Our Governors

William has previously served as a school governor on two occasions and works in an educational setting at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter.

In terms of governance, William has special interests in celebrating the diversity at St Sidwell's as well as staff well-being and recruitment.

Having always worked in the education sector as a Teacher, Headteacher, Ofsted Inspector and Educational Consultant I am passionate that every child is given the opportunity to reach their maximum individual potential whatever that maybe. Schools are instrumental in providing an important platform to initiating this and I am pleased to be part of a team that hopefully facilitates this for all the children. My three grandsons have all attended the school so I have connections over many years and hope to support the school on its latest journey. 

I had a long career in a large college of Further & Higher Education in the West Midlands where I was responsible for support for all students including those with additional needs. I had lead responsibility for safeguarding and equality in what was a very diverse college. There was great focus on the community of the college and what that meant and on learner voice. On retiring from that role, I worked as an education consultant delivering safeguarding and equality training and supervising safeguarding leads in schools and colleges, supporting them to improve practice. It was during this time that I also a governor at a Pupil Referral Unit for students who had been excluded from school. This work was very rewarding so becoming a governor again was something I wanted to do. Seeing children and young people happy in their learning and achieving their full potential is something I am passionate about. I hope to be able to use some of what I have learnt over the years to support the staff and the pupils of St Sidwell’s.

My special interests are safeguarding and equality and diversity.

The majority of my career has been spent within the retail sales sector, however, having had my Son in 2021 I decided to take some time away from Retail, and went to work for a local company who specialise in providing Training to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. This is an area that I am extremely passionate about and I am very keen to support my local community with this. I hope to bring some of my skills that I have gained in recent years to support the children and staff at St Sidwells. 

I previously I worked alongside my husband in a busy, multi-cultural parish in Coventry, where I was also a School Governor. In that role I was particularly interested in developing links between the school, the community and the church. Throughout my career I have been involved in supporting families in a variety of ways, so that they can make the best of their situations . I enjoy the company of children and my 4 little granddaughters keep me up to date on current trends.  By training I am a pastoral counsellor and have lived in India and worked for short spells in Africa. I really enjoy being outdoors, bird-watching and gardening and we have an allotment beside St James Park Station.

I work at the University of Exeter as a Professor in the Department of English and Creative Writing and, as a former St Sidwells parent, am really pleased to be able to give back to the school as it embarks on the next stage of its journey as part of St Christopher’s MAT.  I have served as a school governor before and am particularly interested in literacy, reading and increasing access to a wide range of books and stories in primary settings.

I have been a primary school teacher at St Sidwell’s since my NQT year, which began in September 2015. Since then, I have been passionate about providing the best education for the pupils in our school. I am enthusiastic, committed and motivated to take on the role as staff governor to make a positive difference to the school and its pupils. I believe I am someone who teaches children values and skills that enable them to become life-long learners and responsible, global citizens. I have always endeavoured to make a difference to the children, school and community that I teach in. Through my role as staff governor, I am looking forward to supporting and creating opportunities and outcomes for children to succeed and have a flourishing education at St Sidwell’s.

When we decided to move to Exeter from London, I viewed a lot of schools. As soon as I walked into St Sidwells, I knew it was where I wanted my children to go. I loved the atmosphere, the strong feeling of care and community, and most especially the diversity of the school. 

In my day job, I work for the University of St Andrews in Scotland raising money for medical research and science which is helping us transition to a more sustainable future. In London, I spent 18 years raising money for the very best of theatre, culture and the arts in London. I am as passionate about the importance of the arts and creative industries in our life, as I am about curing disease and saving our planet!

However the job I am most proud of, is my role at St Sidwells. It is so rewarding to be part of the team of governors, staff and parents who together make our school a school to be proud of. As governors we are all here to do our best for the children and to promote the highest standards at the school. If you have any ideas or want to get involved - please do get in touch.