I have lived in Woodingdean for nearly all my life and I have two sons, who both attended Longhill High School. I have been a school governor for over 25 years and at Longhill High School since 2008. I work for an education trade union as senior resources manager with strategic responsibility for finance, personnel, property and IT. I have worked in and around higher education throughout my career and I hope that I bring that experience to the Longhill High School. I also bring the experience of 40+ years of voluntary youth leadership. I am currently Chair of Trustees at the Deans Youth Project based at Woodingdean Youth Centre. Our team works in partnership with the Longhill High School. I firmly believe that young people should enjoy school and that governors help to see that they each leave school with happy memories of their time there, equipped to achieve their ambitions and able to meet the challenges of their adult lives. Education is a 24 hour, lifelong process. I want our students to leave Longhill High School, excited by learning and with all the skills they need to continue their education, whatever future path they take. I believe the whole community has a stake in the education of its young people. In return, Longhill High School has a key role in the communities that it serves. I hope that my governance will help Longhill High School become a centre of excellence in the City.

As a parent of three children and being married to a teacher, I have long been surrounded by differing perspectives on the education system. When my youngest daughter began her secondary school journey at Longhill High School, I wanted to become a parent governor to use my skills and experience to give something back to our local school and community. I began my working life in the accountancy world, before moving into IT within local government, which has given me a good appreciation of finance and budgeting processes. In that role I also worked with many of the local education authority services, and am very aware of the pressures and challenges that schools have been and are continuing to be faced with as a result of government policy together with the ambition to help every pupil achieve the best they can. I am passionate about education being inclusive and serving the local community in supporting every child to develop and learn, through both the curriculum and extra curricular activities.

I have lived in Saltdean since 1983 and both my daughters came to Longhill High School before college, university and successful careers. I have been a member of the Personnel and Finance committee for many years and also have responsibilities for Safeguarding, Buildings and Health and Safety. For 11 years, until February 2017, I also worked at Longhill High School, as a member of the Cover Supervisor team, taking lessons for Teachers who were absent. This gave me a unique insight into how the School works on a daily basis and gave me access to the Staff to hear their views, enabling me to discuss matters with the Leadership Team, as a Governor, when they arose.

As a former teacher, I have an interest in education. I am also a foster carer for Brighton. I aim to be part of the continuing improvement at Longhill High School so that every child achieves their full potential. I believe it is important that students and their families together with staff and governors work closely together aiming for the very best for each child.

I have two sons whom I am proud to say currently attend Longhill High School and I became a parent governor in June 2022. I wanted to become a governor to support and challenge the direction of the school from a parent perspective. I am interested in education as a teacher myself, working in a special needs school in West Sussex. There I was the designated teacher for children looked after for ten years and I am currently responsible for staff development. I am excited about serving as a governor, working together with Longhill staff and the wider community to ensure success and well being for all students.

I am delighted to be joining the Governing Board as Parent Governor. This is an exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to learning more about Longhill High, contributing to and supporting plans, and being part of its continuing development.

My professional background is in Banking & Finance, having fulfilled numerous roles and responsibilities in my career thus far. In particular I have experience of working with a variety of education providers with various financing needs. My professional background, combined with my proactive and enthusiastic attribute, mean I believe I am well-placed to add value to the Board of Governors and help Longhill succeed. I am passionate about education, its ability to increase social mobility and its importance as a cornerstone of community. I endeavour to try my upmost to make a difference for all the young people and stakeholders of our school.

I attended Longhill from 2000-2005, before moving on to Varndean College, the University of Manchester, and then a career in Banking. I’m proud to have attended Longhill, which is a fantastic school and central part of the community, and I’m keen to do anything I can to help it succeed. I’m aware of the significant challenges that state schools have faced in recent years, not least the cuts in funding and resulting budget deficits. It is absolutely vital that all young people are given the best possible education as a foundation for the rest of their lives. I believe that maintaining successful secondary schools is a core part of that, and I hope to be able to make some contribution to the ongoing success of Longhill.

I have had the privilege of working with young people in varying capacities across their educational and career pathways and I look forward to leveraging both my passion and experience in my role as a governor at Longhill High School.  With a professional background in Human Resources and recent transition into careers education and employment, I am keen to work with the leadership team and other members of the board in ensuring that students at Longhill are well-rounded and equipped to take their best next step after school.