Trustees
Nick Briggs
Chair of Trustees
Joining the Post Office as a graduate entrant, Nick’s early career was in security & investigation and quality management and then personnel management where he practiced as personnel manager for the Royal Mail Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield post code areas. Working from Royal Mail Headquarters, he implemented the human resources strategy for the automation of mails processing and programme managed the Post Office overhead review of central services. His last role with the Post Office was Director and General Manager of Engineering Services. Subsequently he has used his change management and consultancy experience to support private, public and third sector companies.
Nick has over thirty years of experience as a governor of schools. He has served as Chair of Governors at Primary and Secondary Schools and Pupil Referral Units.
Nick has a degree in modern political history (BA Hons) and is professionally qualified in human resources management (MIPD Graduate).
Skill Set: Human resources management, change management, problem solving, senior leadership and board experience
Appointed Date: 3 December 2019
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Deirdre Bailey
Trustee
Deirdre Bailey had a 40 year career in Children’s Social Care. Deirdre supported families in crisis, worked with children in the care system, children who were moving on to adoption and trained and prepared prospective adopters. She also provided support to adopted adults who were hoping to access their birth records and make contact with their birth families. Deirdre is also an established school governor, as chair of governors for the last 22 years in a busy primary school and has been an active partner in Safeguarding, Headteacher Performance Management, Staff recruitment and monitoring Teaching and Learning. Deirdre is also Vice Chair at another busy Primary School where she has a lead role in Safeguarding, Headteacher Performance Management, Staff recruitment and monitoring Teaching and Learning.
Skill Set: Safeguarding, school governance, education, training, and compliance
Appointed Date: 3 December 2019
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Roger Butterfield
Trustee
Roger worked as a solicitor for over 40 years, specialising in Education Law from 1977. He was employed by local authorities for 38 years and then set up his own business as a Consultant and Trainer. He has been a school governor for more than 25 years. During that time he has been a Governor at primary schools, secondary schools, special schools and a pupil referral unit. He has been the Chair of the Governing Body at four schools. During his time as a governor he has been responsible for Safeguarding and Pupil Premium and being involved in Headteacher Performance Management. Roger is Vice Chair at a Secondary school where he is Safeguarding Governor and involved with the Headteacher Performance Management.
Skill Set: School Governance, safeguarding, pupil premium, and education Law.
Appointed Date: 6 November 2020
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Scott Crosby
Trustee
Scott currently works as the Health and Wellbeing Programme Manager at Public Health England (PHE) and Programme Director for Prevention at North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.
After graduating from Brunel University in 1996 Scott worked in Business and Marketing before moving in to Education and then Public Health, where he has worked since 2003 for the NHS, the Department of Health and a Local Authority.
A recognised expert in Tobacco Control, with over 20 years of leading multiple programmes across the health and educational systems to improve health.
Scott is a visiting Lecturer of Public Health at the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds. He is a Fellow at the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) and was elected as a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) through Distinction for his contribution to Public Health in 2016.
Skill Set: Leadership, political awareness, advocacy, strategic vision, creativity and problem solving
Appointed Date: 27 May 2020
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Hugh Figgess
Trustee
Hugh Figgess has 27 years` experience as a teacher and head teacher. During the last 20 years his work has focussed on school leadership and leadership development. Hugh worked with Ofsted, Leeds Becket University and CCDU, a Leeds based education consultancy where he was the National College for School Leadership programme leader for NPQH and Team Programmes across the Yorkshire and Humber region. In recent years Hugh has worked with a wide range of primary school leadership teams supporting them to enhance leadership within their teams and across the school.
Skill Set: Education and leadership
Appointed Date: 3 December 2019
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Brent Fitzpatrick MBE
Trustee
Brent Fitzpatrick MBE runs a financially successful business career spanning 26 years, his MBE for his service to school governance, his being a National Leader of Governance and a Trustee with the Birmingham based National Governance Association.
His business specialises in oil and gas production, oil services, Insurance, technology, clean energy and international property development. He has long time experience of chairing a number of governing bodies and is trustee role at Dixon’s Academy Trust.
Skill Set: Leading companies, managing projects and company mergers, school governance, and strategic financial management of schools
Appointed Date: 1st May 2022 (Reappointed)
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Jumaimah Iqbal
Trustee
Jumaimah has over 13 year’s experience of working as a registered Occupational Therapist and is dedicated to continual improvement. She has worked with children, adults and carers from diverse backgrounds with a range of complex disabilities. Jumaimah manages the Access Team at Braford Council who determine the eligibility of adult social care services in line with the local authorities statutory duties; specialist equipment; adaptations and assessment for discharge. Jumaimah is responsible for the daily supervision of Occupational Therapy staff; HR; risk assessments; performance management; waiting list management; recruitment and liaising with councillors and the complaints department around formal complaints. A key part of her role is to continually improve services in line with the operating model and is currently working on a number of projects.
Jumaimah was a parent governor at for five years at Hollingwood Primary School, she was then voted in as vice-chair and had been re-elected as Chair of Governors for four consecutive years. Jumaimah is committed to ensuring that we provide our children and families outstanding education and a safe and nurturing environment to thrive.
Skill Set: School Governance, human resources and risk management.
Appointed Date: 13 October 2021
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Emma Lister Chartered MCIPD
Trustee
Emma has over 25 years experience working in Human Resources in a number of different industries including hospitality, engineering and manufacturing she is currently the Head of Employee Relations and Policy in the UK for a global facilities management organisation. Emma has been a school governor at a primary school for nearly 15 years, during this time she has been responsible for English Curriculum, Early Years and Headteacher Performance Management and is currently the Chair of Governors.
Skill Set: Human resources, employment policies, industrial relations, employment law, change management, senior leadership, and school governance
Appointed Date: 15 March 2021
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Rizwan Rehman
Trustee
Rizwan is a Partnerships and Programme Manager for Bradford Council with the Education, Employment and Skills Service. He manages multi-million pound employability provision and has over 20 years experience of working with the local government. Rizwan has developed strategic partnerships and represented the Local Authority on a range of platforms - locally, regionally and nationally. He has qualifications in Public Finance, Accountancy, the Institute of Personnel Development and has an MSc in Diversity Management. Most recently, he has completed a programme on Trust Chair's Leadership from Confederation of Trusts. Rizwan is highly interested in promoting education and learning and using his contacts as an alumni of Bradford University he assists young people in seeking support in developing learning pathways. Governance, accountability and ensuring best outcomes are achieved for young people is of particular interest to Rizwan
Skill Set: FInance, diversity management, governance and leadership
Appointed Date: 13 October 2021
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Dianne Richardson
Trustee
Dianne has worked in Education in Bradford for over 30 years. Dianne has worked in many primary schools in Bradford including Green Lane; Tyersal and Fagley Primary Schools. In 1996, two years after joining Girlington First School, Dianne secured the Deputy Head post there. She had a great involvement in the transition of moving from a ‘First’ school to a Primary. Girlington was identified as a ‘Beacon’ school in 1999, which enabled them to support other schools in school improvement.
Dianne holds a number of qualifications including a Diploma in Education Management and NPQH. In 2002, Dianne secured the post of Headteacher at Swain House Primary School, where she moved the school from special measures to satisfactory in 2004. In 2009 the school achieved a good rating. At Swain House there is a resourced provision for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Pupils which Dianne is fiercely proud of and promotes an inclusive philosophy with all the children. Dianne also brings with her as Trustee of Pennine Academies Yorkshire, strong relationships she has developed over the years with organisations such as BPIP, School’s Forum, Shanidar Teaching School Alliance and Bradford Opportunity Area.
Skill Set: Education, safeguarding, leadership, and problem solving
Appointed Date: 10 October 2021
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Penny Silson
Trustee
Penny Silson worked for the NHS as a nurse and senior manager principally at Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust for 37 years. Penny's roles had a massive remit: managing wards; doctors; nurses; delivering high quality care to all patients; achieving all NHS targets; managing budgets; ensuring sound financial controls were in place; optimising all resources and developing innovative services with strong, robust business plans to ensure strategic and operational goals were met. Never one to stand still she undertook a Diploma in Business Management and a Masters in Organisational Change. Alongside this she became a Magistrate at Bradford Courts specialising in the family courts and she thoroughly enjoyed the 10 years she spent on the “bench”. In 2015 Penny joined the governing body at Clayton village Primary School, at that time a school “ requiring improvement“ she took over as chair later that year. Claytons journey was quite remarkable and through sheer hard work , vision , passion and commitment they achieved a “ solid good “ at the last Ofsted inspection. Penny has been the designated governor for safeguarding at CVPS and is also the safeguarding officer for ST Johns Church Clayton. Penny's passion, love and care she had whilst working in the NHS has been transferred to working within the educational establishment. Penny firmly believes “ Every Child Matters “ and is entitled to and deserves a first class education, in a happy, safe and inclusive environment.
Skill Set: Managing People, Financial and Risk Management, Business Planning , Managing Organisational Change and Leadership.
Appointed Date: 18 May 2022
Appointed By: Ordinary Resolution
Term in Office: 4 Years
Jenni Taylor
Company Secretary
Jenni is a member of our central team.