Mr Adrian Thornhill – Chair of Governors

	Mr Adrian Thornhill         Foundation Governor Term of office:              03/09/22 - 02/09/26      Roles & responsibilities: Chair of Governors                            Curriculum & Learning Committee Resources & Finance Committee

Stanton School has played an important part in my life.  My own education began there in the 1970s and for the past ten years I have served initially as a Foundation Governor and subsequently as a Community Governor.  Having supported the federation between Stanton and Rowsley, I was delighted to have been elected Chair of Peak Tor Federation in September 2018.

One of my most important roles as Chair is to help both schools, each with similar characteristics but distinct identities, to learn from and build on each other’s considerable strengths.  I am confident that the experience I have acquired from building and running my own business combined with the specialist knowledge possessed by my fellow governors, many of whom work within the education industry, will help me to achieve this.

I have always believed in the vital importance of primary education.  Not only does it lay the foundations for the skills that are so critical to enable children, ultimately, to lead independent and fulfilling lives, but it should also foster a lifelong love of learning for its own sake. I am looking forward to working with the governing body in providing whatever support we can to the Head and her teaching staff in continuing to achieve both of these goals.

Mrs Alexia Wyer - Executive Headteacher

Mrs Alexia Wyer          Executive Headteacher

Start of office:               01/01/2021        

Roles & responsibilities:      

Resources & Finance Committee

Curriculum & Learning Committee

Strategic Planning and School Improvement

I am the Executive Headteacher at Rowsley Church of England Primary School and Stanton in Peak Church of England Primary school – just up the hill. I grew up in Manchester, where I attended my local primary school and then grammar school before completing a Biomedical Sciences degree at Keele University. After my undergraduate degree, I moved to Derbyshire to complete a PGCE at Nottingham Trent University and took up my first post in a very large inner city school in Nottingham. I then moved to a large primary school in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire and then taught for nine years at a middle-sized school in Heanor, Derbyshire. This is my first headship. 

I am committed to ensure that every single child succeeds and flourishes, not only academically but also socially and spiritually. I believe every pupil should leave primary school a well-rounded individual with all the skills and values needed to contribute to society and live a happy, successful life. I am committed to upholding the ethos and values of our church schools, where there is a strong emphasis on the development of the whole child: personal, social, moral and academic.

Mr Mike Lilley

(Resource Management Committee)

Mike Lilley                   Foundation Governor

Term of office:              03/09/22 - 02/09/26 

Roles & responsibilities:      

Vice-Chair

Mike is one of the three Foundation Governors of the Federation and is a member of Holy Trinity Church, Stanton In Peak.  He worked in education for many years, initially as a Secondary School teacher, teaching Science and Psychology, before moving into the Further Education and Higher Education sectors in management roles, though retaining some teaching mainly on Teacher Education programmes. In more recent years, Mike changed direction and developed a career in the Construction Industry. As one of the Foundation Governors, Mike’s role is to ensure that the Christian ethos underpins all aspects of school life.  A keen walker, Mike also enjoys skiing, church bell-ringing and motorcycling.

Amanda Ibrahim

(Curriculum & Learning Committee)

Amanda Ibrahim            Co-opted Governor

Term of office:              01/12/20 - 02/12/24

Roles & responsibilities:      

Chair of Curriculum & Learning Committee

Anti-Bullying Governor

I currently have one child at Rowsley and my son moved on to Lady Manners in 2020 after joining Rowsley in Year 4. We moved to the area from Derby city in 2017 and it was the best thing we ever did. We love it here! 

I have worked in education since 1999, when I qualified as a primary school teacher. In the years since then, I have worked in a range of primary schools, adult education settings and even taught English in Barcelona. 

I currently work for a national awarding organisation as a quality assurance manager ensuring that colleges, schools and other educational providers are compliant with qualification and Ofqual regulations. This means that I have plentiful experience in developing assessment strategies and internal quality assurance procedures, which I hope will be of benefit to the federation.

Of course I also love working with children, so I am looking forward to spending some time in school as part of this role.

Thomas Hurford

(Curriculum & Learning Committee)

Thomas Hurford            Co-opted Governor       

Term of office:             01/12/20 - 02/12/24

Roles & responsibilities:      

Curriculum & Learning Committee

Having moved to Warren Carr in 1985 aged two, and now living in Stanton-In-Peak with my wife and two sons, I consider myself a lifelong resident of theparish with only university accounting for any significant time away. I have been a co-opted governor since December 2020 and have a particular interest in teaching and learning and creativity. My eldest son is currently a pupil at Stanton-in-Peak.

After training in Furniture and Product Design and working in related industries, I accepted my first role in education as an Art and Design technician at Chesterfield College. A natural progression into a PGCE in
Engineering followed and led to four years of teaching in secondary schools across Sheffield and Derbyshire. As a keen advocate of life-long learning, a period of employment on the Haddon Estate as a carpenter/joiner afforded me the time to complete a part-time MST in the History of Design at the Department for Continuing Education, Kellogg College, University of Oxford.
Presently, my working week is occupied by lecturing at Nottingham Trent University and working for myself on a range of design and construction projects. Away from work, I enjoy family walks, bike rides, and my latest
hobby, gardening!

High quality education is as defining for the individual as it is for the society they will contribute to. I am bright and passionate about robust teaching and learning and very much look forward to supporting the school staff, my governing colleagues and the wider school community in achieving our shared goals.

Mrs Rachel Allen-Ashcroft  

(Resource Management Committee)

Rachel Allen-Ashcroft       Co-opted Governor

Term of office:              01/12/21 - 30/11/25

Roles & responsibilities:     

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Chair of the Finance & Resource Committee 

 

I have been part of the governing body at Peak Tor Federation since Dec 2020. My motivation to join the governing body was to share my knowledge, skills and expertise to contribute towards the values, ethos and strategy to support and facilitate the ongoing development and progression of the Federation’s vision and long-term aims. I am currently the Designated Safeguarding Governor supporting the Executive Head and Designated Safeguarding Leads to ensure we keep children safe, and help them to learn to be safe. My additional roles also include being the nominated Chair of the Finance and Resource subcommittee for the Peak Tor Federation.

My son attended Rowsley School from 2015, and as such, I have been part of the school community within my capacity as a parent. I have been an active volunteer at Rowsley school, volunteering time to support the school with lessons such as gardening, working with the teachers to support their curriculum planning, and engaging with the children to inspire and promote a sense of connection to nature. I have also lobbied local businesses for donations and engaged with fundraising initiatives for the Christmas school fairs, garden equipment, and donations to support the lost resources in the floods.

My professional background is as an Intensive Care Nurse, qualifying in 2004. I have undertaken many roles within a variety of large National Health Service (NHS) Trust organisations, moving from Band 5-Band 8A Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Intensive Care Medicine, holding posts as an Advanced Clinical practitioner, nurse, manager, and strategic educational lead. I have also been involved in the teaching delivery within 3 Higher Education Institutions since 2006. I moved into a full-time academic post in 2016 at Sheffield Hallam University, where I was involved in the teaching delivery for both undergraduate and postgraduate education. I then moved to London South Bank University in 2019 to further my academic career within Advanced Practice Education.

My current full-time position is as Associate Director for Partnerships & International within the Institute of Health and Social Care at London South Bank University. I am the Institute's link coordinator for all of Health's Post-graduate provision and chair of the CPPD management group. My other wider roles within the university also include being a senior lecturer and module lead for a work-based learning module and also teaching across advanced practice provision and wider postgraduate module delivery. I am also a local fitness to practice manager.

I can bring all my skills to supporting the children, staff, and fellow governors to uphold and support the Executive Headteacher to achieve high standards of education and opportunities for all.

Matthew Isherwood

(Resource Management Committee) Matthew Isherwood              Foundation Governor Term of office:                    16/03/22 - 15/03/26       Roles & responsibilities:           Resource Management  Website

I joined the Peak Tor Federation's governing body in March 2022. My daughters have been pupils at the school since 2018 though, so we have been very invested in the school community for a while, and indeed the wider local area, having grown up down the road in Bakewell.

Like all governors, my aim is to be a critical friend to the school - supporting and giving accountability, and lending my skills where I can. As a foundation governor, I have a particular focus on helping contribute to and maintain the Christian ethos of the schools, which is particularly close to my heart, being a committed member of the local Church community.

My professional background has moved over the years from being in design & marketing to web development and team management, giving me a broad range of skills and experience that I hope the school can also benefit from.

In my spare time, I love getting lost in the outdoors, or playing piano, guitar and singing in barbershop quartets!

Lee Webb

(Resource Management Committee)

Lee Webb - Parent Governor

Term of office: 16/03/22 - 15/03/26           

Roles & responsibilities: Resources Committee

I have two children at Stanton-in-Peak, and I therefore have a strong commitment to making sure there are high aspirations for all the children in our schools and a driven commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for all the pupils. 
I am the owner of a local business, Birchover Reclamation Ltd in Middleton-by-Wirksworth. I have worked in the stone industry since leaving school, I started from home, but now have a 2 acre yard full of stone with 14 members of staff. I therefore feel I have a number of skills which I can offer to enable the school to realise its vision.

 

Dan Burton                   

(Resource Management Committee)

Dan Burton - Parent Governor

Term of office: 06/12/23 - 06/12/27           

Roles & responsibilities: Resources Committee

I am a parent governor for the Peak Tor Federation, having started my term in December 2023. I went to Stanton-in-Peak C of E Primary School in the 90s and my two children go there now. I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering and have mainly had roles looking after site infrastructure, originally from a technical perspective and, for the last 13 years, from a leadership perspective. Health and safety is always my number one priority. My current role is Head of Production at SureScreen Diagnostics, where I lead the Engineering and production teams of up to 150 people. I hope my experience brings something unique and valuable to the board. I am passionate and committed to the continuous improvement of our schools and the positive, rounded impact the schools have on our children.  

 

Maggie Lightowler-Cook

Mrs. Maggie Lightowler-Cook - LEA Governor

(Resource Management Committee)

Term of Office - 29/03/23 - 28/03/27

Roles and Responsibilities:
Mental Health
Special Educational Needs
Parental Engagement

My background is in Education. I have a Masters’ Degree in Applied Educational Studies, and taught in Primary Education. I also qualified as a Teacher of the Deaf, which I worked in for many years and had the responsibility for training teachers. I possess a Diploma in Childhood Autism and taught children with Autism in specialist schools for a good many years. My last role was in a nursery attached to a C of E Infant School.
I feel privileged to be a Governor and hope that the breadth of my experience will enable me to make a helpful contribution to the Governor Team. I am committed to ensuring that all pupils thrive spiritually and educationally and that each child achieves their full potential. Education should be challenging and pupils need to be engaged and also have some fun.

 

Trish Buckner

Mrs. Trish  Buckner- Parent Governor   

(Curriculm and Learning Committee)

Term of Office - 01/05/24 - 01/05/28

Roles and Responsibilities:
TBC

I am a parent governor for the Peak Tor Federation, starting in spring 2024.  I have one child at Rowsley school with 2 more to join over the coming years. 

My early career was within childcare, with a degree in Early Childhood Studies, giving me a great understanding of how children learn and develop as well as the wider influences upon this such as family, the local community as well as the school. I am passionate about mental health and now work as a counsellor for adults within the local community. 

As part of my role mental health will remain one of my key priorities for all involved within the school. I also have a lot of experience within safeguarding after being a part of the safeguarding board within Lincolnshire. My experience has given me a wide knowledge of many challenges that children, parents and families may experience, and I hope to be able to take this into my role. Further to this my work within education and childcare has given me great knowledge to be a part of the curriculum and learning committee.

Finally as a parent governor I am here to ensure parents feel heard within the schools governance, supporting the vision of the school to help all reach their full potential.