Local Governing Body
Ian Graham (Chair)
10th Septemeber 2020 - 10th September 2024
Appointed by: Trust Board
Ian is a practising Criminal Barrister following his call to the Bar in 2013. He specialises in general Crime, Fraud and Regulatory Law practising from Colleton Chambers in Exeter. His current career followed 24 years serving in the Royal Navy, where he trained as a warfare officer reaching the rank of Commander. Career highlights included command of two warships and leading Royal Navy operational sea training; he is an experienced project and risk manager. He is married, lives in Launceston with his family and works in forestry in his spare time.
Jenn Burn (Principal)
6th January 2020 - 6th January 2024
Appointed by Ex-Officio
Jenn joined Launceston College in September 2009 as Assistant Principal Key Stage 5 and, after more than a decade of successful senior leadership in this role, she secured a permanent appointment as Principal in March 2020.
Born in Scotland, Jenn studied at Glasgow University from 1987-91, achieving an MA in History and Politics. She completed her teaching qualification in secondary education at Jordanhill College of Education, 1991-92, before relocating to Cornwall to start her teaching career at St Austell College in September 1992, teaching A level History, Philosophy and Ethics. Jenn worked her way up to a leadership position in the Further Education sector and after 10 successful years of A level teaching, she made the unusual move across to secondary education, joining Wadebridge School as Head of Sixth Form in June 2003. During her time at Wadebridge she developed a passion for teaching A level Psychology and she welcomed the opportunity to continue to teach Psychology today in her role as Principal.
Jenn's vision for Launceston College as it expands successfully into the 2020’s is to lead a College that inspires and enables everyone, whatever their starting point, to achieve their best and to become the very best version of themselves that they can be. Her vision is to ensure that all students aspire to excellence and appreciate the importance and the value of their education.
Helen Reilly
20th September 2019 - 20th September 2023
Appointed by Local Governing Body
Helen joined the governing body in November 2015 having taught at the college since 2001. She has lived in Cornwall for over twenty years and has always been proud of the education available in the county. Helen teaches business studies and ICT and hopes that she can pass on to the students the knowledge she gained through working in the ICT industry for over twenty years before moving to Cornwall and retraining as a teacher. As deputy head of the College Sixth Form, she is keen to promote post-16 education at the College and feels that as a governor she can share her insight in this area to help in the governance of the College.
Adam Stockton
25th March 2020- 25th March 2024
Appointed by Local Governing Body
Adam has lived on and off in Cornwall for the last 33 years and has recently moved into the Launceston area. His Mum and both younger brothers are teachers and teaching is something he is passionate about having been a technical trainer for seven years of her career. Adam is a career civil servant and has been in many roles at the cutting edge of technology for the past 17 years. He believes in the need to deliver quality training in technology to children to ensure they have the skills for the future work place. He has previously supported a local primary school by delivering after school coding classes to their year 5 and 6 pupils.
Adam has dyspraxia and dyslexia which gives him an insight into learning with learning disorders. He is keen to ensure those with learning disorders are given the help and support they need to succeed alongside their peers. Adam thinks that these disorders have given him a unique perspective on life and has provided just as many advantages as disadvantages due to the different way he approaches problems.
Steve Jolly
16th September 2021 - 16th September 2025
Appointed by Local Governing Body
Steve Jolly attended Launceston College from 1997 until 2002, having been brought up just outside the town as well as in the Middle East for a few years.
He studied politics in London and Exeter and then went to work in political campaigning until 2015. He now is a Director in a communications consultancy based in Launceston, specialising in planning and development on projects both in Cornwall and across the UK.
Steve has been an Enterprise Advisor for the College since 2019, helping the College on their careers advice, and has also volunteered for a number of charities advising them on communications and fundraising, as well training political campaigning techniques overseas.
James Gardner
30th September 2021 - 30th September 2025
Appointed by Local Governing Body
Originally from the North East of England, James has been a local resident for 20 years and lives just outside of South Petherwin, where he has been a Governor at the Primary School since 2016.
James has been in teaching since 1991 and has held a number of positions – first becoming a subject leader of Art at a school in Burmantofts, Leeds. In 1998 James qualified as an Advanced Skills Teacher and became involved in coaching and supporting others in the teaching profession locally and across the authority. After to moving to Cornwall, James has been an Expressive Arts Coordinator at Coombe Dean School in Devon and he has been involved in the Plymouth Teaching School Alliance since 2018, when he led the curation of the Art and Design Teachers Conference on behalf of the Plymouth Art Hub.
James is currently developing his curriculum focused role while seconded into the Senior Leadership Team at Coombe Dean School. He is an advocate for the Arts and research informed practice in education and James is keen to invest time in his local community with a role at Launceston College.
Anna Gough
4th November 2021 - 4th November 2025
Appointed by Local Governing Body
Anna qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 2000. Since this time, Anna has worked with children and families in NHS and independent sectors. Currently, Anna has clinical responsibilities to the Family Courts across the South West, and a therapeutic caseload with looked after children.
Anna has a keen interest in promoting child emotional health across primary and secondary schools. This includes the identification of natural school-based opportunities to promote resilience, as well as achieving a clear home-school link to create a safe network around children so that they can reach their potential.
Anna has a daughter in Launceston College. In her spare time, she can be found running or cycling.
Emma Uglow
17th April 2023 - 17th April 2027
Appointed by Local Governing Body
Scottish but born in Malaysia, Emma grew up living in Milan, Nigeria, Guangzhou, Hong
Kong, Taiwan, and Scotland. She received a first-class Bachelor of Arts with Honours from
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee along with several awards
including a John Kinross Scholarship from the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. As a
teaching fellow at her alma mater, she tutored BA undergraduates before moving to London
to specialise in sculpture and foundry work, achieving a Master of Arts from The Royal
College of Art. Thereafter, she practiced and exhibited in Rome under patronage and has been
connected to the fine art industry ever since.
As a violinist, she has solo public performance experience as well as in leading both large and
small ensembles including chamber, string orchestra and scots fiddle; having secured all
L.A.M.D.A medals with honours and an appearance in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe she
places great value on all things expressive and performative.
She is ever enthused by the propensity of the creative arts to compliment, enhance and
oxygenate the essential core curriculum subjects and advocates the power they have to
develope an entirely unique empire of skills.
She states that her fervour for learning is inextricably linked to the role the creative arts has
played in her life and to the super structure of teaching and guardianship she received within
the school environment.
She has two children who currently attend Egloskerry Primary School and Launceston
College.
Trudy Bailey
17th April 2023 - 17th April 2027
Appointed by Local Governing Body
Trudy has spent the majority of her life in Cornwall, with her early childhood being spent in Saltash before moving away for a few years when her father was promoted to head of a SEN department in a Wiltshire school. After leaving school, she worked as an Assistant Scientific Officer at CDE, Porton Down, researching and developing protective clothing for use by the forces in the event of nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare. Later, she married a farmer and moved back to Cornwall in 1975.
Besides teaching piano, Trudy qualified with a Diploma in Music Education when implementing music in Primary Schools curriculum became a statutory requirement. She worked for 11 schools in the Launceston area for several years before being approached by the Cornwall Music Service to work for them, offering six weeks of free classroom music to all primary schools across North and S.E Cornwall. She continued to do so until retirement. Trudy has raised six children and has two grandchildren at Launceston College.
Despite being retired, Trudy still maintains a strong passion for enabling children of all abilities to receive a broad and inspiring education.
Hollie Thomas
12th May 2023 - 12th May 2027
Appointed by Local Governing Body
Emily is a Chartered Building Surveyor who has worked within the property industry in Devon and Cornwall for over 14 years, delivering a range of construction projects from housing to an award winning museum. She has lived locally all her life and started her own surveying business based in Launceston in 2022. Emily is passionate about children receiving an enriching and stimulating education, with a personal passion for reading and encouraging a love of books from an early age.
For Trust wide information please visit www.athenalearningtrust.uk/governance