Welcome to the Governors

Having grown up in and moved back to the Altrincham area I was keen to get involved in the community and put skills learnt in my professional career to use. After expressing interest in becoming a school governor through my employer in 2017, I was asked to become a co-opted governor at Broadheath Primary School. I have worked in the banking industry for the last 15 years where my role involves helping companies understand and manage their financial risks.

Since becoming a governor at Broadheath I have been so impressed with the progress the school has made and, most importantly the children themselves, their attitude, behaviours and progress. Through my time as governor I’ve had the opportunity to chair the Finance and Staffing Committee, become vice-chair and later chair of governors and it has been fantastic to be able to contribute to the development of the school at this key point in time.

I am privileged to be Headteacher/Governor of Broadheath Primary at such an exciting time in the life of the school. I embrace the challenges we face and the future that we are building for all of our children. I feel incredibly lucky to have a great team of caring staff around me and our Governing body is absolutely key to this.

Our Governors have been specifically selected so that we can benefit from their knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure the best outcomes for our children.

As a whole school community, we have a clear vision and are determined that all our staff and every child that we have in school will be the very best that they can be.

A couple of years ago staff were encouraged to do volunteering in the community as a way of contributing to local needs. I was looking for a volunteering opportunity when Ian Golding, our previous Chair, suggested I became a governor. Ian

convinced me I had the sort of life skills and professional skills that would be useful as a governor.

I used to work in Children’s Services at Manchester City Council and I did a lot of work for children and young people, such as commissioning services and making sure tax payers money was spent on things young people wanted, not what adults thought they needed. I now work at the Department of Education on a HR project to do with upskilling staff, learning and development.

We have a great team of governors at Broadheath and I am proud of all the work we do. Governors work with staff to ensure that teaching and learning are the best they can be so that all our children reach their full potential, but also that they enjoy school and are happy and safe. I am particularly proud of the way the governors responded to the need for a new building, which is a

huge challenge for everyone, including early on attending several extra meetings and pouring over the plans to make sure the new space is what is needed.

On a personal note, my two boys are now grown up and it’s interesting as a parent to see the challenges they face as young adults. One went to university and is now working in IT and the other dropped out of uni and wasn’t able to settle to anything for a while and became quite unwell. He is now fine and is an apprentice. I’ve learnt that your children’s lives are their own and they never do what you expect, when they are 5 or 15 or even 25! The thing we do both at school and as parents is to show them how to deal with life and all its challenges, so they learn the skills and the attitudes to see them through.

Since joining the school in 2022, it has been wonderful to enhance my role as the Deputy Headteacher by being part of an active and positive governing body. I am so passionate about continuing to drive the school forward as we embrace any challenges and celebrate our achievements to ensure that every pupil at Broadheath Primary School is the ‘best that they can be’.

In my spare time, I enjoy going to the theatre, running (the odd marathon) and being bossed around by my two over-indulged pugs!

I am a teacher in the reception class and have been a Governor at Broadheath Primary School for over ten years. I was offered the opportunity to become a Governor whilst my own children were at school and have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the Governing Body supporting the school through a variety of changes and growth. I have a vested interest in the school’s continuing growth and success, I feel passionate about helping shape its future, with the school at the heart of our local community.

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, horse riding, going out with friends and reading.

My daughter started at BPS in Jan 2020 and I became a Parent Governor in 2021. I am a Management Consultant based in Manchester for the last 12 years. I sit in the Standards and Curriculum committee where my current experience helps to provide inputs and insights.

Being new to the British Education system, I wanted to get a first hand experience of how it works and also to contribute towards the children getting the best out of their time at Broadheath Primary School. I am enjoying this role very much at this wonderful school and its great staff!

I became a Parent Governor in 2022 and am proud to be part of this thriving school community. I have two children currently at Broadheath Primary School and so I am able to bring the parent perspective to governance at Broadheath alongside my professional skills.

I have spent the last 20 years as a teacher and leader in high schools and sixth form colleges across Manchester and Trafford. I have led on curriculum development as well as strategic changes in different school contexts.

I have a huge enthusiasm and passion for education, particularly in relation to Mental Health and Wellbeing. I currently manage Senior Mental Health training in schools and design and deliver CPD programmes.

I am Broadheath Primary School’s Wellbeing Link Governor, supporting Broadheath’s SENCO to implement a whole school approach towards Mental Health and Wellbeing for all in the school community.

I am very proud to serve on Broadheath’s governing board.

I am a proud Dad of one daughter, who has just finished her primary school journey at BPS, all the way through from reception to finishing in year 6 in July 2023. I joined the BPS Governing body as a co-opted governor in December 2018 and started my second 4-year term of office in December 2022. I am now the chair of the Finance & Staffing Committee. I bring 26 years of finance experience to the board. Since 2012, I have worked in several Finance Director roles across the private sector, from business start-ups all the way through to medium sized global companies in several different sectors.

During my time as a governor at BPS, I believe I have played my part in ensuring pupils have had a positive experience at BPS and that, in future years, I will ensure they continue to have happy memories of their time here. I am keen to continue to enable all children to achieve their potential in all aspects of school life. I will continue to work with others to raise standards and improve the outcomes for all children who attend BPS. I have volunteered to hear children read during the school day, I have helped to run financial workshops for children so they better understand the importance of finance during financial awareness week and I have volunteered at PTA events like the Christmas fare.

When I’m not spending time with my daughter, my spare time is spent attending CrossFit classes at CrossFit Altrincham, looking after around 15 honey bee colonies and travelling the world to experience new exciting places. Some of my recent favourite experiences have been trekking up active volcanoes in Iceland and experiencing the midnight sun while sailing through the Norwegian Fjords.