Governance

Mr A Budd - Principal

​As Principal of Upperwood Academy, I am a member of our Governing Body. My role within the Governance Structure is to translate the school’s strengths and areas of improvement to the Governance Team being accountable for those strengths and weaknesses. In essence, this means regular meetings with the Governing Body to discuss the progress of pupils and the performance of staff. The finances of school ; maintaining a fulfilling education for our pupils under ever increasing budgeting concerns are also reported to our Governers. Together, we decide our Action Plans, ensuring the pupils at Upperwood remain very well educated. I bring many years of experience to our school’s governance in the roles of leadership and teaching. From outside school life I also bring the perspective of being a committed parent and am very much aware of how important a consistent education is to our families.

Mrs. K Markham - Community Governor - Chair of Governors - Safeguarding Governor

I am a community governor and was elected in 2000 which means that I bring over 20 years of experience to the Governing Body.  I am passionate about standards of education for everyone, in order that every individual can gain the skills and knowledge they need to be able to progress to the next level, whatever that maybe and to develop other skills that will make them good citizens in the future such as respect, compassion and integrity. I worked for Barnsley College for over 23 years initially as a teacher in business and management and for the last 5 years as the Director of Teaching and Learning before I retired. I believe in quality education from the cradle to the grave. My son attended Upperwood and he has been able to progress over time with the skills and knowledge that he learnt initially at Upperwood, into a career that he enjoys and which challenges him. I am proud to be part of a team who shares a vision to want the best education for children in my local area.  My governor responsibility specialist areas include financial management and teaching & learning, and alongside my colleagues, ask challenging questions and review procedures to further enhance the quality of education that your children receive.

Mrs C Fish - Vice Chairperson and Parent Governor 

I am a parent governor, I joined the academy in July 2018, just prior to my daughter starting with the Academy in September.  I am a qualified Health and Safety Consultant holding Chartered status with the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.  I have over 15 years’ experience in health and safety, change management and training and have worked with the Academy to audit their health and safety management system.  I have had previous experience as a parent governor for two other schools and spent a short time as Chair, however I wanted to be part of Upperwood Academy to support the school with an invested interest to understand how the school works in order to best find avenues for change and improvement.  I believe that investing in primary education is the best step for all children to ensure a long-term positive relationship with education and development in the future.

Mrs K Crossland - Teacher Governor

I decided to join the Governors because of my interest in children’s welfare. I studied at Bretton University in Leeds and qualified in 1996 as a primary teacher. I have taught at Upperwood for 9 years and I have been the Assistant Principal for 8 years. My interest are the outdoors, animals and I have a passion for, in particular, horses and dogs.

Mr R Butterley - Parent Governor

I have been a Parent Governor since May 2016 and am an advocate for the development of children in a wide variety of areas, both academically and in extracurricular activities.

I have been working and studying in a wide variety of business and leisure roles. Currently volunteering as a triathlon coach and coaching swimming, cycling and running in the local area. I work as a Property and Project Manager. Prior to 2003 I worked and managed several water sports centres, working on the Isle of Wight and Barbados, training mainly graduates to become instructors in an accelerated training scheme. I have also taught and worked in an independent school, which has been beneficial in understanding the functions at Upperwood Academy.

My governor responsibility specialist area is P.E and Sport. This role involves monitoring how the P.E & Sports Funding Grant is used to ensure that the aims & objectives around P.E and extracurricular activities are achieved.

Mrs K Wordsworth - Parent Governor 

I am new to the Governing Body, only joining in November 2019. I became a Parent Governor after my Son started at the Academy in 2018. I wanted to be part of the Governing Body at Upperwood Academy to invest in the future of the children and be part of a great team. I am a Company Director with over 10 years experience at management level. I oversee the operational aspects and performance targets of the company covering a variety of roles. My Governor responsibility specialist area is Pupil Attendance. 

Mrs S Dean - Parent Governor

I became a Parent Governor in early 2021.  At that time I had 3 x children at Upperwood and have always believed the school go above and beyond to ensure all children's educational needs and standards are met.  I have worked in the NHS for 14 years across corporate functions including quality, safety, governance and assurance, and believe my mix of skills and experience would be transferable and a positive addition which is why I wanted to become part of Upperwood.

Mr Jonah Tshilenga -

I have been appointed Parent governor in the November 2022. It is a privilege and an honour to be allowed the opportunity to contribute positively to the schools’ vision and mission. I am a believer in a well-rounded educational approach, this means that all aspects of life must be taken into consideration when dealing with a child.

I have a background in media and communication. I worked for 10 years in international development. I have therefore developed a particular expertise in humanitarian emergencies. I am also a guest lecturer at various universities across the globe offering workshops on ‘conflict management’. I have participated in various community development projects, where I have designed, monitored and implemented various poverty alleviation activities. In my career experience, I have been working to improve the readiness of media and other agencies to respond to humanitarian emergencies with ‘lifeline’ programming and communication projects for affected communities. This included the production of radio programs and other communication materials for hard-to-reach communities. I am currently a researcher at a local university.

Miss Nicole Rayner - 

I am new to Upperwood's Board of Governors - joining the team in November 2022. 

I am currently a leader of an international sales team, operating within the Maritime Sector. Having spent the last ten years working in 'Heavy Industry', I’ve always been drawn in by the thought of becoming involved within the education sector, so when the opportunity to become a Parent Governor arose I jumped at the chance! 

Due to the nature of my work, I am well versed in strategic planning, financial reviewing and profit management - as such I am excited to see how I can transfer these skills and supplement the work that I do on behalf of the school. 

Aside from the professional skills I boast, I am a Mum to two young children, the oldest of which joined the EFYS Cohort back in September 2022. Being a Mum I am incredibly passionate about supporting the continuous development of a great future for not only my children, but all children that attend Upperwood. 

Mrs Tammy Seymour - 

I am new to the Governing Body, having only joined in 2023. My daughter is currently in class 5. I became a Governor after seeing what a fantastic learning environment my daughter is in and because I want to be part of supporting the school in any way I can.  

I have quite a mixed bag of skills to draw on having taken many qualifications over the last 20 years to advance my own business.  My most recent delve into education is a counselling qualification with the goal of becoming a volunteer with a charity once qualified. 

I often help with Upperwood FOCUS group so I’m usually selling something on the school gates be it raffle tickets or ice pops!