Sophie joined Ravensthorpe as a committee member in November 2022.

As a parent of two small boys, which occupies most of her time, she is a designer by trade and will take any opportunity to be creative, especially if it's something crafty. But more often than not can be found curled up on the sofa with some combination of the tv, a cat and a Kindle.

Sophie is a lifelong Peterborough resident, now living in Longthorpe. My child is a pupil at Longthorpe Primary Academy (another KEYS school).

Sophie has worked with schools for 11 years, and has always lived in Peterborough and am now a parent with a child in reception. This combination led her to look for an opportunity to volunteer with and support a local school - being aware on both a personal and professional level of the scope and depth of influence a child's primary school and primary education can have.

Name: 

• Jennifer Williams

Category of Governor:

• KEYS appointed
• Term of Office Appointed: 12th January 2026

Specific role/s on the academy Committee:

• TBC

WORK:

• Retired but worked in a variety of housing fields from general, supported, hostel accommodation, mother and baby units and keyworker housing.

Governance Experience:

• Responsible for management and delivery of housing services, ensuring compliance with legislation and maintaining high standards of housing stock. Delivering customer services to service users, tenants and leaseholders ensuring high levels of customer engagement and satisfaction. Which includes organisational governance and reporting, alongside managing relationships with stakeholders and communities.
• Compliance of health and safety legislation, monitoring KPI’s, Risk registers and finance.

Hobbies and Interests:

• Cooking
• DIY
• Gardening.

Links to the school area:

• None

Why did you become a governor:

• I have a lot of transferable skills which I feel will be beneficially in the role of governor. Which allows me to give back to the community whilst supporting the strategic direction and success of the school.

Name: 

• Mark Downing

Category of Governor:

• KEYS appointed
• Term of Office Appointed: 13th February 2026

Specific role/s on the academy Committee:

• TBC

WORK:

• CEO of three organisations working within the educational sector
• Work across 32 local schools
• Manage a large team of staff to deliver effective support for children on a daily basis

Governance Experience:

• Worked in education for over 20 years

Hobbies and Interests:

• Music/comedy
• Theatre/Movies
• Socialising
• Sport

Links to the school area:

• Worked closely with Ravensthorpe Primary Academy for over 12 years across all three of my organisations.

Why did you become a governor:

• I became a school governor to support Ravensthorpe Primary Academy community and to help ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed. Having worked in education for over 20 years, I wanted to contribute my skills and experience to support the school and help improve outcomes for all pupils. I am passionate about supporting education and playing a role in helping the school continue to develop and improve. 

Name: 

• Alison Aquilina-Evans

Category of Governor:

• Staff Governor at Ravensthorpe Primary Academy
• Term of Office Appointed: 23rd February 2026

Specific role/s on the academy Committee:

• TBC

WORK:

• Running a successful local childminding business
• Mentor for students completing childcare courses
• Peterborough childminding committee member
• Bank staff for Early Years
• Stanground St Johns Primary School
• Ravensthorpe Primary Academy

Governance Experience:

• Worked with children for over 25 years from Early years to educational settings
• Stanground St Johns Primary school (Parent Governor)

Hobbies and Interests:

• Concerts/theatre/movies
• Exploring new places
• Socialising
• Reading
• Walking
• Bell ringing

Links to the school area:

• Worked at Ravensthorpe Primary school for over 10 years. Previously lived in the community and was a childminder for over 10 years. Phonics specialist at Ravensthorpe Primary for over 5years.

Why did you become a governor:

• I became a governor at Ravensthorpe Primary Academy as a parent myself I feel very passionate about education and the impact it has on our young people. I understand the importance of schools working in partnership with families and keeping children at the heart of every decision. I have worked with children for over 25 years from Early years to educational settings and have a degree in Early Years. I care deeply about ensuring that pupils are given not only strong academic foundations, but also opportunities to feel valued, supported and inspired.

Name: 

• Steve Warburton

Category of Governor:

• KEYS appointed
• Term of Office Appointed: 01st September 2026

Specific role/s on the academy Committee:

• TBC

WORK:

• After 30 years working in schools – including seven as Headteacher
• I am now an Associate Consultant with Novatia Services, working to support schools across the UK.

Governance Experience:

• I have served as a parent governor and LA-appointed governor in Peterborough Primary schools… a total of 10 years.

Hobbies and Interests:

• Researching and delivering talks about military history
• Playing football
• Leading a local church
• Being a Grandad

Why did you become a governor:

• I know how valuable it is for a school leader to have committed governors who can provide support for the school, staff and pupils… I have the time and hopefully the experience to do that.

Name: 

• Paul Hawkins

Category of Governor:

• KEYS appointed
• Term of Office Appointed: 01st October 2026

Specific role/s on the academy Committee:

• Chair

WORK:

• I worked for 25 Years in the banking and finance sector, followed by 6 years as a project manager at the Natural History Museum. My final working period was at Cambridge University as a team manager, managing diverse teams of 20 plus people across many work disciplines

Governance Experience:

• I chaired various working groups throughout my working life. After retirement I was a trustee at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau Peterborough and at Peterborough Sight, a charity for people with sight loss, where I acted as chair of trustees at various times. I have also done smaller pieces of work for various charities mainly to give guidance about how to structure various areas of their operations more efficiently.    

Hobbies and Interests:

• A keen walker and a wildlife enthusiast.
• Recently restructured my garden , which is in the centre of Peterborough, to support as much wildlife as possible. This has proved to be very rewarding and helps keep wildlife going in what is a fairly unfriendly environment.

Links to the school area:

• I have lived in Peterborough since 1986. My children all went to school here. My children still live in the city and surrounding areas  I was previously a Governor at the Lime Academy, Parnwell

Why did you become a governor:

• I think it’s important to help every child make the best of the opportunities they have. I strongly believe learning is the most important thing anyone can do. Given that, being a school governor seems to me the logical place to be.