Goldstone Primary School & Little Owls Nursery

I have two boys at Goldstone (in years 3 and 5) and have been a parent governor since March 2019. I am the chair of the Finance, HR and Estates sub-committee and am the governor subject lead for the maths and the citizenship/PSHE/SRE areas.

Away from Goldstone I have worked as a civil servant in central government for nearly 20 years and am currently a Deputy Director in the Department for International Trade, having previously worked in the Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education.

I hope that this has given me a broad range of skills and experience that I can draw on as a school governor to help maintain Goldstone as a great place for our children to learn and grow.

I became the Minister of Goldstone Church in 2015, leading a congregation that has met at Goldstone School since 1991. My grand-daughter was at Goldstone, so I wanted to be more involved in the life of the school. As a result, I was really pleased to be made a co-opted governor from September 2022.

Prior to becoming a church Minister, my professional background was as an accountant, mainly in the charity sector.

Together with my fellow governors, I look forward to ensuring that Goldstone School continues to be the great place for young people to grow and learn.

I came to Goldstone Primary school in September 2015 to teach whole class music as a subject specialism around the school. In this role I have been privileged to teach every year group from nursery to year 6, to lead the school choir and orchestra and support our whole school music and performance curriculum. Before coming to Goldstone, I taught as a class teacher in various year groups at schools in Brighton &Hove and East Sussex. I have three children and have served as a parent governor in the past, I am enthusiastic about community engagement and working with others to create and maintain opportunities for all our children. 

I am excited to be part of the governing body and represent my colleagues at our dynamic and forward-looking school. I am particularly interested in equality and diversity and strengthening engagement with all of our community stakeholders.

I have two sons who are currently at Goldstone and have always wanted to contribute and give back to the school.

My background is in education and working with young people. I have spent twelve years as a Secondary and Sixth Form teacher and, while teaching became a Widening Participation Coordinator, working with students who were first in their family to apply to university. As someone from a similar background, I have always valued a good foundation in education and the importance of widening access to opportunities and a supportive learning environment.

While taking a career break to bring up my sons, I tutored and supported students hoping to get to university, working with students with special educational needs, which has given me a different perspective on teaching and was incredibly rewarding. I have an insight into working for the school as a breakfast club playworker, supporting Year 3 children, which was fulfilling and has showed me the importance of a good start to the day for children attending the club. In the past three years, I have been a Personal Tutor at BHASVIC, where I have taught students a range of PSHE topics, including looking after your mental health and wellbeing, which is so important for young people. As a parent governor I hope to play a positive role in shaping the development of the school and making sure it continues as a fantastic place for children to learn and grow.

I am a mother of two, 12 year old girl and 11 years old boy and our family has lived in Hove for 16 years. I feel very privileged to have been elected as co-opted governor and I hope to bring my experience and dedication to ensuring the success and well-being of our students, staff, and wider school community.

Most of my career, I have had the opportunity to be an entrepreneur, setting up businesses such as home visiting opticians to support more vulnerable in our community as well as working as management consultant. I am currently the interim COO of Age UK West Sussex Brighton and Hove. I hope my experience will be able to provide insights that contribute to strategic decision-making and the continuous improvement of our school. Above all, I'm passionate about education and believe that every student deserves access to quality learning experiences. By becoming a co-opted governor, I see an opportunity to leverage my skills and experiences to support the school in achieving its mission and ensuring that students receive the best possible education.

I'm excited about the prospect of contributing to the success of the school and the positive impact it has on the lives of its students and the community it serves.