I joined Crofton as a Governor over seven years ago. Over that time, I have learned a great deal about how the school operates and functions and have found the role incredibly rewarding. I have been Chair of the Finance committee for over five years, and in 2018, became Vice Chair of the Governing Body- a position I was proud to hold.

Professional Experience

I retired from work just over eighteen months ago from a career in retail management. I spent thirty-four years in various roles but principally as a Store Manager of a leading food retailer. During my time, I had the fantastic opportunity of leading teams of up to five hundred colleagues across the North of England in Lancashire, West Yorkshire and the North East. My last store was in South Yorkshire.

Personal Experience

I have been married to Alison for 35 years, and she is soon to retire from a career in teaching, specialising in Special Needs and Dyslexia. We have two children. Hannah is a teacher in central London, and my son, Ben, is a professional Rugby Union player. We are expecting our first grandchild momentarily and we are both looking forward to the joys that will bring!

Professional Experience

I have worked in a Big Four accountancy firm for over 30 years with the last 15 years specialising in employment matters in insolvency situations. This role has meant working with thousands of different people across a multitude of sectors during the most challenging and stressful times for those individuals. It has taught me to adapt quickly to meet the needs of the people that I am supporting to ensure that they are treated and supported with compassion and empathy.

Personal Background

I am a proud Crofton resident, born and bred. I love the village and the people who live here and have very fond memories of my time at the Academy. My son is currently in Year 5 at Crofton Juniors and will be joining the Academy in Year 7. I have been married to my husband, Mark, for 11 years and we have two crazy cockapoos called Teddy and Mavis. In my spare time, I am studying to become a counsellor and am currently qualified to Level 3.

I feel honoured to be a Governor at Crofton Academy and to be part of its future development and success and the exciting times ahead. I am committed to supporting the Senior Leadership team and my colleagues on the Governing Body to ensure that each pupil has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

I have been a teacher of Mathematics at the Academy since September 2010. During this period I have been involved in the teaching of a wide range of Mathematics, that have included; GCSE, Additional Mathematics, A level Mathematics, GCSE Statistics and preparation for STATS at our feeder schools. I have also been responsible for the coaching of new staff and the mentoring process through training to gain qualified teacher status. Throughout all this time, I have held the position of Group Tutor and have been privileged to witness the development of our fabulous Crofton students over their five year journey.

Crofton Academy has been a huge influence in my personal development as a teacher, so when the position of governor became available, I had no hesitation in offering my support. I became the Staff Governor in 2016 and feel honoured to be part of a body that is committed to the development and success of the Academy.

Professional Experience

I currently work as a Primary Phase Lead and class 5 teacher in a SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) school in Barnsley. I work alongside a specialised team who provide support to the most vulnerable children in society. I support teachers in delivering the curriculum in a creative and practical manner, which focusses on the children’s individual needs. I work alongside the SENCO in school to ensure strategies and provisions which are set out in the children’s EHCP’s are in place to ensure every child can access the curriculum and progress.

Personal Background

I am an ex pupil of Crofton School and currently live in Ryhill. I am a mother of two girls, aged 13 and 11 years old. In my spare time I enjoy swimming, horse riding and walking my beloved dog. I have a passion for travelling and enjoy visiting different countries. I am a keen cook and like to experiment with different ingredients to create new dishes.

Professional Experience

I have worked in the Recruitment industry since leaving university 25 years ago. Most of this time has been spent with large national or international companies. This career has meant working with thousands of different people at all levels across a wide variety of industries such as the NHS, manufacturing, facilities management, logistics and a whole host of other sectors. This has at times meant managing budgets in the £millions and having thousands of people working for me which brings with it various challenges and leads to insight of a wide range of subjects.

Personal Background

I moved to the area four years ago from Doncaster. My two children both attend Crofton Academy. I’m married and as a family we have a bonkers lab/collie cross who keeps us on our toes. When I have spare time, I train in a martial art called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and enjoy watching rugby of both codes having played League and Union in my younger days.

Having previously been Chair of Governors of a Primary School in Doncaster I am honoured to be joining the Governors at Crofton Academy. I look forward to being part of its future development and success. I am committed to supporting the Senior Leadership, being a critical friend and working to ensure that each pupil has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Professional Experience

I have lived in the area for most of my life and my youngest son is a pupil at Crofton. I am Head of Portfolio Planning at a university within the region, leading the development and delivery of the University’s taught portfolio; the student number forecasts and the portfolio strategy. This experience of working in a large educational organisation enables me to make a useful contribution to Crofton’s Board of Governors.

A good education and attainment provide our children with choices and confidence to achieve whatever they set their minds to. Above all I am interested in the wellbeing of our children, and I would like to support the school to enable our children to safely navigate their teenage years and become their confident, authentic selves.

Professional Experience

I am a retired University Lecturer who specialised in Education Management and Initial Teacher Training.  I have been a Secondary School Governor for 15 years and I still work as a voluntary maths teacher in two local primary schools.

Other voluntary roles have been with Age UK, RVS, MHA and Contact the Elderly.

I have been married for almost 50 years, with a son and two granddaughters. I have an active interest in motorsport and walking football, as well as being a lifelong Castleford Tigers supporter.

I believe that education is the key to a better world and that supporting our young people is an important way to “put something back” into our community and society.

Professional Experience

I have been involved in education and training within the Construction sector for over 20 years.  Within this time, I have worked at Sheffield Hallam University as the Construction Project Management Course Leader. 

This was a really interesting position for me,  as part of our recruitment I would link up with local schools and colleges, chat with students and teachers and help to provide them with support when making the transition into higher education.  My aim was always to provide students with inspiration and encouragement, enabling them to fulfil their potential in whatever it was they wanted to do in life.

I find this previous experience in education has really benefitted my role as a parent Governor, to which I have been now already for three years at Ackworth Mill Dam School.

I am currently the Technical Training Director for Socotec, where I lead the training and development of all staff within a number of areas including Building Control, Health and Safety, Construction Design Management (CDM), Building Pathology and Fire Engineering.

I am very passionate about delivering high standards of education and ensuring that when our pupils leave school, they are ready to take that next step, whether it to be in higher education or into some form of employment. I can see things from both the academic and employment perspective.

I am also the President of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers.  I love nothing more than to try and inspire people to reach out and achieve things they never thought they could do. I was never a high achiever at school, I did enough to get by…..however with hard work and dedication I turned this around, my moto is ‘anything is possible if you work for it’.

Personal Experience

I live in the Ackworth area with my husband of 14 years and my two children, my eldest is currently a pupil at Crofton Academy.

In my spare time I will be walking my golden retriever, swimming or cycling.

My two children are both keen footballers who play for local teams.

I have worked at Crofton since 2024 and I feel have settled in really well. I am primarily a teacher of geography and a form tutor, but also work with the wider student body through my role as student leadership coordinator. This has been a great opportunity to work with the students in a range of different settings and help develop their skills.

When the opportunity arose to become a staff governor I knew this was something I wanted to do to have the opportunity to learn more about how the school is run and lend my voice to important discussions.