Our Governors

Chair of Governors

Debbie Pettiford – Chair of Governors (Co-opted Governor)

School Data Protection Officer

Terms of Office – 15.11.16 – 13.11.24

Additional Business InterestsDirector/Shareholder of the DP Advice Service Ltd

I joined the board of governors in September 2017 when my son, Raees, joined Savile Park (Heath site).  I was co-opted to the board of governors due to my legal background and having practised as a solicitor for six years.  I run my own business offering a data protection service to schools and work with Outwood Grange Academies Trust as a Data Protection Officer.  I was interested in becoming a governor as I wanted to ensure that I was as involved with Raees’ school as much as possible.  Being a governor has allowed me to be involved with the way in which the school is run and to assist the board in support and challenging the Head and the staff at Savile Park in order to ensure that it continues to be an excellent place for our children to learn.  In my spare time, I coach All Starts Cricket in the summer at Copley Cricket Club.  I also enjoy going to the gym walking, travelling, food and listening to music.

Nathaniel Smith – Staff Governor

Terms of Office – 13.06.2022 – 12.06.2026

No Additional Business Interests

I have been a teacher for over 10 years and have worked at Savile Park since 2016. I currently teach the Kiwis class at Heath, year 4. I also lead Key Stage 2 and maths across school. I have also spent some time away from teaching running my own theatre school for children between the age of 3 and 16.  

Education certainly runs in the family, my mum, sister and mother in law are all teachers, my father in law worked in education in Bradford and my other sister also works in a local primary school. I have two young children who attend local primary schools and my partner is also a teacher in a primary school.  

I enjoy spending time with my family and going for bike rides together, long walks or just kicking a ball around. We love to cook and bake together and spending time outdoors.  

As a staff governor, I want to gain a better insight into the governance of school and use my experiences and ideas to support the school to continue to grow.  

Rukhsana Maqsud – Parent Governor

Terms of Office – 01.12.2021 – 30.11.2025

No Additional Business Interests

I have lived my whole life in Halifax and pride myself on my Yorkshire heritage. I studied my History degree at Huddersfield where I also completed my Post Graduate Certificate in Education. I have always had a passion for History and could only envisage teaching as a profession. I love my work and definitely understand the impact a good teacher can have on the lives of children. My students nominated me for the Examiner Yorkshire and Humber teacher of the year award in 2014 where I was a runner up, which reflected their belief in me as I was also their Progress Leader. A quotation from a student reflects my expectations of myself and my students ‘She works really hard for us so we can achieve well’.

As soon my son started to attend Savile Park, I knew I wanted to be as involved in his education as I could and my Parent governor role has allowed me to achieve this. I believe my experience brings positive and strategic points to the governing body. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling around England as well as other countries. Our family enjoys the cultural experiences of different countries trying different foods and enjoying how people around the world live.

Robina Sarwar-Hayat

Terms of Office – 08.12.2022 – 08.12.2026

No Additional Business Interests

Liz Cresswell – LA Governor

Terms of Office – 26.09.2023 – 26.09.2027

Additional Business Interests – Director of Cresswell Education Ltd

Liz is a visionary leader and an outstanding successful former headteacher with many years of experience in educational leadership. 

Jane Owen-Lynch – Governor

Terms of Office – 14.122023 – 14.12.2027

No Additional Business Interests

Former Governors

Caroline Thirkell – Co-Opted Governor

Terms of Office – 24.01.2022 – 05.02.2024

No Additional Business Interests

Steve Archer Co-Opted Governor

Terms of Office – 01.02.2021 – 26.09.2023

No Additional Business Interests

Ajmera Haq – Co-opted Governor

Terms of Office – 14.07.16 – 26.09.23

No Additional Business Interests

Norman Barton – LA Governor

Terms of Office – 27.06.19 – 26.06.23

No Additional Business Interests

Natalie Booth – Parent governor

Terms of Office – 01.12.2021 – November 2022(Resigned)

No Additional Business Interests

Mrs Saleah Hollingsworth – Co-opted Governor

Terms of Office – 01.02.2021 – November 2022(Resigned)

No Additional Business Interests

Ms Rabab Riaz Co-Opted Governor

Terms of Office – Nov 2021 – July 2022(Resigned)

No Additional Business Interests

The Role of the Governing Body

All schools in England have a Governing Body which is responsible for overseeing many of the strategic decisions of the school. The Governing Body works in close partnership with the Headteacher, staff and the Local Authority. Whilst the Headteacher is, of course, responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governors main three roles include:

Strategic – The governing body sets the general direction of the school, looking at how it should best develop. This is done by reviewing and agreeing policies, targets and priorities and monitoring and reviewing aims and objectives.

Critical Friend – A governing body should work with the Headteacher and create a clear understanding of the challenges face in managing a school.

Accountability – A school is a business and its stakeholders are the learners. The governing body must have a professional attitude and use its collective skills to benefit the learners. It must gather views, ask questions and decide what is best for the school. The governing body is answerable to parents, the wider community and the local authority.

School governors are drawn from different parts of the community. This helps to ensure that the governing body has sufficient diversity of views and experience but does not mean that governors of a particular category “represent” that group on the governing body.

The different categories of governor are as follows:

Parent governors

Elected by parents to serve on the Governing Body

Staff governors

To include the Head Teacher if they wish to be a governor. Remaining staff (both teaching and non-teaching are represented) governors are elected by other members of staff at the school via elections.

Authority governors

Local Education Authority (LEA) governors are appointed by the LA. LAs can appoint any eligible person as a LEA governor.

Co-opted governors

Appointed by the Governing Body to represent community interests. They can be persons who live or work in the community served by the school, or persons who do not work or live close by, but are committed to the good governance and success of the school.