourne and Canterbury, since birth. I'm currently a University Student at Canterbury. I work part-time as a Door Supervisor for venues, clubs, and bars across Kent. As well as being involved in the British Army locally. I hope to bring my experience in risk assessments and security to the school, as I value the well-being and education of both the children and guardians of schools, and hope to help as much as possible.

Jevgenija Tkacenko

I moved to Whitstable in 2018 and have one child in a local primary school. I have been working at QE in Faversham for the last five years, gaining valuable experience in education and student development. As a local tennis player and aspiring Educational Psychologist, I have a particular interest in wellbeing, learning, and personal growth. I look forward to using my experience and enthusiasm to support Graveney, its children, and the wider community as a Trustee.

Nicky Brown

I’ve always believed that every child deserves a great education and I’m passionate about making that happen. I’m a primary Headteacher and have been involved in school governance for over 20 years, in several different schools so I have a lot of knowledge and experience of teaching and learning, school finance and safeguarding. I’m really looking forward to being part of the team at Graveney Primary, working together to provide the very best primary school experience for all our children.

Evie Crickson

I have always believed that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive and achieve their very best. I have been teaching for eleven years across all primary year groups and am currently the SENCO at Graveney Primary. These roles have given me valuable experience in teaching, learning, inclusion, and supporting children with a wide range of needs. I am passionate about making our school an inclusive, happy place where every child feels safe, valued, and ready to learn. As a Staff Governor, I am committed to helping Graveney continue to be a community that feels like a family, where children are supported to grow in confidence, develop a love of learning, and reach their full potential. 

Record of Business and Pecuniary Interests (including governance roles in other educational establishments)

• Register-of-business-interests-schedule-2021-22.pdf
• Register-of-business-interests-schedule-2022 23.docx
•  

Governor Monitoring Pairs

• 2019-20 Monitoring Pairs
• School Plan Monitoring Responsibilities 2022 23 (1).docx

Funding Agreement, Memorandum and Articles of Association

• Persons with Significant Control
• Graveney - Articles of Association
• Graveney - Memorandum of Association
• Master Funding Agreement
• GPS Scheme of Delegation November 2020