Perry Huntley
Chair of Trustees
Founding Academy Member
I am an MBA graduate with over 20 years’ experience in food service retailing, including senior positions at Whitbread, Mitchells & Butlers and Stonegate where I have led teams delivering significant change programmes, brand transition, product innovation and team skills development. Married with three daughters, a park runner, music lover and avid Portsmouth FC fan.
I've been lucky enough to have been a Governor at two schools within our community cluster and I am one of the founding members helping Henlow to academy status in 2012. Since then I've been the chair of trustees supporting and challenging "our school" through some significant transformational programmes notably, recruiting our Head Teacher, setting and monitoring strategic direction, three Ofsted + two SIAMS inspections and seven annual reports.
I'm even luckier to get a front row seat at many whole school gatherings such as our end of term assemblies, key stage drama productions and concerts from our annual visit from the Watoto (Children's) choir from Uganda, just one of the amazing fundraising events our Children passionately support.
I believe my role is to work closely with the trustees, the SLT and key stakeholders to deliver an exciting long term future for the school, ensuring parents and carers have choice and confidence in pupil progress and attainment. To positively challenge financial and performance management and celebrating our success along the way.
In 2003 I retired from teaching and trained as an Anglican priest. I was ordained in 2007 and became curate in the benefice of Meppershall and Shefford.
I became a governor of Meppershall lower school in November of that year. In 2010 I became curate in the benefice of Henlow and Langford, ceased my governorship of Meppershall, and became a church foundation governor of Henlow Academy. I bring knowledge of the schools in this area from my teaching career.
My main concern as a church governor is to be involved in upholding the Christian ethos of the school. I have the ability to be involved in the taking of Church services and assemblies if required. I believe that my main function is to support the teaching and ancillary staff at the school and to make sure that the community is aware of the unique position of the school in being able to provide parents with choice when it comes to providing a Christian education which is fully inclusive of all faiths.
I am a BACP registered counsellor, providing therapeutic support for children who are struggling with mental health problems, accessing education or family difficulties, many of whom have a diagnosis of ASD and/or ADHD. I have worked for many years with children and their families in a variety of settings including specialist schools and a children’s hospital. I can provide support for the Governing Board through my extensive experience of working with children with a range of special educational needs and disabilities
I applied to become a Parent Governor as I wanted to support the school at this time of uncertainty and potential change. My daughter attends Henlow and she is thriving and very settled at the school.