Downs Junior School

Co-opted Governor & Chair of Governors

Committees and Working Groups: Resources Committee

I joined the Board in October 2021 as a co-opted governor and the resources committee in January 2022. I have two children attending Downs Junior and have a wealth of gratitude and huge respect for the incredible work that the school and its staff do.   

I’ve worked in central government for 20 years delivering programmes and portfolios of digital transformation, building organisational strategy, improving how we do our work, how we govern and how manage our performance.    

Outside of work I’d say my keenest hobby is my allotment and horticulture…  it’s not always successful, but there’s always something to learn! 

Co-opted Governor 
 

Staff Governor

Committees and Working Groups: Staff Wellbeing

I am a year leader at Downs Junior School (year 6)

I am a Watford FC fan and general football fan, I love nothing better than camping in my campervan and long walks with my dog. I also love live music.

I became a governor to represent the hardworking staff in our schoo

I was also staff Governor at my previous school in Trafford, Manchester

Co-opted Governor

Committes and Working Groups - Data, Teaching & Learing Group 

My three daughters enjoyed their time at Downs and are now at secondaries and beyond. I am delighted to be able to contribute something to the life of this wonderful school. One important aspect of DJS that I'm keen to support and to see enhanced is the breadth of the curriculum and the time given to subjects such as art, music, foreign languages and sport.  

I work in physics and engineering, which gives me a good understanding of the potential, but also the limitations, of measurement and data gathering; useful, I hope, for my role in the Governors.

Committees and Working Groups: Safeguarding and Wellbeing Group and Parental and Community Engagement Group 

I am a Teacher, Teacher Trainer and Manager within the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) sector. 

My hobbies/interests:  Yoga, cooking, walking, singing, podcast creation

I became a governor to be more involved in the mainstream education sector and to facilitate a skills and knowledge exchange between mainstream education and the sector I work in.

Co-opted Governor

Committees and Working Groups: Vulnerable Pupils Group

I am a retired former project manager at the University of Brighton.

My hobbies are theatre, dancing, reading. 

I’ve always had a keen interest in education. My  3 adult children all went to DJS and I was a governor at the school back then and stayed on for a few years after my youngest left. Although it’s been several years since I was involved with the school I thought now was the right time for me to put to use my skills and experience.

Co-opted Governor

Committees and Working Groups: Resources Committee

I have been a governor at Downs Junior School since January 2021 and have a daughter at the school. My day job is in software development.

I've always loved this part of Brighton and wanted to contribute to the community in any way that I can. It's great to have an opportunity to do that at such an amazing school. Currently I am the chair of the school's Resources Committee.

My hobbies are playing the electric organ, snooker, reading and tennis. Probably in that order.

Co-opted Governor 
Committees & working groups: Resources Committee, Parental and Community Engagement Group

I’ve worked in TV production since the late 1990’s and since 2006 have been running my own digital production company.  I work from an office in Brighton and remote into our London studio.

My hobbies are running around Stanmer Park with the family dog, swimming, cycling & more recently learning to kite surf.  Since 2015 when the TakeShelter project was launched I became interested in local WW2 history.

My girls (who are now both in secondary school) had an amazing and enriching experience at Downs Junior School and look back fondly at their time here.  I’m proud to be able support the school as a governor and hope that my input will help other families to have a similar experience to my family.

I’ve attended many of the LA training sessions since I started in 2017 including the 5 part chair training. I am the designated Health & Safety Governor and work closely with the school business manager to evidence that all the relevant H&S documentation & practices are up to date & being correctly implemented. I’ve also been involved with the Head Teacher Appraisal committee.  More recently I have been leading the Parent and Community Engagement Group which will (from Sept 2021) be seeking & evaluating feedback from parents and guardians about different aspects of the school.