YHGSG Regional Governance Conference 2024

Alan Richards

Alan has been involved in school governance since 2001, he has been a National Leader of Governance from 2012 – July 2021 and has a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Wales. He is a member of the Society of Education and Training and is passionate about school improvement, ensuring that all children are able to achieve to their full potential. Now as a founder member of Independent Governors Support, Alan supports and helps to develop Leadership and Governance in Schools and Academies throughout the region. He is also a Director serving on several other Boards of Multi Academy Trusts and School Improvement Companies in South Yorkshire. Alan is currently running his own Business as a Consultant Leadership and Management Trainer designing and delivering Courses for amongst others the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry and working with many businesses and charities across the region. He facilitates strategic focus sessions, runs training programs and seminars developing and promoting Leadership and Emotional Intelligence skills throughout the Country. Alan is married with one son and lives in Doncaster.

Alison Cope

Alison is the mother of Joshua Ribera who was murdered in 2013. She now works tirelessly to help prevent youth violence by sharing her son’s unique life and death story to help educate young people on the realities and consequences of youth violence.

Associate Professor Bev Peartree

Bev worked in schools for 30 years as a teacher and senior leader of inclusion. She has been a SENCo, specialised in safeguarding and developing provision for students with SEMH needs. Bev was first a school governor and then a director of a MAT. Her work at Leeds Trinity University focuses on SEND leadership linked to curriculum development to support teacher and governor CPD needs. She has developed a UG degree, a MA and various post graduate qualifications for professionals in the sector. She has a national and international profile in SEND and inclusive practice. This includes being on various regional, national, and international forums to develop work in this area. Bev has been involved with the DFE in their procurement process for the new SEND NPQ and supported the successful bid by Church of England to gain the licence to deliver this new qualification. This is an area of work that she will be leading on at her university. A present project is linked to developing research to support inclusive practice in the South Africa and develop national policy in this area. Bev was awarded a Churchill Fellowship linked to work in developing teacher education around Mental Health needs in schools via research in Finnish Universities. She delivered CPD for the Malaysian National Conference on School Mental. Learning from other countries has helped her to develop her own practice in school leadership support. Bev undertakes specialist work around whole school and MAT reviews on SEND and Mental Health. She has also undertaken bespoke consultancy with school leadership around school improvement planning on identification of SEND, developing bespoke provision and quality first teaching. She is developing a specialist SEND health check to support progress of students with significant behaviour needs. This is working with both mainstream and alternative provision. Bev undertakes leadership team preparation for inspection and coaches school SEND governors. Outside of her role for Leeds Trinity Bev undertakes leadership coaching, is a lead investigating officer for complaints linked to SEND and inclusion issues and is a SEND expert on IRP for permanent exclusions. She also supports schools and parents in the application process of EHCP when they have been turned down, this can include looking at the ordinarily available provision that is being offered in a setting.

Carolyn Eyre

Carolyn is an independent safeguarding consultant, working with schools, multi-academy trusts, children’s and adult services, local authorities and LSCPs across England. She worked in the Local Education Authority safeguarding arena for many years, first in Education Welfare services before becoming Child Protection co-ordinator and then Head of Health, Safety & Wellbeing for the authority - combining also the roles of Senior Allegations Manager and Safer Recruitment lead officer - for a large local authority. Carolyn has a particular interest in safeguarding children with SEND and has been safeguarding adviser to the National Association of Independent and Non-maintained Special Schools (NASS) since 2010. She is a lead member of the Safer Recruitment Consortium task group convened by the DfE in 2014. Carolyn chairs and writes multi-agency child safeguarding practice reviews (CSPRs) and undertakes complex disciplinary investigations and learning lessons reviews on behalf of local authorities and proprietors. Carolyn is a member of the Association of Child Protection Professionals (AoCPP) and has an MA Professional Training & Development complimented by:- • Certificate in social work with children • BEd (Hons) Professional Education • NSPCC post-graduate Certificate of Competence • NEBOSH certificate in Occupational Health & Safety

Catherine Porritt

Catherine has worked as a primary and EAL teacher for many years. She is currently an NEU Health, Safety and Environment Rep and sits on the Y&H TUC Just Transition Working Group. She co-ordinates the West Yorkshire Eco-Educators Network, is active in the NEU Climate Network, and active member of Just Transition Wakefield and works with both trade union groups and third sector organisations.

Charlotte Hodgson

Charlotte is Head of Governance Development and Regional Development Lead for North East, Yorkshire and Humber, NGA. Charlotte supports regional and local organisations to strengthen school and trust governance. She started her governance journey as a parent governor and now sits on three governing boards including being a Chair of Governors in a maintained school. Prior to joining NGA, Charlotte worked in the education sector for 16 years, primarily in a teaching capacity in secondary school settings. She believes in the power of governance helping shape opportunities in children and young adults.

Rosemary (Rosie) Hoyle

Rosie is currently engaged in research for a doctorate (PhD) with a focus on the relationship between the chair and the executive leader of a school or MAT in the English state school sector. Rosie has had a life-long passion for education and training and has seen first-hand how education changes lives. After a career in the retail industry including at director level she took a career break to have a family and undertake academic qualifications. That was followed by a 12 year career as a Higher Education Lecturer teaching on English Literature and on Education Programmes. Rosemary has an MA (English Literature), Leeds; PGCE Post Compulsory Education, Lincoln and has experienced both sides of the boardroom table in corporate, the non-profit sector (as a Trustee and then Chair of a national charity) and education. She has been a school governor for around 20 years and is currently chair the board of an infant/junior school federation of 2 schools. In 2019 she stepped down as chair of a small village primary school having steered it through academy conversion to become part of a multi-academy trust. Rosie spent 4 years supporting governance for a local authority school improvement team (2015 to 2019) and still supports and mentors chairs and provides networking opportunities for colleagues in the 3 Lincolnshires and beyond. She is an occasional writer for the NGA, is a Co-convener of the Governance and Governing Research Group for BELMAS and blogs on all things governance at https://insearchofgreatschoolgovernance.blogspot.com/

Saeed Atcha MBE DL & Mehran Mokri

Saeed Atcha MBE DL is the Founding CEO and Mehran Mokri is the Chief Operating Officer of Youth Leads UK. Together, they are seasoned leaders in the charitable sector and passionate advocates for youth empowerment and social mobility. Youth Leads UK is at the forefront of driving change for young people across Greater Manchester, providing more than 25,000 young people with opportunities to engage in volunteering, skills development and social action opportunities in the last decade. The charity gets young people's voices heard and acted upon - influencing policy, and championing the potential of young generations. Recognised by Queen Elizabeth II with an MBE for services to young people, Saeed is also the youngest person ever appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester. His expertise has been sought in capacities such as a Social Mobility Commissioner, as a Trustee of youth-focused charities like Generation, Education & Employers, and Migrant Leaders.

Stuart Boothman

Stuart has worked as a secondary science teacher, school leader and governance professional. He is currently an independent consultant working with governing bodies. Alongside this, he has been an active campaigner for climate and nature over decades. Stuart is also chair of Just Transition Wakefield, a member of the West Yorkshire Eco-Educators Network and NEU Climate Network, and has written an Article in Governing Matters on Green Governance.

Tom Banham

Tom is an experienced NLE and provides school to school support to schools in a variety of different contexts. He is a lead facilitator on the NPQH Programme and also an elected member of the Yorkshire and Humber Advisory Board. Alongside this he is also a member of the Barnsley Alliance Board that facilitates the strategic sector led school improvement of Barnsley Schools. for the Local Authority. This network of support enables him to access an array of specialist knowledge and expertise from a diverse pool of system leaders ranging from NLES, LLES, Consultant Heads, SLES and other field experts across the whole of the Education Sector and beyond. Tom is the strategic lead for Tykes Teaching Alliance and also member of the Exchange Teaching Hub strategic Group.