Who Are We?

I have been proud to work at Heathfield Community College since 2007 as a teacher of History and Politics. I am also Head of Tower House. Teaching History and Politics has been a great way of engaging with the subjects I am most passionate about and hopefully enthusing students with the same interest.

I live in Eastbourne and I have been a resident of Sussex throughout my life having studied at Sussex University and completing teacher training at University College Chichester. As well as my interest in History I am also interested in music and travelling.

There is a real focus on community in our school and an ambitious and supportive ethos, supporting this as part of the governing body is a real privilege.

I have lived in Heathfield since 1992. I studied history at the University of Lancaster in 1976-79, when there were no computers to be seen on campus, and then took the law conversion course at what was then the City of London Polytechnic.

I spent 34 years working in the City of London as a solicitor specialising in commercial litigation at Freshfields and latterly the US firm, Covington and Burling. I retired from law in 2015 and enrolled at the London School of Economics for a Masters in international history, and am now studying for a PhD on the 1947 resolution of the UN to partition Palestine.

I was educated in the State sector but sent my two now grown up daughters to Sevenoaks and Benenden. One is a teacher, the other works in insurance in Singapore.

I am involved with the charity IntoUniversity which is concerned with raising aspirations among educationally disadvantaged pupils, and at the last count 78% of free school meals pupils at IU go onto some form of further education against a national average of around 20%. I have a lifelong interest in education.

When I am not poring over history archives I play tennis and golf, walk my dog, labour in the garden and try to stay fit.

I have been a Parent Governor for the last four years and still have children at the College. I joined the team as COVID struck and Ofsted visited and having been through those challenges I am still keen to be part of the great team of Governors and continue my involvement with the school as a Co-opted Governor.

I’ve worked in academia, publishing and until 2016 I ran a small web company in London. I then took the opportunity to drop the commute and work primarily from home here in Heathfield. My day job is as Technical Director for an internet services company.

I currently work for an engineering consultancy and specialise in running major programmes around operational data / data integration. Before this I worked across multiple sectors in the technology management arena as a self employed consultant and prior to that, have a more distant history in the theatre and conference industry across Europe.

I was born and raised in Tunbridge Wells and have an extensive familial background in the education system as well as spending several years as a specialist instructor myself in dangerous sports. This has given me a broad understanding of the challenges faced by schools and educators both at an operational and strategic level.

I have lived in East Sussex since 1996 and moved to the Heathfield area in 2020. I became a Governor at HCC in 2019 and have two children at HCC.

I work with maternal care, neonatal and paediatric intensive care units to help manage the needs of babies and children with critical care needs. I also work with universities in the UK and in Europe who are researching the area of newborn brain injury and intensive care management of children. I am employed by a company who manufacture medical devices that provide support through science and technology to clinical colleagues.

My hobbies include Rugby and Music. I previously played for Heathfield and Waldron RFC, I love theatre and live music.

My wife and I have been residents of East Sussex for 30 years. We have 4 children, all of whom benefited from the brilliance of HCC.

I really want to try and give something back through support and representation. Heathfield Community College is a bright light in the middle of our community and has been for years. I honestly feel that being able to volunteer to try and help the college is a major privilege and a privilege not taken lightly.

I became a school governor to actively contribute to the quality of education in my community. Being passionate about creating positive environments for learners, I saw this role as a perfect opportunity to utilise my skills and experiences to help shape strategic decisions that influence educational outcomes. It will be deeply rewarding to collaborate with teachers, parents, and administration to support the school’s mission and ensure that all students have access to the best possible educational opportunities.