Goldstone Primary School

I became a parent governor in 2015, was elected as vice chair of governors in 2018,  and currently chair the School Development Plan committee. 

I work for a local charity, the Hangleton & Knoll Project, enabling people to improve their skills, confidence and to take steps towards employment. I have spent the past 20 years working in Brighton & Hove as a youth worker, community development worker and, prior to having children, as chief executive officer for the Hangleton & Knoll Project. I have worked in both primary and secondary schools delivering PSHE, anti-bullying, and transition work, as well as holding the position of chairperson at a local preschool. More recently I took on the role of event director for the newly established junior parkrun at Hove Park.

I feel incredibly privileged to be working at a strategic level at Goldstone Primary, helping to develop and shape its future and provide the very best environment for our children to learn and grow.

I was elected parent governor in May 2017.  I sit on the Human Resources and Finance committee and the School Development Plan committees.  I am the governor assigned to Geography and Environmental Education, Pupil Voice and Health and Safety. 

I have taught in many primary schools in a variety of roles for the past 20 years and am enjoying for the opportunity to aid the school strategically to help the provide the best all-round experience for the children in our care.

My two boys are in Year 1 and Year 5.

I have two boys at Goldstone (in years 1 and 3 in 18/19) 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 have been a teacher at Goldstone since 2002, mainly teaching in Key Stage 2 but with some experience of Key Stage 1 and EYFS.  During this time I have been part of helping the school to grow from humble beginnings into the wonderful community that it is today. I am currently Year Group Lead for Year 6 and also lead computing across the school with the aim of making all our children responsible digital citizens of the future.

Being part of the governing body at Goldstone (since May 2019) is a role of great responsibility and I  hope to make a valuable contribution to its strategic development.

I was co-opted as a staff governor in June this year (2018/19). I have been a Reception teacher at Goldstone for two years and was a Primary teacher in London before this, initially 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 coordinate R.E. for the school and next year (2019/20) will be joint writing coordinator.

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 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 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 think Goldstone is a fantastic school, and was very pleased to be elected a parent governor in early 2020. Both our children are pupils, and I love the creative, inclusive and nurturing environment that we’ve experienced so far. I want to use my time as a governor to be able to give something back to the school and help it develop over the next few years.

Outside of school, I co-own and run Boulder Brighton climbing centre in Portslade which I set up with a good friend in 2013. Our business is all about building an inclusive community of climbers, and it has been a huge education in terms of making good decisions, organising finances, nurturing talent and supporting staff, all while trying to minimise our impact on the environment and run things as ethically as possible. Before this I spent about ten years in the media sector, including as a Strategy Manager at Channel 4, learning a lot about creativity and business.

I’m hoping to apply some the things I’ve learnt along the way to my role as a governor, and help to make a great school even better.

I’m a member of the HR, Finance & Premises sub-committee.