governor profiles€¦ · profile i have been a parent governor since january 2017. about me i am a...

Governor ProfilesNovember 2019

PROFILE

I have been a Parent Governor since January 2017.

ABOUT ME

I am a life-time Welwyn Garden City resident, former Applecroft pupil and father of

two current pupils at the school (Year 2 and Year 5). At work I am a business

consultant with 19 years’ experience of delivering technology-led change across a

wide range of industries. At home I enjoy playing with technology and have in the

past lead a Code Club at a local secondary school in Hertford and this year have

been running a Lego Robotics afterschool club along with Miss Rebello. For fun I

enjoy cycling, sailing and the great outdoors when family life permits.

WHY DID I BECOME A GOVERNOR

With two of my own children, one nephew and one niece attending the school I am

more than prepared to roll-up my sleeves and do my bit towards the continued

success of Applecroft School for our children, for the staff and for the wider

community.

WHAT I LOVE THE MOST ABOUT APPLECROFT

Applecroft will always be a special place for me linked to happy childhood memories

and experiences that set me up for life. I am really encouraged by what Applecroft

School has become and continues to be – full of inquisitive, happy minds and

passionate teachers and staff.

Chris Hailey

ROLE

o Committees

▪ Chair of Governors

▪ Chair of Finance & Premises

Committee

o Governor Links

▪ Year: Y4

PROFILE

I have been a member of the Board for nearly 8 years. I joined the Applecroft

Governing Board as a parent governor as I wanted to work in the local community

and my children were at school here. As governors of an Academy one of our major

responsibilities is monitoring the school’s finances. We also set the direction for the

future of the school, work through and approve policies and monitor each child’s

progress against the School Plan.

ABOUT ME

I work as an analyst locally which is a completely different job to the activities that I

carry out at school. I carry out software testing, create test documentation and write

technical reports. Personally, I enjoy running, reading books and cooking (but not at

the same time). As a family we enjoy walking in the Lake District and my husband is

a keen cyclist. The children enjoy both rugby, hockey and cycling, but we also love

spending time at home together.


The governor role is incredibly varied and that is what makes it interesting every time

I visit. I like working with different people and enhancing my knowledge which

happens constantly in education.


The best part of being a governor is coming into school and talking to the children. I

really enjoy asking the children about their learning and looking at the fantastic work

that is displayed in their classrooms and along the corridors. I also enjoy talking to

the enthusiastic staff here. Thank you Applecroft for making my role here enjoyable

and keep up the great work.

ROLE

o Committees

▪ Vice-Chair of Governors

▪ Chair of Curriculum &

Assessment Committee

▪ Vice-Chair of Pupil &

Personnel Welfare Committee

o Governor Links

▪ Year: Y2 & Y6

o Safeguarding Governor

Carol Forbes

PROFILE

I have been a Community Governor since 2012.

ABOUT ME

I have been Vicar at St Francis of Assisi Church, Parkway, since 2010 and am

mother of two current pupils at the school. It is a real privilege to lead assemblies on

a regular basis and spend time with the children and staff. I have been ordained

since 2002 and have worked in various Parishes in Hertfordshire. Before I was

ordained, I was a trained psychologist. For fun I enjoy walking in the Austrian

mountains, tennis, cycling, cooking and spending time in the great outdoors with my

family.


I hugely value the link that the church has with the school and I am passionate

about the availability of a rounded education for all children. I care about the

success of Applecroft School for our children, for the staff and for the wider

community and will do what I can to support this.


The rounded education on offer, the emphasis on the development of the whole

person, and the richness of activities on offer.

Rev’d Jenny Fennell

ROLE

o Committees

▪ Chair of Pupil & Personnel

Welfare Committee

o Governor Links

▪ Year: Y3

Profile

I am new to the role of community governor.

ABOUT ME

I have lived in Welwyn Hatfield for most of my life and I have been teaching

Business Studies for just over 10 years. Before having my two little girls I was part

of the Senior Leadership Team at my previous school and was responsible for

independent learning and marking. I am currently teaching at Dame Alice Owens

in Potters Bar and my focus is Pupil Premium. In the last 5 years I have completed

my Masters in Education and last year completed my TLDW with a focus on Pupil

Premium. Gracie is currently in Nursery at Applecroft and Ruby is just about to turn

two. Education is my main passion but I also love to cook, travel, going to the

theatre and have recently joined the school choir.


Gracie joining the nursery has given me a personal interest in the school but due

to being a teacher I am very interested to learn more about school governance.


How happy Gracie is everyday, she has loved every minute so far. It is so lovely to

see how inclusive the school is and how much is in place to support every child. I

have also been so impressed with the staff at Applecroft and their love of teaching.

Natasha Lawrence

ROLE

o Committee

▪ Curriculum & Assessment

Committee

Profile

I joined Applecroft School as a community governor in October 2019

ABOUT ME

I spent 28 years working as a civil servant in Central Government mostly in Whitehall in a

number of roles and departments which I look back on with a great deal of satisfaction. It

was a varied and exiting place to work, particularly when working directly with

Government Ministers/politicians and in the House of Commons. I have since moved back

to working locally in Harpenden as a commissioning manager which avoids thankfully the

long commute into central London. Outside of work I enjoy skiing, cycling, watching

Saracens rugby football club, relaxing with members of my family and travelling abroad

with my ‘children’ even though they are now independent young adults.


With a local job now I am more able to devote more time in being a volunteer in the

community. I choose to become a school governor here as I have had a long interest in

education and have had experience of being a school governor in the past which I hope

will be helpful to the school governing body.


I like the inclusivity of Applecroft School which reflects the local community at large. I hope

to learn more about this aspect of the school once I settle in as a governor.

Steve Williams

ROLE

o Committee


Committee

PROFILE

I am pleased to be a Parent Governor since January 2018.

ABOUT ME

My background is in Microbiology, starting out my career as a research scientist at

King’s College. Following this I spent over 12 working within the field of oncology

in clinical drug development for the pharmaceutical industry. Most recently I have

retrained, and I am now working freelance as a marketing consultant for the

healthcare industry. I'm mum to 9-year-old twins who are in Year 4 at Applecroft. In

my spare time I love to bake cakes, run and spend time with friends and family.


I became a governor because after leaving my job I felt I had more time and

flexibility to give back to the school. I also have a great curiosity for finding out how

things work and feel I can contribute.


I love that Applecroft is part of the local community and that most of my children's

friends live within walking distance. I really feel that the school celebrates success

and supports the children to achieve.

Lisa Kyriacou Faulks

ROLE

o Committees

▪ Vice-Chair of Curriculum &

Assessment Committee

o Governor Links

▪ Year: Nursery & Reception

▪ Area: EYFS

Claire Coe

ROLE

o Committees

▪ Pupil & Personnel Welfare

Committee

o Governor Links

▪ Year: Y1

PROFILE

I am pleased have been a Parent Governor since May 2019.

ABOUT ME

I am a self-employed mum of three, with two children currently at Applecroft and a

third due to join reception in 2020. I attended Stanborough School and have lived

in Welwyn Hatfield nearly all my life. I have been running my own business for the

last 14 years, advising large global businesses on strategy development and

working with them to improve their written communications. I work from home and

am pleased to be able to balance frequent work meetings in London with spending

quality time with family and friends locally.


With two children and two nieces already in the school, and my little one soon to

join them, I am passionate about supporting the staff and teachers to deliver the

best outcomes for all our children. I also really enjoy learning new things and

taking on new challenges, so the governor role is really exciting.


I love the fact that my children always come to school with a smile on their faces

and are so happy to learn in such a friendly, welcoming and supportive

environment.

PROFILE

I have had the privilege of being a Parent Governor since June 2019.

ABOUT ME

My educational background is in Geography and Oceanography, however I

worked in both business and crime analysis after graduating. This led me towards

becoming a police officer which I have been for the past 12 years. I love the

excitement of my varied role, including helping vulnerable people and catching

criminals. Outside of work I enjoy live music and many extreme sports including

surfing and diving with sharks. I'm a proud dad to Grace who is in Year 2 and Jude

who is starting in reception at Applecroft.


I work hard to support schools and the community in my job and I felt I wanted to

help shape the school and future community where I live. I am passionate about

fostering the talent of children and empowering them to go on and succeed in life

regardless of their upbringing or personal circumstances.


I love that the school is inclusive and embraces the diverse characteristics and

values of the local community. I am proud of the staff’s dedication and motivation

driving the children’s desire to succeed and reach their full potential.

Ben Kirby

ROLE

o Committees


Committee

o Governor Links

▪ Year: Y5

Photo

Louise Gardner

ROLE

o Committee

▪ Finance & Premises

Committee

o Governor Links

▪ Year: Y4

Profile

I joined as a parent Governor in November 2019.

ABOUT ME

I have lived in Welwyn Garden City all my life and attended Applecroft myself as a

child ! I have a background in science and worked in the pharmaceutical industry

for several years after I graduated from university, since having my 3 boys have

been running our local family publishing business. Work and family keep me very

busy, but in any spare time I love to bake!


My children have received such a lot of support and help in various ways from the

school that I wanted to be able to contribute something back. Applecroft has

played such an important role in my family over the years I wanted to help it to

continue to do so for other families in the future!


I love the support and encouragement I have seen and experienced from all the

staff, and watching my children grow and develop in the same familiar setting I

have such happy memories of is really special.

Profile

I have been a parent governor since November 2019.

ABOUT ME

I am a lawyer specialising in commercial contracts, litigation and employment law. I am

currently employed as Head of Legal in the staffing industry. I like to keep up with my

training (much to my husband’s despair) and have recently qualified as an advocate.

Law has been my passion for a long time; especially employment law not least because it

affects all working members of the population, but also, because it has clear links to

equality and diversity.

I firmly believe (even more so since having children) that no matter who you are, where

you come from or, whatever adversity you might face, every child (and teacher) should be

able go to school and feel safe and be given fair treatment.

I have two daughters; one is at Applecroft and the other is at a separate nursery as she is

a bit too young for Applecroft at the moment.


I believe I can make a positive contribution to the school, in particular in when it comes to

managing and mitigating risk.


The little people in it; the children. The teachers are fantastic too.

Geraldine Rockall

ROLE

o Committee


Committee

PROFILE

I have been a Staff Governor since July 2014.

ABOUT ME

I worked for Barclays Bank for over 30 years in a variety of different roles in local

branches, including Student and Graduate Business Officer based in Hatfield. My

last role was Assistant to the Local Area Director. I have been a member of staff at

Applecroft School for over 12 years and have worked in both KS1 and KS2 in my

role as a Learning Support Assistant. I now work in the school office as a Senior

Administrator. In my spare time I enjoy gardening, taking photos and making cards.

Now that my children are grown up, I enjoy going on holiday with my husband.


In Applecroft School every child is given the opportunity to shine and develop. As

one of the office team, it is lovely to welcome every visitor to our School and create

a warm impression. We pride ourselves as thinking that everyone is part of the

Applecroft Family.

Lyn Lamaison

ROLE

o Committee


Committee

Paul Wyatt

ROLE

o Committees


Committee


Committee

PROFILE

I am a Staff governor having previously served as an Associate governor since

September 2015.

ABOUT ME

I have been teaching for a long time! Over 20 years now, and I still can’t quite

believe where the time has gone. I have been fortunate enough that those years

have all been at Applecroft. It does seem rather strange that I meet parents who I

taught when they were children here.

Being Deputy Headteacher can be a very busy role so family life is really important

for me to unwind. As with any parent, juggling work with family is a challenge and so

holidays are always very welcome and are really important. Days away to unwind,

whether it’s visiting places of interest, going to concerts, reading crime novels or

playing sport are just some of the ways I try to relax.

I am a cricket and football coach in my hometown, so lots of time is spent coaching

youngsters and when I do find the time, I play cricket to a reasonable standard

during the summer months. I’m a huge Manchester United fan and try to see them

at least 5/6 times a season. I’ve recently taken up running and have taken part in a

number of races up and down the country. I tend to run distances up to half

marathons although I ran a marathon recently – never again, although didn’t Sir

Steve Redgrave say that about not returning to a rowing boat!


I’ve seen so many changes over the years at Applecroft but it remains a pleasure to

work at and I have been privileged to teach so many wonderful children and work

with many fabulous colleagues. Applecroft, truly is a unique and special place and

long may that continue.

Nigel Gallagher

ROLE

o Committee


Committee

Profile

I have been involved in governors meetings since 2008. 4 years as an associate

and 8 years as a support staff governor.

ABOUT ME

My career path started in 1974 when I worked at the Oxford University Press

department. I then worked in the car industry. Foliowing this, I worked in the

maintenance team for the Oxford Bus Company. I then left Oxford and joined

British Aerospace in Hatfield where I worked in the treatment department. A

change of scene in 1994 took me to tape printing at Six Colour Printing. Then I

decided on a complete career change by becoming site manager at Rowans

primary School, now known as Waterside Academy. And since 2004 I have been

site manager of Applecroft School.


I joined to make a difference and to support the school with my knowledge and

expertise.


Applecroft is like a family. The staff are so welcoming, thoughtful and great to work

with. I enjoy seeing the children excel and the opportunities to speak with so many

of them. The work they produce is exceptional and it is a pleasure to be part of

Applecroft, a truly special place.

governor profiles€¦ · profile i have been a parent governor since january 2017. about me i am a...

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