Meet the Governors
Tim Saiet
Foundation Governor – Ex – officio
Revd Tim Saiet is Vicar of St John the Evangelist Church, Hildenborough. He has spent much of his life as a professional illusionist and creative communicator. He is married to Charlotte and has four children. He is a former Royal Marine Commando and has spent time coaching all types of skiing and outdoor winter pursuits.
Emma Challis
Foundation Governor – Nominated by the Parochial Church Council
Emma has been a primary school teacher for 25 years. She has worked South East London and is currently working part-time at Woodlands Primary School in Tonbridge, where she is part of the SLT; has responsibility for PE; and oversees English. Emma was a Teacher Governor in London and has been a Foundation Governor at Hildenborough since February 2015. Emma attends St. John’s regularly and has served on the PCC and Deanery Synod. Currently, she has responsibility for the Trailblazers (age 7-11) Sunday School group. Emma was born in Hildenborough and has very fond memories of the school where she and her sister were pupils. She says she was a member of the very competitive and successful school netball team!
Andrew McNeil
Co-opted Governor Vice Chair
After working in the investment banking industry for a decade, Andrew has now decided to go back to university to further his studies. He was previously a school governor a Alward Academy (a secondary school in Edmonton), where he chaired the Achievements and Standards Committee. Having moved to the area 3 years ago, Andrew now has two young daughters. He has also recently become a member of Hildenborough Parish Council. Andrew hopes that his working background, previous governing experience and local community links will help contribute in supporting the school in developing and educating the children.
Hannah Denny
Parent Governor
Chair of Governors
Hannah has a daughter, Bella, who is currently in Year 6. She has been associated with the school for ten years, having had a son attend before transferring to secondary school. Hannah trained as a primary school teacher and has worked in both mainstream and special schools. She has previously served as a teacher governor and so has experience of being part of a governing body. Her passion is ensuring that all children are challenged and given the support needed to not only achieve but actually exceed expectations.
Ryan Brignall
Co-opted Governor
Ryan has spent the last 7 years building his career as a Retail Buyer and has worked at some of the UK’s biggest retailers, during this time he has worked on large marketing and promotional campaigns, whilst raising the profile of challenger businesses and brands. Ryan's passion for school governance comes from his family as his sister is a primary school teacher and his mother is a finance officer at his old primary school. Ryan moved to Tonbridge just over a year ago and is keen to get involved and support his local community, whilst gaining board level decision-making experience.
Michael Calamito
Co-opted Governor
Michael Calamito has worked in the financial services industry for over 30 years in a variety of business operations and business continuity roles. He joined Hargreaves Lansdown in March of 2021 as Head of Operational Resilience and retired in September 2023. Michael was also Head of Global Business Continuity Management at Fidelity International, where he oversaw business continuity activities across 27 countries for Fidelity International. Michael’s service with Fidelity’s domestic operations dates back to 1987. Michael also served in the US Army Reserves for 30 years, retiring in 2015 with the rank of Colonel. Michael had an accomplished career that included deployments to Iraq in 2006-2007 as an Iraqi logistical advisor and Afghanistan as the Commander of the Defense Logistics Agency in 2013. Michael holds a BS in Business Management and Industrial Relations from Seton Hall University and a Master Business Continuity Planner (MBCP) from the Disaster Recovery Institute. Michael is also a trained UK Domestic and International Responder for REACT Disaster Response Charity.
Sarah Smith
Co-opted Governor
Sarah has been a qualified Childcare Practitioner since 2009 and believes that every child should be seen as unique individuals and treated as one through all aspects of their lives. Sarah feels every child should be nurtured into the best version of themselves whilst being heard and treated with respect.
Sarah is passionate about ensuring children have positive memories and experiences throughout their education to help them thrive in life.
In her free time, Sarah enjoys spending time with her nephew and nieces, walking, reading, gaming and movie nights.
Jo Wallace
Parent Governor
Jo has two children at Hildenborough School (Scott and Amy) and has lived in the village since 2008. This is Jo’s first role as a school governor and she is looking forward to supporting the teachers and children at Hildenborough School in making it the best it can be. In her day job, Jo works for the Care Quality Commission ensuring that people get safe and high quality care services and she is passionate about supporting services to continuously improve. Jo believes all children have the right to an exciting and fulfilling education and access to skilled and creative teachers. She is keen to ensure that Hildenborough is a safe and nurturing school that brings out the best in both its staff and students.
Ben Essenhigh
Parent Governor
Ben has two children at Hildenborough Primary, one about to leave in Year 6 and one about to enter Year 4. He has worked in both the State and Independent Education Sector for over 15 years, and is currently part of the Senior Leadership Team at Sutton High School, as Director of Enrichment and Partnerships. This is Ben's first role as part of a governing body but he hopes to support the school to continue delivering the best possible educational experience to all pupils, and support the staff in their work, which makes this a reality.