I have been a governor at several West Sussex schools over the past 14 years and joined the Governing Body at Billingshurst Primary in July 2021. In addition to this role, I am Chair of Governors at The Weald and also at a primary school in Bognor Regis. I am a West Sussex Local Leader of Governance which involves assisting WSCC Governor Services with a range of tasks. As Chair of the Governing Body, my role is to ensure that we have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, offering both challenge and support to the leadership team to drive school improvement and ensure the highest standard of education for all pupils.

I am delighted to join the Governing Body of Billingshurst Primary School; I moved to Billingshurst in 2017 and have four grandchildren at BPS. My professional background is in education, I was Headteacher of a Surrey primary school for 23 years. I have worked as a Local Leader of Education, Performance Management Consultant, External Adviser and as Improvement Partner for a Multi Academy Trust of five primary schools in Surrey. Seeing pupils grow and develop a love of learning as they experience a carefully designed curriculum delivered by talented professionals is a source of eternal fascination for me. Given the right conditions, and encouragement, all pupils can enjoy learning, progress well, experience success, learn to take pride in their achievements, develop high aspirations and grow the life skills of resilience and perseverance. I hope to make a positive contribution to the school by supporting it to continually improve and maintain high standards in all areas.

I was originally appointed in 1988 as a governor for the junior school. I escaped briefly in 1993 when working in another part of the country, but was reappointed at the time of the creation of separate Governing Bodies, serving on both and as the first Chair of the infant school Board. I have been closely involved in many building projects and the appointment of 5 headteachers. I was educated as a Metallurgist but followed a career in manufacturing and general management before setting up my own cost management consultancy in 1995. I have one daughter who moved on from the East Street site via the Weald and is currently teaching History in a large secondary school. My other daughter was also educated at the Weald, qualified in pharmacology and as a vet, lives locally and has two children who both completed their Primary education at BPS. I always aim to put the interests of the children first; I am very keen on the pursuit of excellence in all things. I see the Governor role as strategic – probing & challenging the Senior Management and exploring better ways to deliver the best possible education for our children (and grandchildren!).

I have been a Governor since 2016 as I wanted to be able to support my children and their school. I am a self-employed electrician, scout leader, climbing instructor and now aspiring paddleboard instructor. My wife Natalie and I are Billingshurst born and bred and my boys refuse to believe that the school was once in three parts. We've seen it come together and grow and I want to help. I take great pride in being a parent and like most parents I would like what's best for my children and I want to help make sure that they get the best opportunities. As a school governor I have an opportunity for me to use my business, financial, communication and other 'work' skills that don't get a lot of use around the house.

I have lived in Billingshurst since 2020 and became a Parent Governor in autumn 2022. The role is an opportunity for me to contribute to our school and village community and support the successful progress of Billingshurst Primary Academy towards its objectives and values. I am a full-time working mum of two (in KS2 and nursery) and coordinate a nationally funded health and care research programme based at a London university, which lends plenty of useful skills to the governor role along with my parent perspective.

I was delighted to join the governing body as a parent governor in 2022 as my eldest son was in Year 3 at the time and my youngest son joined the school shortly after my appointment. I am particularly interested in ensuring that all children are safeguarded well and can fulfil their full potential whatever their background or circumstance. I have a background in working with children who have special educational needs. My experience of the difficulties faced by these children and their families will ensure that the support and championing of these children and families be a key focus of mine. Although I had no experience of school governance when I was appointed, I am a member of the senior management team with my employer and through this role, I have developed the skills necessary to provide support to the school when difficult decisions and discussions are needed in order to give the children and staff the best possible chance to succeed.

I am delighted to be a governor at Billingshurst Primary Academy. I have lived in Billingshurst over 25 years and during this time I have seen the village and community grow and now that I am in a position where I have spare time, I believe it to be a privilege to be able to support the school as it continues to be the best it can for all its children, parents and carers. I have a professional background in Business Management and a career that has led to over 25 years of Senior Retail Management and Consultancy experience and I am hoping that my broad range of skills will help benefit the school. Having young nieces, nephews and godchildren I have a keen interest in education and see this role as a great opportunity to be able to listen, challenge, encourage new ideas and appreciate our teaching and non-teaching staff and also the parents. I have an open and honest down to earth style and feel great pride in strategically shaping the school’s aims and objectives and supporting the school in achieving them.

I am delighted to join the governing body of Billingshurst Primary School, having retired from a full-time role in the education sector. I have lived in Billingshurst for more than 30 years and my two children both attended the then Infant and Junior School and also The Weald. They both had a great education and have benefitted hugely from the wide experiences and opportunities provided for them by the schools in this village. I have spent my entire career commuting out of the village to work in education myself. I have been a teacher; an Advisor for West Sussex County Council; an Ofsted Inspector; a Director in the Department for Education; and a CEO for an Academy Trust. I am now really excited to have the time to contribute to education in my own community. I am passionate about the power of education to enrich lives and to provide children with opportunities to believe in themselves and to achieve their dreams and aspirations. I look forward to supporting Billingshurst Primary School in its great work to provide exceptional education in our community.

Having had a full and active career in education I was honored to be invited to join the Governing board at Billingshurst Primary Academy.
I was a secondary school teacher in Surrey where I managed the IT and Design and Technology faculty for many years before moving on to a senior role with responsibility for whole school effectiveness. Since retiring from teaching and moving to Billingshurst I have been a governor at two other primary schools and also actively contribute to the Weald’s GreenPower race team.
At school, I saw how children continued their education after leaving the primary stage. The skills they brought with them and their readiness to continue learning was a direct reflection upon the experiences and opportunities they had had.
As a Governor of the school, I aim to ensure that collectively we strive for excellence and grow the school to deliver the very best education for all our children. 

I was delighted to be elected as the staff governor for Billingshurst Primary Academy in February 2025. I have worked at the school for four years and have previously taught in two other schools in a number of year groups across West Sussex. I aim to ensure that the link between the governors and staff is positive and strong, whilst ensuring that the progress of our children is at the centre of everything we do. I am really excited to be an active member of the governing body and bring my current experiences of everyday teaching in the classroom to the team.