Val Bridge

Type: Chair of Governors / Foundation Governor

Responsibilities: Chair of Governors, Safeguarding, Attendance and RE

From 1997 to 2017, I worked in the office at Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School, advancing to school business manager and graduating with a Diploma in School Business Management in 2005. I saw the school transition to becoming an Academy in 2015 and going the trust with St Alban's and St Paul's in the spring of that year. I became a governor following my retirement. 

In January 2024, I took on the role of Chair of Governors. Being a governor requires attending local governors' meetings and carrying out regular monitoring, which for me includes safeguarding, RE and attendance as well as reviewing the school environment. 

I have two daughters who attended Saint Mary's in the 1980s and 1990s and my association with the school during this time included being an active member of the PTA and supporting the school by reading with children and going on school trips. 

My involvement with the Church includes being an Eucharistic Minister and member of the Church council. I also take part in a number of school Masses in school as well as in Church. 

Supporting the school and ensuring the best outcomes for children are at the heart of why I became a governor.