How Serving as a School Governor Led to Writing a Book

My name is Stephen Pamphilon, and I am the Chair of Governors for a Special Educational Needs School in Ramsgate. I was appointed as a Governor in 2017 and became Chair of Governors in 2018. The role can be challenging but rewarding, and I am blessed with a great Head Teacher and a full board of 14 Governors to support me.

Foreland Fields School caters for around 290 pupils with Profound, Severe and Complex Needs, including ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). Staff strive to maximise each learning opportunity and celebrate children’s successes every step of the way. They strongly believe that all students both have the capacity to learn and are entitled to the opportunity to learn by providing a personalised learning journey with aspirational outcomes for each student.

Foreland Fields School has a great leadership team, which has been able to develop the school and maintain a great learning environment for the children aged from 2 years to 18 years.

As a Governing Board, we believe our role is to support the school leadership team, advise and work in partnership to provide additional support and expertise when required. The governors share a monitoring process of school progress and enjoy meeting associated staff. We have committees that meet outside the Full Governing Board meetings and use committee meetings to deal with policies and procedures; governors can choose which committee to serve on to ensure everyone’s skills and interests are utilised.

 A ‘Resources’ group works with the senior management team to maintain the business side of the school and the ‘Learning and Development’ group maintains and monitors the school’s academic development and progress. A ‘Strategy’ group works on the current and future needs of the school, and all three groups report to the Full Board, which meets around four times a year. 

Involvement with the staff

We promote involvement with the school, and Governors take every opportunity to take part in school activities. In the summer of 2023, I was invited to read to some junior classes at the school, reading a very detailed book about the behaviour of a certain wonkey donkey.

The children loved the fact that I stumbled over some words and staff smiled as I tried to, unsuccessfully, recover.

In November 2023, I was admitted into Hospital and to my surprise I received a ‘get well’ picture story book entitled ‘Wonkey Steve’. The children had created the book with coloured pictures and a storyline similar to the one I ruined during my reading session. I decided to respond with a story aimed at the children in Junior school. I based the book on a dragon that didn’t like toast.

“My story was loosely based on the condition of the toast served for breakfast on the ward.”

Upon leaving hospital, I sent the story to the headteacher and to the leader of learning, who instigated the get-well book for their approval. I then decided to construct a book using internet pictures to illustrate the verse. I laminated the pages and spine-bound ten books for the school.

I later approached two publishing houses and was accepted by Nightingale Press, which is the children’s division of Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers Ltd. The Dragon’s Toast was published on 27th November 2025 and I had the privilege of being able to read the book at the end-of-year assembly.

The book tells the story (in verse) of a grumpy dragon who never gets to eat his favourite food of bread and butter and when he stamps his feet in anger, it causes an earthquake in the village below. One day, a little girl steps in with a solution. This book is a blend of poetry and adventure and written to encourage children's imagination and creative skills.

Since then, I have been invited to read to other schools and World Book Week was fully booked by visiting five schools, reading to full assembly halls and individual classes.

The book was inspired by Foreland Fields School children and following another visit they inspired the second book ‘ Have you ever seen – A Hippopotamus’, which will be published in the summer of 2026. Monies from this book will go to the school. 

Becoming a school Governor can be both challenging and rewarding, and I have encouraged a wide range of people to consider getting involved with a local school. My experience as a governor has opened doors for me and opened my eyes to the value of working in schools.

It's an experience that cannot be matched.