Meet the Governors
Priorities for Governors- At a glance
Name: Sandra Clarke
Position: Headteacher
Skill/Areas of Interest: Special Needs Education; Post-school opportunities
Previous Employment:
2012 - 2021 - Deputy Head - Woodlands Secondary School
2008 - 2012 - Deputy Head - St John's Special School, Kempston
2000 - 2008 - Senior Teacher - Lady Zia Wernher School
1997 - 1999 - Head of Year - Putteridge Junior School
1992 - 1997 - Design Technology Co-ordinator - William Austin Junior School
Hobbies: swimming, reading, crafting, travelling, socialising
Name: Steve Gibbs
Position: Chair of Governors, Co-opted Governor,
Skills/Area of interest: Strategic Leadership, Education and SEN, Equality and Diversity
Employment: Retired. Previously manager for Post Office Ltd. Adult Education teacher. Casual Exams invigilator
Hobbies: Travel, rugby, golf, politics - member of Labour Party
Name: Fr Richard Brown
Position: Co-opted Governor, Vice Chair of Governors.
Skills/Area of Interest: Safeguarding, inclusion
Employment: Parish Priest & Bishop of Richborough’s representative in the Diocese of St. Albans
Other initiatives: Trustee of Aylott James Almshouses
Hobbies: Reading, classical music, walking the hounds, travelling
Name: Sam Batchelor
Role: Parent Governor; member of Curriculum Committee, Health and Safety Governor
Skills/Areas of Interest: Health and Safety
Employment: stay at home mum
Hobbies: socialising, travelling, walking
Name: Emma French
Position on the Board: Co-opted Governor, Chair of Curriculum Committee
Specific Responsibilities: Finance Monitoring, Safeguarding
Employment: Computer Business Consultant, Healthcare Company
Other Initiatives: I volunteer as a Beaver Scout Colony assistant. My eldest son, Matthew, was a pupil at Woodlands. I care about all the pupils in this school, and want to understand the different challenges they face, applying my business skills to support the school in the excellent work that it does.
Hobbies: Gardening, craft
Name: Leeroy Jenkins
Position on the Board: Co-opted Governor, Member of Finance, Premises and Personnel Committee.
Specific Responsibility: Community Links; Health and Safety.
Skills/ Areas of Interest: Networking, printing, marketing
Employment: Director of nextuplocal.com and NUBranding.co.uk
Other initiatives: Sponsor of Luton Town and Indians Cricket Club, The Coop Sports and Social Club, Friends of Hightown, Panthers Netball Team, Luton Foodbank, Tropical FM.
Hobbies: Music and graphic design
Name: Caroline Lowry
Position: Deputy Head Teacher, Associate Governor
Skill/Areas of Interest: I have a particular interest in the school curriculum and promoting functional learning, life skills and independence skills.
Previous Employment:
1999 - 2001 Adina School, Brighton, class teacher
2001 - 2004 Five Springs School - music coordinator
2013 - 2021 Woodlands Secondary School
· 2013 - 2017 Class teacher
· 2018 - 2021 Assistant Head Teacher
Hobbies: I love gardening, baking, going to the gym and spending time with my family and friends.
Name: Angel Miller
Position: Co-opted Governor, member of Curriculum Committee
Skills/Area of interest: Equality, Diversity, Literacy for all children
Employment: Director and owner of No Ordinary Bookshop, specialising in books for BAME characters, Dual language and social issues
Other initiatives: Working Together with the community through community based workshops.
Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Create and Craft and classical music
Name: Felicia Njorteah-Davies
Position on Board: Associate Governor
Skills/Areas of Interest: SEN Research and Development
Employment: Class teacher, Woodlands Secondary School
Other initiatives: NEU representative (WSS), Lector and Chorister
Hobbies: Research, cooking, travelling and music
Name: Robert Parker
Position: Co-opted Governor, Chair Finance, Premises and Personnel Committee
Skills/Area of Interest: Finance, strategic direction, accountability
Employment: Finance Director of Biogen UK, a renewable energy company. Previously held a number of commercially focused finance roles within Volkswagen Group UK
Hobbies: Running, cycling, swimming, good food, travelling and larking about with my 2 children
Name: Karen Quirke
Position: Parent Governor; member of Curriculum committee; School Council Link Governor
Skills/Area of interest: Raising awareness of special needs and inclusion
Employment: Parent Support worker for CAMHs
Other initiatives: Parent mentoring (for parents of children with additional needs)
Hobbies: Going to the gym, baking, family and friends
Governor Name: Kerry Rees
Position on the Board: Co-opted Member. Safeguarding Governor.
Skills/Areas of Interest: Post 16 and Post 18, PMLD, ensuring the ‘voice’ of the young people is heard.
Employment: Previously employed at Luton Council as the Transition Team Manager until November 2016. Now self-employed and supporting children and adults with complex needs.
Other Initiatives: Makaton Tutor, Crafter, Advocator
Hobbies: Costa coffee, crocheting, theatre/cinema, shopping, chatting.
Name: Helen Rolfe
Position on the Board: Staff Governor and Vice Chair of Curriculum Committee. Responsible for Governor training.
Skills/Areas of Interest: Special Needs Education
Employment: Class teacher, Woodlands Secondary School
Other initiatives: I have past experience of safer recruitment through many years of scouting and understand the importance of keeping young people safe.
Hobbies: Walking my dog in the countryside, growing flowers and vegetables in my garden, and enjoying my caravan with my family.
Name: Shagufta Shahin
Position on Board: Co-opted Governor
Areas of interest: Managing and developing curriculum
Previous employment: Qualified teacher of English, ESOL and Functional Skills. Worked in Senior management positions in colleges across London. Formerly the Vice Principal at Barnfiled College. Trained as an additional inspector for Ofsted. Educational Consultant in the FE sector.
Other: Currently retired but a very active grandmother
Name: Mike Smith
Position on Board: Co-opted Governor, member of Finance, Premises and Personnel Committee
Skills/Areas of interest: KPIs, financial management, governance strategy, accountability,
Employment: Database programmer
Hobbies: cycling, running, rock climbing, photography