Our School Governors

At Lady Bay Primary School we have a Full Governing Body that meets termly.  Our governing body consists of a variety of representatives from the school community, including: parents, co-opted governors, local authority governors, staff governors and associate members.  The Headteacher  automatically attends all meetings. 

Alongside this, we have a strategy committee which deals with the strategic running of the school and a resources committee which mainly deals with staffing and finance.  The sub-committees also meet termly but also if special circumstances arrive.  If you are interested in being a school governor, please contact the school office.

Deborah White

I have been involved with the school for over 20 years as a parent, governor, classroom helper and long ago as chair of the school association. I have enjoyed watching successive generations of local children thrive and succeed at Lady Bay. Over some 14 years as a governor I have acted as link for a range of areas and currently focus on safeguarding and PCHSE. I chair the Strategic Committee and am currently Chair of Governors.

Phil Craig

I have 3 children and have been a parent at Lady Bay since 2004 and my youngest is now in Year 7.  I have seen significant improvements, but our school still faces unique challenges such as managing listed buildings and restricted space for sports and play. I believe children’s education should include a balance of academia, sports, culture and fun. I am an Operations Manager in private industry which I believe adds a different perspective to school governance. Outside of family, work and school I enjoy cycling, swimming and golfing. Over the last 8 years, I have been involved in coaching rugby at West Bridgford, strongly believing that sport provides a great foundation for life. I am Vice Chair of Governors.

Suzanne Farrell

I became a parent governor in October 2015 and am now a co-opted governor.

My daughter attended Lady Bay and is now a pupil at Rushcliffe school.  Most of my career has been spent in special education where I have worked as a teacher and curriculum leader within specialist provision for children and young people with complex needs. I currently work part-time as a specialist teacher for the Health Related Education Team in Notts and as a self-employed education consultant and trainer. I was pleased to be offered the role of SEN (Special Educational Needs) governor for Lady Bay School. I also chair the Head Teacher’s Appraisal Committee. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family and friends, being outdoors and reading.

Sarah Reed

I was elected as a parent governor in 2018 and have two children at Lady Bay Primary. I am keen to serve the children at our school to the best of my ability and find creative strategies to meet challenging financial conditions, whilst maintaining the school’s integrity, heart and educational ambitions.

I have a background in business development and have worked in book publishing, the finance and construction sectors and most recently the arts and culture sector.  I currently work at Arts Council England and have a dual role, including managing a national portfolio of capital funding awards to arts, culture and heritage buildings.  This involves partnering with local authority and university stakeholders as well as private trusts, charities and commercial sector to invest in buildings all over England.  I am often in a hard hat and boots scaling scaffolding, climbing through caves or scrambling up ladders and love meeting a huge variety of people, from museum curators and artists to building specialists and bomb disposal experts.

I also have a role specialising in developing the visual arts in the Midlands area, and work with galleries, studios, media centres and creative industries to support their work. Guiding individual artists to grow their practice including fine art, craft, film, photography, design, public realm and digital is also something I enjoy being able to support. I love making my own clothes and like to support sustainable fashion and recycled clothing

Bryn Shelley

I have taught at Lady Bay since January 2000 and have worked in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and am currently teaching in Year 4. My curriculum area is Design and Technology. Prior to working here, I taught in Rotherham and in an inner-city school in Sheffield, which was both challenging and rewarding. I have been a Governor since 2015. I have 4 children ranging from 12 to 21. Apart from spending most of my spare time with my children. I enjoy watching sport and in particular, Yorkshire’s finest team, Sheffield United.

Neil Beaumont

I joined the Governing body in December 2020 as a parent governor.  Our family live locally in Lady Bay and we have two daughters at the school, currently in Year 1 and Year 3.  I applied for the role as I wanted to take a more active position in school life and to help ensure that our children receive the best possible education during their time here.  I currently work as an Account Manager for a renewable energy company and I’m hopeful my experience in developing and delivering strategies, budgeting and data assessment, twinned with my passion for environmental matters, can provide further benefit to the ongoing success of the school.  Outside of work and family life I enjoy running and I’m season ticket holder at Nottingham Forest.

Tracey Keane

I am the Deputy Head at the school and I am passionate about ensuring all children have the opportunities to flourish and achieve. I believe it is important children are encouraged in both their academic, creative and physical development. It is a privilege to be an Associate Member of the Governing Body and help shape the strategic direction of the school. I have successfully completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), and continue to lead projects linked to School Improvement. I am also a Local Authority Moderator and visit schools in the county to support teachers with assessment.  I have two children, Isaac and Alexander who keep me busy when I’m not at work. They also allow me to experience education from the ‘other side’. I enjoy classical music and play the clarinet and the organ. In my spare time, I try to keep fit through participating in 10K races and half marathons. In the summer term, you may see me leading the school running club down by the River Trent!

Alison Thomas

I was elected as a Parent Governor in November 2018. I have a son in Foundation and a 2 year old son who I am fortunate enough to look after full time.  

My working background is in the public and charity sectors, working mainly within homelessness and domestic abuse. My last role was the CEO of a domestic abuse prevention charity. Within this role I was able to lead a team to transform the organisation from a small voluntary sector organisation reliant upon government funding into a medium sized charity with diverse funding streams. The role enabled me to further my experience of strategy development, people management and human resources, budget management, and working with a governing body.  I am keen to use the skills I have obtained to date in supporting and improving the success of Lady Bay and supporting the school to respond to the current financial position whilst continuing to offer an inclusive, stimulating and fun learning experience.

I am particularly passionate about inclusive and equal education and believe that the physical and mental wellbeing of pupils and staff should be given high priority.

Rachel Ost

I joined the governing body in March 2016. I live locally in Lady Bay and enjoy being a part of such a vibrant and friendly community, which was one of my reasons for wanting to be a governor. I am Head of English at a secondary school in Leicester and am passionate about Education and working with other education professionals to provide the best opportunities for children and young people. I am on the strategy committee and am link governor for English and Curriculum. I love reading, unsurprisingly as an English teacher, as well as running marathons, walking in the Lakes or the Peaks and spending time with my family and friends. 

Martin Holden

I was elected to the Governing Body in January 2018 and re-elected in January 2022. I am the County Council nominated Governor.

I have recently retired from HMRC where I worked in a variety of roles, including working as a manager. I am married and have one daughter who has recently gained a degree from Warwick University. I live in West Bridgford. I enjoy foreign travel and this has included going to Venice on the Orient Express for my 20^th wedding anniversary. I have an interest in both preserved and model railways. I enjoy swimming and going to the theatre.

I understand first hand that children have a right to receive a good education and their parents want the best for their children. I realise how important having a good partnership with the school is for everyone to ensure that the children reach their full potential. I am the link Governor for Maths.

I became a parent governor in 2022 and have two children at the school, currently in Year 1 and Year 3. I am an Art Psychotherapist undertaking doctoral research within the specialism of Perinatal Mental Health. It is my hope that I can offer my professional skills to support the school in upholding its commitment to nurture the mental health and wellbeing of both the pupils and staff, by focusing on developing skills such as emotional literacy and empathy. When we are not working, learning or exploring outdoors, my family has discovered a newfound love of gardening which has seen us all digging streams and growing banana plants while furthering our slightly unhealthy obsession with Monty Don.

Julia Hillier

I was elected as a parent governor in Autumn 2022. I have two sons, one of which is at Lady Bay, currently in Year 1.  

I am a primary school teacher in Old Basford, Nottingham and hope to use my expertise in primary education to support the school as it continues to build on the success of their recent Ofsted inspection.  

In my spare time I enjoy reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family.