Meet the Governors

What type of governor are you?

A Local Authority Governor.

In addition to the full governing body, which committees or school associations are you a member of?

The headteacher appraisal, finance and resources, and school improvement. 

What is your full time occupation? 

I'm now retired. Previously I was Principal of Stockton Riverside College and Bede College.

What is your key focus as a Governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

I am chair of the Governing Body. Our focus is to have the best curriculum and extra curriculum offer for all of our pupils to enable them to be the best they can be. We are proud of our ethos encapsulated in “Many Minds, One Heart” and our core values  “Respect, Resilience and Honesty”.  I am link Governor for strategy and data. 

Why did you decide to become a Governor?

I worked in post 16 education in Billingham for more than 30 years and  valued the strong links between the colleges and Northfield School and Sports College. When I retired, I was pleased to be able to extend my experience as a Governor in 11-16 education. I now feel a great loyalty to Northfield.  I am proud to lead a Governing Body whose members all have the same pride and commitment to the school and its wider community.

Tell us a little something about yourself.

I worked as Principal of Bede post 16 college for over 30 years in Billingham. I managed the merger with Stockton Riverside College and led the two colleges until  my retirement. I have wide experience of educational management and leadership and I have been able to bring this to my role as chair of Northfield Governing Body.

I am married  and have one daughter who lives and works in France so a I am a great supporter of language learning in schools. I have taught English, drama and law at various times in my career and have also produced college musicals so I have a wide interest in both the formal curriculum and the many extras which are so important in creating a full education experience in school. In my younger days, I sailed a Firefly dinghy in the national championships and I have owned a horse for many years. I run a little and read a lot to keep fit and to maintain a positive outlook on life.

What is your link to the local community?

Before my retirement, I had many links with the Billingham community and sat on committees and groups representing both education and wider aspects of the town. My interest now is focussed around Northfield, what the school can offer its pupils and how it can inspire them to be the best they can be.

What type of Governor are you?

I'm an Associate Governor.

In addition to the full governing body, which committees or school associations are you a member of?

I'm a member of the Finance & Resources, School Improvement and Behaviour committees.

What is your occupation?

I'm one of the Deputy Headteachers at Northfield.

What is your key focus as a Governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

My key focuses are behaviour and attitudes, catch up premium, Pupil Premium and
SEND which all fit with my role as Deputy Headteacher.

Why did you decide to become a Governor?

In addition to my leadership role, I wanted to support the development of Northfield School with other passionate governors and the wider community

Tell us a little something about yourself.

I am a sports enthusiast and enjoy squash, golf and cycling. This is alongside supporting my two young children with their sporting interests on most evenings and weekends. 

What type of Governor are you?

I am a Co-opted Governor.

In addition to the full governing body, which committees or school associations are you a member of?

I'm a member of the Behaviour, School Improvement and Finance & Resources committees.

What is your key focus as a Governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

My focus is on the behaviour and welfare of pupils, I understand the correlation between the two and how this can impact on how successful the individual and school can be. I am currently deputy chair of Governors.

 Why did you decide to become a Governor?

I have been part of the local community most of my life and understand how Northfield is at the heart of the community. Being part of this and able to help shape the development of local children appealed to me. I see my position as Governor as a position where I can put something back into the community to make it a better place.

Tell us a little something about yourself.

In my spare time I enjoy keeping fit and am happy to participate in most sports.

What is your link to the local community?

I live within the local community and have done for most of my life.

What type of Governor are you?

I'm an Associate Governor.

In addition to the full governing body, which committees or school associations are you a member of?

Finance and Resources Committee.

What is your occupation? 

I work at Northfield School as a Head of Year and History Teacher.

What is your key focus as a Governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

Student and staff well-being.  I sit on the Finance and Resources Committee.  I help to keep governors informed of issues around the Guidance Team, Mental Health and Well-being and Teaching and Learning.

Why did you decide to become a Governor?

I wanted to work alongside a passionate set of governors to further enhance my understanding of governance, leadership and management at Northfield and to ensure pupils receive the best education they possibly can.

Tell us a little something about yourself.

I have four children; 17, 16, 7 and 5.  I enjoy running, playing football and unfortunately, I have a season ticket for Sunderland AFC.  

What is your link to the local community?

As a Head of Year, I have 14 years of links to Billingham's community.  Additionally, I have responsibility for starting to forge links between local businesses and Northfield to promote attendance and celebrate the wonderful community School we have and publicise local business, for local people.

What type of governor are you?

A staff governor.

What is your full time occupation? 

Curriculum Leader of Geography at Northfield.

What is your key focus as a governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

I am part of the school improvement committee.

Why did you decide to become a governor

To gain a whole school prospective which is highly valuable for the strategic planning for my key roles at Northfield.

Tell us a little something about yourself.

I’ve been teaching at Northfield for 14 years and consider myself a valuable member of the school community. Currently, I am the curriculum leader of geography and Duke of Edinburgh Award co-ordinator. Before teaching I completed a BSc in combined sciences at Leicester, followed by several years as a troubleshooter and area manager for a pub chain.

What is your link to the local community?

I am a teacher at Northfield and grew up in the local village of Bishopton.

What type of governor are you?

A parent governor.

What is your full time occupation? 

I am a family support worker.

What is your key focus as a Governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

My key focus as a parent governor is the well-being of children and young people. My belief is every child and young person deserves the best education.

Why did you decide to become a Governor?

I decided to become a parent governor to contribute to the development of children and young people, the school and the local community.

Tell us a little something about yourself.

In my spare time, I love to cook. I also enjoy walking, swimming and socialising.

What type of Governor are you?

I'm a Co-opted Governor.

In addition to the full governing body, which committees or school associations are you a member of?

I'm a member of the Finance and Resources committee.

What is your occupation?

I am the Curriculum Leader of Design, Engineering and Technology at Northfield.

What is your key focus as a governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

I oversee Pupil Premium initiatives, strategy, academic and personal development.

Why did you decide to become a Governor?

To gain an in-depth knowledge of the school and the wider context beyond my Curriculum area with a view to supporting the development of this fantastic school within the community.  

What is your link to the local community?

As Curriculum Leader of a department, I take great pride in encouraging pupils to be the best they can be. Given the vast and varied industry within our local community, we offer a diverse range of curriculum areas within the D&T department and actively promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths). Contextualising learning and establishing industry links to support our pupils post 16 is something we take pride in, with many past Northfield pupils having established successful careers in industry within the local community. 

What type of governor are you?

A co-opted governor.

In addition to the full governing body, which committees or school associations are you a member of?

School improvement committee.

What is your full time occupation? 

I am a teacher in a Specialist Needs School.

What is your key focus as a governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

SEND link governor.

Why did you decide to become a Governor?

My children were pupils of Northfield and left several years ago. My son is on the autistic spectrum and I wanted to feel a part of helping shape the experience and support for my son and all pupils at Northfield with additional needs. I felt my working experience could be of use. I also wanted to experience the management of a large mainstream school to broaden my knowledge and improve my own teaching practice.

Tell us a little something about yourself.

I am married with two adult children who are at university. I have a dog and a caravan which take up most of my leisure time and link in with my other interests of keeping relatively fit, walking and reading. I was recently honoured to attend The King’s Garden Party for my services to education.

What is your link to the local community?

I have lived in the Billingham area all of my life and take a keen interest in local matters.

What type of governor are you?

A co-opted governor.

What is your full time occupation? 

I am a headteacher.

What is your key focus as a Governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

Teaching and learning.

Why did you decide to become a Governor?

To support the local community.

Tell us a little something about yourself.

Prior to entering the education sector, I worked as a senior manager in the business sector. In 2003 I secured my first role in the education sector as an English lecturer and progressed to assistant principal in further education. In 2022 I secured my current role as a Headteacher for an alternative provision school and I am also an Ofsted inspector.

What is your link to the local community?

I am a resident.

What type of governor are you?

A co-opted governor.

In addition to the full governing body, which committees or school associations are you a member of?

School improvement committee.

What is your full time occupation? 

I am a teacher of psychology.

Why did you decide to become a Governor?

I’ve been teaching in sixth-form colleges for all of my career. I was really interested in finding out more about secondary education and a governor role helps me understand this more, as well as giving back to the educational system. Being part of a team that is focused on supporting children to get the best outcomes to open up as many future opportunities as possible for them is rewarding.

Tell us a little something about yourself.

I’ve taught psychology in sixth-forms for 20 years.

What is your link to the local community?

I teach at Bede Sixth Form College.

What type of Governor are you?

I am a Co-opted Governor.

In addition to the full governing body, which committees or school associations are you a member of?

I am a member of Finance and Resources, Headteacher Appraisal and Pay and Review committees.

What is your occupation? 

Lead Functional IT Consultant at Johnson Matthey.

What is your key focus as a Governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

My key focus is finance and resources, in addition I am a link governor for inbound transition.

Why did you decide to become a Governor?

I decided to become a Governor as I am passionate about our local community and want to try and help provide the best opportunities for our young people. 

Tell us a little something about yourself.

My daughter and son are both currently pupils at Northfield.  Most of my spare time revolves around football. I am a manager, coach and part of the management committee at Billingham Juniors. I also run an adult team, suffer as a season ticket holder at Middlesbrough FC and still try to play a few times a week.

What type of Governor are you?

I am a Co-opted Governor.

In addition to the full Governing Body, which committees or school associations are you a member of?

I'm a member of the School Improvement Committee.

What is your occupation?

I am Key Account Manager for BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT.

What is your key focus as a governor? Do you have any specific responsibilities and/or strategic link roles?

I am the link governor for Careers.

Why did you decide to become a governor?

After spending years interviewing thousands of young people for roles as digital apprentices, I wanted to share my experience to help those in my local community. I work with employers and training companies in the tech sector who want to recruit apprentices, and I feel that its important that young people in my community are well prepared for the workplace. I really wanted to be part of that!

Tell us a little something about yourself.

I'm a volunteer instructor at a local martial arts club.

What is your link to the local community?

I was born in Billingham and went to Northfield many years ago. I have two daughters; one left Northfield recently and is now studying in Hartlepool, and the youngest is in Year 10.