Goldstone Primary School

I have been a community governor at Goldstone Primary school on and off for about eight years now. I feel very privileged to be given the opportunity to participate in the governance of the school and try to bring a community perspective to that role. 

I was a teacher of primary and secondary school children for a number of years but for the last ten years I have worked as a therapist in the local community, often supporting children and young people's emotional needs. 

I am also involved in a number of community projects in the local area, including Hangleton & Knoll Food Bank. I strongly believe that, where able, we all have a role to playing supporting our local communities, which is what drew me to being a school governor.

I have been working in mental health for 18 years. I currently work for the YMCA Dialogue Therapeutic Service as Clinical Reflective Practice Supervisor & Trainer, supporting Counsellors, Managers and Front Line Staff working with children and young people in schools, community and housing Services. Prior to this I worked as a Project Manager developing access to the arts and employment for Deaf and Disabled people.

I feel passionate about the welfare of our children and young people, safeguarding, child protection and community building is the focus of my work.

I have been a Goldstone parent for 10 years, which has been a very positive experience. I am delighted to have become a governor, joining a dedicated team of people, working with staff to make Goldstone an impressive school.

I was co-opted as a staff governor in June 2019. I currently teach in Year One, having joined the team after maternity leave. Before this, I was a Reception teacher at Goldstone for three years after being a primary school teacher in London through the Teach First LDP (Leadership Development Program). During my PGCE at UCL’s Institute of Education, I specialised in Early Years education. I currently jointly coordinate writing for the school and was R.E. coordinator previously. 

I am very excited and proud to be part of the governing body of Goldstone Primary and hope to have a part in continuing the wonderful standard of education our children have here.

“I have two children at Goldstone and have been a parent governor since April 2021. Over the years, I’ve really enjoyed supporting the school in its work on sustainability and in making the most of our fantastic school grounds. It’s been great to see the gardens benefiting children and teachers in outdoor learning and in supporting their mental & physical health.

Born and raised in the city I have been involved in various community organisations and projects, promoting culture, diversity and inclusion, from a very young age. It’s great to see that Goldstone is made up of such a diverse community in both cultures and background.

Away from Goldstone I am the Sustainability Lead at Brighton & Hove City Council and have been working in sustainability for over 20 years. I'm passionate about protecting our environment and supporting a shift to more sustainable ways of thinking, living and working that can have a positive rather than negative impact to our lives and the planet. Amongst other things, I currently oversee the schools environmental and climate education programme which will be embedding climate & sustainability learning more firmly into the curriculum and classroom learning - supporting teachers with knowledge and resources they need to prepare our children for the future and the opportunities a more environmentally aware society will bring.

I look forward to working with the whole school community in building on the hard work that has been achieved over the years in making Goldstone such a great place to work and learn.”

I have always wanted to contribute and give back to the school. I have a son in Year 1 at Goldstone and another hopefully joining Little Owls next year. 

My background is in education and working with young people.  I spent nine 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.

In the last few years, I have taken a career break to bring up my sons, which has been an absolute privilege but I haven’t completely stopped.  I have tutored and supported students hoping to get to university and worked with students with special educational needs, which has given me a different perspective on teaching and been incredibly rewarding.  I have been an A Level examiner and most recently work at the breakfast club, supporting Year 3 children.  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.