Governors

I have held the post of headteacher at Osmotherley Primary School since June 2018.  Prior to this, I was the early years and Key Stage 1 class teacher at the school before being appointed as assistant headteacher and then acting headteacher.  I am passionate about Osmotherley School and, as a teacher and as headteacher, I have been committed to striving for the best possible provision and outcomes for the children.  I have worked in a number of schools, both large and small, and I have experienced the many advantages of small schools but also the benefits of building links and working closely with other schools.

I am a retired secondary school headteacher and have lived in the village since 1989.  Two of my children attended Osmotherley Primary School before progressing to Northallerton College.  I have spent my entire professional life working in secondary schools, first in Birmingham and more recently in Stockton and in Redcar and Cleveland.  I am delighted to be able to continue in education through my appointment as a governor of Osmotherldy Primary School.

I have worked in various schools all over the country over the last 20 years but have worked at Osmotherley Primary School since 2007. I have seen many changes within the school during that time. I remain dedicated in helping with the continued success of the school.

Outside of school I run a large Guide unit taking them on many adventures including a trip to Mexico. I am also a keen snowboarder.

I have been the staff governor since 2017.

I taught in primary schools in London, Teesside and North Yorkshire for 30 years, the final 10 years as Headteacher of a 250 pupil school and nursery, before retiring in 2018.

I have lived in the village for 5 years and love the community, the environment and the facilities. We are so lucky.

I have close ties with Osmotherley Primary School as two of my grandchildren are in Acorn class, with the third attending preschool and am delighted to be able to support the school as a co-opted governor.

I feel very fortunate to have lived in Osmotherley since 2016.

I am passionate about education and I started my teaching career working in secondary schools but worked mainly in Higher Education, lecturing in French Studies. During my career, I lived and worked for a number of years in France where I taught English. Later, my work became centred on academic leadership and strategic management.

Towards the end of my career, I took the opportunity to leave Higher Education in order to pursue my interest in dyslexia/ specific learning differences and became a specialist teacher and assessor. I continue to work as a consultant in this field.

Following my retirement, I now volunteer with the charity Darlington Assistance for Refugees, supporting families who are building new lives in the UK. In particular, I am collaborating with Darlington schools to produce a Guide to Inclusive Practice for Welcoming and Supporting EAL Learners and create an EAL Network.

I am an ex-pupil of Osmotherley Primary School and my son started in Reception in 2023.

I have a HND in agriculture and moved away to Shropshire to study. I returned back to the area when leaving agricultural college and now mange our robotic dairy farm. I am faced with daily challenges of managing a business and am always looking for ways to improve productivity and efficiency.

I have young children and I take a keen interest in how they learn. Watching young children learn and develop is fascinating and the knowledge they collect will continue to amaze me.

I feel passionately about the school and am excited to see it succeed.

Coming soon