Governance

I am the Chair of the Trustee Board at The Hayfield School.

I became a Parent Trustee in April 2013, was elected as Vice Chair of Trustees in September 2018 and latterly became the Chair of Trustees in June 2021.

In my day job, I am a Financial Adviser and have worked in the financial services industry since 1995. I have worked in local authority governance since September 2006 and I was also a Special Chief Inspector within South Yorkshire Police for 18 years. I have a good understanding of Primary and Secondary Governance and the Ofsted Framework.

As the Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am responsible for a number of areas:

• Leading effective governance: giving the Board a clear lead and direction, ensuring that the Trustees work as an effective team and understand their accountability and the part they play in the strategic leadership of the school and in driving school improvement.
• Building the team: attracting Trustees with the necessary skills and ensuring that tasks are delegated across the Board so that all members contribute, and feel that their individual skills, knowledge and experience are well used and that the overall workload is shared.
• Relationship with the headteacher: being a critical friend by offering support, challenge and encouragement, holding the Headteacher to account and ensuring the Headteacher’s performance management is rigorous and robust.
• Improving the school: ensuring school improvement is the focus of all policy and strategy and that trustee scrutiny, monitoring and challenge reflect school improvement priorities.
• Leading the business: ensuring that statutory requirements and regulations are met, that the school provides value for money in its use of resources and that the business of governance is conducted efficiently and effectively.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This quote by Nelson Mandela is one of the most famous sayings on the value of education.

Whilst not as eloquent as the great man himself, I too have long advocated that education is the single most important factor when it comes to truly transforming lives. It is for this reason that I originally became a Trustee and it continues to be my obsession.

The Hayfield School has long held an important place in my heart, having had two children pass through its doors. In that time, the educational landscape has undergone many changes but for me the goal remains the same: for children and young people to become successful learners, responsible citizens and aspiring individuals. As a Trustee, I get to work alongside Mrs Fox and her staff to help ensure this ambition is realised in our School.

I have enjoyed a varied career which has taken me around the world and back again! For a number of years now, I have run our family business and learned a great deal in the process. What I hope to bring to the role of Chair of the Board of Trustees is:

• Enthusiasm
• Vision
• Empathy
• Decisiveness
• Integrity
• Work ethic

In addition, I would like to nurture the skills and attributes in other people working alongside me in order to ensure the School continues to be ambitious and forward looking.

My key areas of focus are overseeing the effective delivery of the Strategic School Development Plan and ensuring the Trustees Board effectively supports the School and Senior Leadership Team. Holding to account the Senior Leadership Team and the school’s performance, listening to the views of the students, parents, staff and School Council and taking into consideration what improvements can be made to ensure the school runs smoothly for everyone involved.

I became a Trustee in 2026, motivated by a desire to support young people and contribute positively to education within my local community.

I have a professional background in Human Resources, with experience in people management, recruitment, employee relations, training, compliance, and organisational development. I have worked across a range of business functions, supporting both employees and organisational growth.

As a Trustee, I am committed to supporting the school’s strategic direction, ensuring effective governance, and providing constructive support and challenge to school leaders. I take an active interest in safeguarding, staff wellbeing, and creating positive outcomes for students.

I am passionate about helping young people achieve their potential and believe that strong governance plays a vital role in supporting successful schools. Becoming a Trustee allows me to give back to the community while using my professional skills to make a meaningful contribution.

I bring strong people-focused skills, strategic thinking, effective communication, and experience in HR and organisational development. I aim to support informed decision-making, promote staff wellbeing, and contribute positively to the school’s continued success.

My key areas of focus are safeguarding, staff wellbeing, effective governance, and financial scrutiny to ensure resources are used responsibly and support the best possible outcomes for students. I am committed to helping create a positive, supportive environment where all young people have the opportunity to thrive.

I am a Community Trustee and was appointed in October 2021.

Experience wise, I have held a number of governance lead roles within the education sector: at a sixth form college, a large further education college, and at a primary multi academy trust. I have in depth knowledge of effective governance practice, strategic planning, and in ensuring scrutiny, accountability and compliance.

I am passionate about education and ensuring education is of a high quality and that children and young people have access to a wide range of opportunities and are able to thrive during their schooling.

I live locally and am looking to give back to the community using the skills and experience I have gained in my profession.

I also bring to the role legal expertise, governance knowledge, and a community perspective, along with enthusiasm and the ambition to make a difference!

In my role as Community Trustee I work closely with the school on Personal Development.

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I was appointed as a Community Trustee in October 2025.

Although I have no direct teaching experience, I have spent my career working within the Information Technology and Financial Services Sectors. This has given me a detailed understanding of areas such as governance, regulation, financial management, change delivery and supplier management. 

During my time as a Trustee I hope to support and challenge the Senior Leadership Team, bringing a different perspective to the table both as a parent and a senior leader in a different sector. 

I was previously a Parent Trustee however had to relinquish the role in November 2022 due to taking a position abroad.

I have three children who have all completed their GCSEs at The Hayfield School and have moved onto further education.

I became a community trustee in November 2024.

I have 27 years experience as a secondary school teacher and leader, including 26 years at The Hayfield School.  I have been a subject and faculty leader, and latterly a qualified SENDCO and inclusion leader (a role I did for 10 years) and an Associate Assistant Head.

During this time I have delivered lots of CPD to staff, run countless field trips (including residential visits) with young people, and been involved in what must be many hundreds/thousands of interactions with parents/carers of the school.

I am a member of the British Psychological Society and am registered with them as one of their test users. 

I am now a School Improvement Advisor for Inclusion and SEND for the City of Doncaster Council.

I began my career as a History/Humanities teacher, and became Head of History and then Head of the Humanities faculty at The Hayfield School.  This role focussed on the delivery of curriculum pathways, schemes of work and assessments for a number of different  Humanities subjects, ensuring that our young people had the correct level of support and challenge as they moved through the school.

From 2013/14 I moved into the world of SEND and inclusion becoming SENDCO and achieving the qualification for this in 2015.  This involved responsibility for the delivery of statutory support for those young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, the initial assessment and tracking of their progress through the school, identifying need as it presented itself and the creation of appropriate support packages that promoted the development of independence in the young person over time.

I have always loved working with young people and after working for a long time in the school have a high regard for The Hayfield School and the community it serves.  I am keen to see the school go from strength to strength and want to help in any way | can to support the school in what is a challenging time for our education system and our country.

In my role as Community Trustee I will be working with the school behaviour team.

I am a Community Trustee and was appointed in October 2021.

I have 23 years experience working in the engineering industry.

For the past 18 years I have worked at Rolls-Royce in the Engineering Design and Design Methods/Standards departments. I have led and still lead teams in these areas. I have a Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters Degree in Marine Engineering. At work I currently lead a team that produces guidance, policy documents, calculation/design methods and the rationale therein to support the design of mechanical components for nuclear power plants. These outputs ensure that Rolls-Royce delivers a consistent, robust and high quality design and product.

I became a Trustee having lived in Auckley for the past 17 years. By holding the office of Trustee, this is a way I can give something back to the local community. The Hayfield School has always had a reputation for having high standards and I like to help support and maintain these standards.

Working in Engineering I have an interest in the STEM subject areas and in my role of Community Trustee I am linked to Quality of Education.

I am a Community Trustee appointed in the summer of 2022.

I have 25 years experience as an IT professional, and have worked for a UK bank for over 20 years, predominantly focused on IT Solution Architecture and associated governance. My role involves leading diverse teams, delivering complex programmes of work that align to technical policies, standards, and satisfy associated regulatory requirements and constraints.

Living locally with my family, I enjoy contributing to my local community, making best use of my skills and experience.  I am Vice-chair at Branton St Wilfrid’s CoE Primary and have been on the Governing Board for over 8 years, in addition to being on the local Scout Group Executive and a volunteer coach for Doncaster Knights Mini Juniors.

My aim is to support the school to deliver the best possible outcomes and experience, for all involved in the school community.