Gary Morgan

I was raised in Lancashire and relocated to Suffolk in 2016 following a successful career in senior management, which has taken me across the UK in a variety of leadership roles.

I am a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Institute of Directors (IoD), and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

In addition, I serve as a mentor on the Institute of Leadership and Management programme, supporting the development of emerging leaders and strengthening professional practice.

Having previously served as a school governor, I found the experience both professionally rewarding and personally fulfilling.

This reinforced my commitment to supporting high-quality education within local communities.

I was therefore pleased to apply for the role of governor at Ranelagh, as I strongly believe in the fundamental importance of local schools in shaping young people’s aspirations, outcomes, and future opportunities.

As a governor, I seek to contribute my strategic leadership, governance, and people-management expertise to support the Senior Leadership Team in achieving the school’s vision and objectives.

I have a particular interest in strengthening the provision of resources to support ongoing modernisation, ensuring that the learning environment remains inclusive, forward-looking, and well equipped to meet the evolving needs of pupils and staff.

Outside of my professional and governance responsibilities, I value spending quality time with my family, walking through the Suffolk countryside with the dogs, and pursuing my passion for aviation, including flying light aircraft and occasionally partaking in some aerobatic antics! 

David Plowman

I am now retired after a working life that included a management career involving customer service, HR and Finance.

I was born on Chantry and have lived in the area most of my life.

As a Governor, and particularly as Chair, I wish to support the school in its vision and values.

It is important that every pupil at Ranelagh enjoys their education and is enabled to become the best person they can. This can only be achieved by providing the necessary resources and supporting the pupils and staff at all times.

Olga Hopper

I am honoured to have been appointed as the Headteacher of Ranelagh Primary School in October 2025.

My journey with Ranelagh began over 20 years ago when I joined as a volunteer, a journey filled with learning, growth, and an ever-deepening passion for our school community.

Originally from Russia, I qualified as a Teacher of German and English as a Foreign Language before moving to the UK in 2002.

I completed SCITT Primary training in Ipswich and earned a Master’s degree from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.

Over the years at Ranelagh, I’ve been privileged to serve in many roles from volunteer to Assistant & Deputy Headteacher and Senior Leader of Education in Suffolk before stepping into this new chapter as Headteacher.

Beyond school, I’ve always been active in the community working as a translator and interpreter, serving as a trustee for the Race Equality Council, and helping to establish the Russian Supplementary School in Ipswich.

For the past five years, I’ve also led “Achievers” Supplementary School, supporting children with English as an additional language.

I speak four languages, and in my spare time I enjoy travelling, reading, painting, and swimming.

I am deeply proud to lead Ranelagh a school and community that have shaped my life and continue to inspire me every day.

Heidi Austin

I have had two children attend Ranelagh School. I have been a parent governor since 2015. As a parent I value the inclusivity and the feel of community at Ranelagh, I love that our children learn and achieve in all areas of their development and the opportunities that they are offered in music, art and sports that build their skills, their confidence and their abilities to work alongside each other, and the impact this has on their learning in their core curriculum subjects.

I am proud that our children feel happy and safe and want to come to school. My primary interest as a Governor, alongside our strategic responsibilities, is the development of learning and opportunities for disadvantaged children.

At home I love to read, go to the cinema and spend time with friends and family.

Eileen Allpress

I have had a long career in Primary education. On my retirement from headship in 2016, I joined West Ipswich Teaching School as a Project Manager.

This role involves providing school based support and CPD with a main focus on Early Years and SEND.

I also work within Ipswich Research School as a Research Director. This role involves supporting practitioners from all settings to engage in evidence informed research to improve practice, with key links to Ipswich Opportunity area.

Lucy Matthews 

After graduating with a degree in Classics I spent all my working life in the technology industry, initially as a developer and then managing a variety of projects for clients within the finance industry.

Having joined a small start-up company in the 1990s I helped it grow to a FTSE250 company in which I held roles on the executive committee representing HR and as senior client relationship manager.

Wanting to contribute in some way to my local community I became a governor of a local authority school in Croydon where I acted as chair of the finance committee and vice-chair of the full governing board.

On moving to Ipswich I was keen to continue with a role in supporting the education of local children and am delighted to have joined the governing board of Ranelagh Primary School.

I am married to a retired head teacher and have 3 adult sons.

Liz Woods

Having worked in retail management for 20 years, mainly in London, I moved to Ipswich and started volunteering at a local charity with refugees and asylum seekers. After two years, I became an employee of the charity and was Advice Service Manager when I retired at the end of 2023.

In this role, I liaised with both statutory and voluntary agencies to provide support to newly arrived families on different Government Resettlement Schemes.

I was also chair of Suffolk Health watch Diversity and Inclusion Group for 4 years.  

My job has given me an insight into how hard teachers work, an understanding of the challenges they face on a daily basis and the central role they hold in the community. As a governor, I hope to support the school in providing the best possible environment for children and staff to thrive and fulfil their potential.  In my spare time I enjoy yoga, walking in the beautiful Suffolk countryside and reading.

Jackie Sunderland

I have a balance and diversity of knowledge, skills and experience having worked throughout Ranelagh Primary School over the past 30 years experience. 

I have had many roles including a Nursery Nurse, KS1 & KS2 Teaching Assistant and as a 1:1 supporting children with additional needs. 

I have over 15 years experience as a governor in both a specialist school and an area support class attached to mainstream primary school. 

Being a governor is important to me because I want to give back and make a difference to the young people in the school and support the schools strategic direction for the future.

I think it is really important for the staff to have a voice to represent them on the governing body.  As a mental health first aider I have a wide understanding of the issues and challenges the staff face day-to-day within our school.