Carlton Primary School

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Our Governors

 Click each photo to read our governors bios...

Govenors (ID 1080)

  • Neal Taylor
    Chair

    Neal Taylor

    I joined as a parent governor in October 2017, initially as part of the School Improvement Committee and became Co-Chair in September 2019. Governors analyse data, help to formulate robust plans, check for statutory compliance and undertake regular monitoring visits to verify progress. I have Business Management and PGCE Secondary teaching qualifications and worked in both fields. My work experience helps me to understand and perform our governance functions but I also enjoy representing my views as a parent. Our daughter moved to Rodillian High School in September 2021 having had the full Carlton Primary School experience from the early days of Red Bay all the way through to Year 6. Our staff, parents and governors help to make our school a great place to learn and our children generate a positive learning environment with kind and thoughtful attitudes. It is a school within our community we should all feel proud of.

  • Millie Brook
    Headteacher

    Millie Brook

  • Andrew Lupton
    Parent Governor

    Andrew Lupton

    I was elected as a parent governor in July 2018 and have since been involved in both the school improvement and resources committees. I have been involved in primary education for the past 14 years and am a serving deputy head teacher at a school in Bradford. In my role there I continue to lead maths and teach children with Special Educational Needs and have a lead role in safeguarding as well as supporting the head with analysis of school data. I hope to be able to use my experience to support the school in providing the best possible education and experience for the children of Carlton.

  • Nicola Upsall
    Co-opted Governor

    Nicola Upsall

    I joined the governing body in September 2017 as a co-opted governor. When my two children started at Carlton Primary School I was keen to learn more about their education and to play an active role in the success of their school. I work at Lloyds Banking Group as a Senior Accountant use all the transferrable skills and experience gained from my job to ensure I am doing the best I can for the school and the governing body. My main areas of experience are in finance, HR and project management.

  • Nasheen Wuisman
    Co-opted Governor

    Nasheen Wuisman

    I was elected as a co-opted governor in 2021. I have spent the majority of my career in Accountancy practice followed by training post graduates for their professional Accountancy exams. I now work for an Accountancy governing body leading on educational progression. Education is definitely a passion of mine and I have worked with local high schools with their career ready programmes to help pupils realise their potential. I will be involved in the school finance function, staff wellbeing & performance and supporting the school as Vice Chair. Both my kids are at Carlton and being part of their school journey so far as a parent, helps me to appreciate matters from both perspectives. This has been such a great opportunity!

  • Lynsay Hawkshaw
    Staff Governor

    Lynsay Hawkshaw

    I have been teaching for six years and was a staff elected governor for the last 2 years at my previous school. I have experience in key discussions including finance, strategic direction and post Ofsted inspections. The thing I enjoy most about being a governor is you are able to develop the school from an alternative view point than that from in the classroom. Furthermore, the role provides a number of opportunities to develop skill sets and learn more about the wider education picture. As a passionate learner this is something I really enjoy. Outside of school I am interested in further developing my knowledge around a range of subjects and spending quality time with my family.

  • Andrea Denby
    LA Governor- Maternity Leave

    Andrea Denby

    My name is Andrea Denby and I joined the Governing body in 2023. I have a wealth of experience in education and school leadership in the Wakefield area. My current professional role is an Early Years Advisory Teacher/Area SENCo in Wakefield, where I support a number of Early Years settings with their SEND provision. Prior to this role I was part of the Senior Leadership Team in a Wakefield primary school as DSL, SENCo and Early Years Leader. More recently I have taken up the position of Vice Chair of Governors at my previous school where my areas of responsibility include Safeguarding and SEND. I hope my skill set and experience in inclusion and leadership can add to the already well established Governing body at Carlton Primary School.

  • Christina Smith
    Co-opted Governor

    Christina Smith

    I have been in the education sector for over 20 years, both in private and public settings. I taught within primary schools both in the UK and the UAE for 12 of these years, teaching mainly in KS2, specifically SATs with leadership in curriculum development.

    Within this time I also experienced childminding for 3 years, educating children under 5 from my home. I now own and manage two early years settings, whilst also working for Speak and Language UK, delivering the DfE up skills programme to early years practitioners nationwide. I am a representative on the Leeds schools forum and a governor within this school.

  • Kat Leonard
    Parent Governor

    Kat Leonard

    As a parent of two young children enrolled in Carlton Primary, I am eager to dedicate my time and passion to actively contribute towards enhancing outcomes for all students. I will do this through leveraging my skills and experience gained from working in Financial Services for over 16 years, in roles such as operations, insight, leadership and governance. Currently I lead a team within the HR department focussing on leadership development, training and talent management. I believe these experiences have equipped me well to become a parent Governor. I'm also enthusiastic about developing my own skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to the on-going success of the school.,

  • Kate Riley
    Co-opted Governor

    Kate Riley

    I have almost 30 years experience in Primary SEN Education in teaching and senior leadership roles in across specialist schools and resource units in London, Leeds and Wakefield. For the past 10 years, my role has been SEN Advisory Teacher for Early Years, supporting settings across the district with SEND provision and inclusive practice. I have 3 children, all of whom attended Carlton Primary School and enjoyed their time there. I have volunteered in various ways in the local community since moving here in 2002 from being a member of Carlton PTA, Carlton Residents Association, treasurer for Carlton Scouts, club welfare officer for Leeds Rowing Club and Oulton Cougars Rounders Club. I am passionate about inclusive practise and enabling our children to have the best possible educational experience for them.

  • Jill Wildman
    Co-opted Governor

    Jill Wildman

    I became a co-opted governor in December 2024. I have lived locally within Carlton for over 10 years and feel very lucky to be part of such a wonderful community with Carlton Primary School being an integral part of that . I took early retirement after working for Leeds City Council for 30 years, of that, working twenty two years at a strategic level including the last five years as a Chief Officer. Working at that level I have a vast knowledge, experience and skills I feel that I could really contribute to the role of a School Governor.

  • Vacancy
    Co-opted Governor

    Vacancy

    Please email governors@carltonprimaryscool.co.uk if you are interested in finding out more about this role.


Governor Roles & Interests Nov 24Governor Attendance Record- Nov 24

Governing Body Annual Report 23/24

Have you ever wondered what school governors do?

Across the city there are thousands of members of our community helping to support school leadership teams by volunteering their time and expertise as school governors - but what is it about the role which encourages so many committed volunteers to apply?

Making a difference

All schools have a governing board, that provides strategic leadership. It is responsible for the strategic vision, driving up standards and ensuring money is well spent. Being a school governor is a fantastic opportunity to have an impact on education and positively influence children’s lives.

Use and develop your skills

As well as becoming more involved with your community, school governors develop a range of both new and existing
skills. You do not need to be a parent or have worked in education to be a governor, as a wide range of skills are needed on a Board. These include finance, H.R., buildings, health and safety, legal, complaints, data analysis, project management etc. Or it could be softer skills like working as a team to come to a vital decision. Being a governor is an opportunity to develop your skills. A wide range of training is also available from the Local Authority.

Improve your knowledge about the education sector

As a new school governor, you are not expected to come with a working knowledge of the education sector. This role will allow you will gain a fascinating insight into how schools work and how the education sector is changing and continues to change. You are guaranteed to gain a further appreciation of the work of teachers and school leaders as well as the type of challenges schools face.

It’s a challenge

There’s no denying that being a school governor is a challenge, but that’s a good thing - because it’s important. It may be that you are putting your professional skills to use in a new context or getting to grips with a whole new sector, but most governors find this very rewarding. The fact that the role is so enjoyable is probably one of the main reasons why there are so many governors giving up their time to help.

What qualities make an effective governor?

  • a strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children
  • the inquisitiveness to question and analyse
  • the willingness to learn
  • good inter-personal skills
  • appropriate levels of literacy in English (unless a governing body is prepared to make special arrangements)
  • sufficient numeracy skills to understand basic data
  • willingness to attend appropriate training

Types of governors

There are many different categories of governors depending on how they were elected or appointed and the category of school or academy. The most common include; · Co-opted – appointed by the Board and the most common type.

  • Parent – elected by the parents
  • Staff – elected by the staff
  • Foundation – appointed by the Diocese/ Trust
  • Local authority - nominated by the local authority and appointed by the board

The type of governor you will become depends on your situation; however all governors have the same roles and responsibilities once part of the governing body.

What is the time commitment?

The average is 10-15 hours per term; this includes attending meetings, background reading and school visits. Governors are expected to take an interest in the life of the school, to attend some of its events during the academic year and to see something of the school at work.

Being a governor is a public duty and governors have a right to reasonable time off work, although this may be without pay. You should look at your company’s policy to see what entitlement you have.

 

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