ON FRIDAY, 1 February, we had the opportunity to meet our Everest Community Academy’s new chair of the governors, Mrs Oonagh Austin.

She joined the board of governors early last year, with the aim to ensure that every Everest student gets the best education possible and that standards continue to rise as rapidly as possible.

The main aim of the board is to solidify Everest’s position as the local school of choice and to be respected by the community as a school.

They want to make sure that the community gets what they deserve: “the best school”. Mrs Austin was appointed as chair of governors with the intention of working with staff, students and the community to further this aim.

When we spoke, we discussed our thoughts on future jobs as a lawyer and a doctor, and Mrs Austin spoke about how Everest is the best place for us to achieve these goals.

She wants students to be highly aspirational and aim for the top, to attend university or embark on apprenticeships so that they can make their mark in the world of work.

Mrs Austin visits the school regularly and enjoys seeing the students hard at work and happy to welcome her and her fellow governors into the classroom to explain what they are doing.

Where school is mainly a place to learn, a key part of education is the enjoyment doing it. That was something she spoke about a lot during our interview.

Mrs Austin is passionate about students widening their experiences through extra-curricular activities. At the end of the interview, it was clear that her main concern is for all students as individuals and not just the school, ‘to make our best better’.

Henry Welldon and Courtney Little