School governors are volunteers who help to run the school. Most schools work with a group of school governors - together they’re called the Governing Body. They’re involved in decisions about all aspects of managing the school – such as running buildings and budgets, supporting staff and monitoring standards and the curriculum. Governors also help to make decisions about the school’s long-term goals. They support headteachers, but are also expected to hold the school to account and provide challenge to ensure the headteacher is taking the school in the right direction. From the profiles below, you will see that our Governing Body members bring a whole range of skills and experience to the table.
Register of Business Interests
Governing Body Minutes
There is a legal duty on all governors to declare an interest likely to lead to questions of bias when considering any item of business at a meeting and for the governor concerned to withdraw, if necessary, whilst the matter is considered. To help put this duty into practice, a governing body is required to establish and maintain a register of pecuniary interests indicating, for all governors and the headteacher, any business interests.
The Governing Body of Grange Moor Primary School is made up of the following members, their date of appointment referring to the commencement of their most recent term of office:
Mrs. Helen Myers - Chair of Governors
I have been a governor at Grange Moor for seven years. I have lived in Grange Moor for over 20 years and very much enjoyed volunteering at school as a "reading friend" and also helping in fundraising events. I originally wanted to get more involved with the school because I felt I could put a parent perspective on matters. Our school may be small but is highly regarded and I want to help to keep it that way. I am also involved in local community projects and have been involved in other Committees which give me an insight into how places of education are run.
Date of appointment: 19th May 2019 (23rd May 2023 - reappointed)
Type of appointment: Co-opted
Term of office: Four years
Dr. Andrew Youde - Vice-Chair
I joined the Governing body in December 2014 when my daughter was a pupil here. Since moving to Grange Moor in 2007 I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the community and village life. I have lectured at Huddersfield University for 15 years and currently manage the Department of Education and Community Studies within the School of Education. This Department provides a range of degrees including Childhood Studies, Early Years and a Masters Suite of Education courses, and I teach on a range of courses including the MSc Technology Enhanced Learning. Prior to this role I was Head of ‘A’ Level Business and Economics at Huddersfield New College. I hope these roles provide sufficient experience to be an effective Governor at Grange Moor Primary School.
Date of appointment: 17th December 2018
Type of appointment: Co-opted
Term of office: Four years
Mrs. Rosemary Tomlinson
I have been a teacher at Grange Moor Primary School since September 2008. I am currently teaching Y 5/6 for 2.5 days each week, previous to this I taught Y 3/4 for three years and when I first joined the school I taught in Y5/6 full time for a number of years. I qualified as a teacher in 2007 and worked at a large Junior School in Dewsbury where I completed my NQT year. I have been at Grange Moor for over 15 years and have seen many positive changes to the school - it’s been a great journey to be part of. I have two children, a daughter who is currently in Year 5 at Grange Moor and a son, who is in Year 2. I love working at this school and now that my children are here too, I thought it would be a good time to join the Governing body as I can understand things from both viewpoints as a teacher and a parent. Outside of school, I like to take my children on days out, try to keep active with walking and Pilates, and spend time with friends and family.
Date of appointment: 3rd November 2020
Type of appointment: Co-opted staff
Term of office: Four years
Mrs. Laura Jones
I'm Laura Jones and I have a daughter who left Grange Moor in 2020. My eldest son is in Year Five and I have twins in Year Three. I have lived in Grange Moor since June 2012, being from Kirkheaton originally. As I'm sure any parent does, I feel very strongly that every child deserves the best possible education to meet their needs. As parent governor I am keen to support the teaching staff and current board of governors.
I am currently working as a Specialist twins and multiples Midwife at St James's University Hospital, having been a nurse prior to this. Whilst the parent governor role is a completely different one, I feel I have lots of transferable skills to bring to the role of governor. I am approachable for any problems/issues parents may have so that Grange Moor Primary School can continue to be a school to be proud of.
Date of appointment: 4th December 2019 (reappointed 18th July 2023)
Type of appointment: Parent
Term of office: Four years
Mrs. Charlotte Huscroft
Hi, I’m Charlotte and I became a parent governor for the school in 2019. I wanted to be a governor because I feel strongly about children’s education and want to support this wonderful little school as much as I can. I currently live in Kirkheaton and have done for most of my life. I work for West Yorkshire Police as a Police Community Support Officer and have done for the last 11 years. I hope that the skills I have and have learnt from doing this role for so long will aid me in my new role as child protection and safeguarding Governor. I have two sons, my eldest is in Year Four and my youngest, Arlo, joined him in September 2022. In my spare time I enjoy running, spending time with my family and walking our dog, Dudley.
Date of appointment: 17th January 2020
Type of appointment: Parent
Term of office: Four years
Mrs. Lydia McGrath
I have four children between one and six years old who will hopefully all attend Grange Moor Primary School. My eldest son is currently in Year Two and my eldest daughter is in Year One. I felt that I would like to get involved as I would be attending Grange Moor Primary School for quite some time! I am a director of a utility company, founder of Woodside Weddings, treasurer for Upper Hopton Pre School and we live on a small farm in Grange Moor. I have been involved in some local community projects and I am generally passionate about the village and it being a lovely place for our children to grow up. I hope that I can be beneficial to my fellow governors and if nothing else just be a good support to the school.
Date of appointment: 25th November 2020
Type of appointment: Co-opted
Term of office: Four years
Mrs. Nancy Halliwell
I joined the Governing Body in Autumn 2023 as I felt I’d like to make use of my experience in a voluntary capacity. I have previously taught in two large London junior schools and three local schools. Most recently I was a regular supply teacher in a first school which gave me valuable experience from Reception to Year 5 and certainly kept me on my toes! I have been a governor once before so I have some understanding of what the role requires. When my children were small, I ran the weekly Toddler Group in my village and was on the Playgroup committee. Those days seem like a very long time ago now as they are both teenagers and we are facing GCSEs and A-levels this summer. I look forward to supporting the future achievements and successes of Grange Moor Primary School.
Date of appointment: 30.10.23
Type of appointment: LA Governor
Term of office: Four years
Mr. Joseph Adams
I am the Curriculum Lead for Enterprise Education at the University of Huddersfield. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science (2002) which included a placement year at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, where I served as a Network Engineer. Immediately after graduating, I undertook a Master of Science degree in e-Business (2003). Following the completion of the MSc, I gained a place on Citi Bank's graduate programme as a Systems Analyst and worked in Tokyo, Japan for three years. Upon returning to the UK, I transitioned into the field of education and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (2007) at Kings College, London, complemented by a MA in Education (2011), from the UCL Institute of Education. With an extensive background in education spanning over 16 years, I have taught in high profile inner London schools for eleven years, spent four years working in Beijing, China and one year teaching in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I have acquired several notable professional teaching qualifications through the National College of Teaching and Leadership. These include recognition as an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) in 2012, Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) in the field of Computer Science in 2013, and the prestigious National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) in 2014.
Date of appointment: 21.02.24
Type of appointment: Co-opted
Term of office: Four years