Governors

The prospect of joining such a wonderful team with the chance of making a real difference to the lives of our pupils and the city of Leeds, was too good an opportunity to miss. I have always had strong links to the city, having joined Radio Aire as a trainee, becoming the youngest ever Sports Editor, and latterly Head of News at one of the biggest radio stations in the UK. After establishing The Tim White Media Consultancy in 1999, I was able to expand my interest in, and love of, training. Here in Leeds, I lectured for over a decade for the University of Leeds on its BA Broadcast Journalism course, which at the time was the top rated course of its type in the UK. I am proud to see so many of my former students playing a prominent role in various areas of the media today.

One of my daughters was educated in the Trinity MAT group, and the unique arts provision enabled her to progress to full-time professional training. I have also trained many private clients such as Directors, Executives and politicians, while also supplying courses for public services and charities. In addition, I have developed strong links with eastern Europe since first working with the world renowned Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) in Ukraine in 2004. This has led to me becoming an expert on Ukrainian matters, frequently being quoted in Ukraine media. I’ve also produced 3 video documentaries, including the 2017 feature “Nothing But Lies – Fighting Fake News”. Almost all major media organisations in the UK have used my reporting skills at some point, including ITV, Sky News, Sky Sports, (Channel) FIVE, BBC and talkSPORT.

The governing body at TAL is a group of highly skilled and committed individuals who are passionate about ensuring that the young people in east Leeds receive a world class education. Through regular meetings and visits to the school and training opportunities through our Governor Build programme, our governors keep abreast of all developments and progress, challenging and supporting school leaders to make the best decisions for all young people. Each of our governors has a key responsibility linked to an aspect of the school and work closely with the staff team as a critical friend and improvement partner.

Having worked as part of the Trinity family in an IT role for the last 14 years, I felt it was time to get involved with our academies from a different angle. When the Leeds building was announced, I took the opportunity to put myself forward as a school governor, and hope I can use my years of experience in education and my knowledge of new school projects to have a positive impact on the lives of our staff and students. An exciting opportunity to shape the future of this bright and ambitious school, and provide a world class education in East Leeds.

I have worked in the public transport sector for over 25 years, starting my career as a bus driver before being promoted to staff manager and deputy of operations manager. In 2015 I decided to return to education and enrolled at Leeds University on a business management degree course. Initially I found the return to education challenging to say the least, however it did open my eyes and gave me renewed faith in myself and what I could achieve if I worked hard.

I have a daughter who is 11 years old, she is hoping to become one of the first students at Trinity MAT Leeds. As a family we enjoy cycling, walking the dogs and camping in Cornwall.

Another area of interest to me is health and wellbeing especially in this current climate with the pandemic. I am a keen runner; I have been running for about five years. During that time I have dipped my toe into duathlons and even a triathlon! I really enjoy multi-discipline sports; they offer different challenges but are fun to take part in. I am proof that if I can do it then anyone can. I am a licensed Leader in Running Fitness with England Athletics; I also hold qualifications in Mental Wellbeing in Sport & Physical Activity and in Safeguarding in Athletics. I run my own beginners running club based at Leeds Dock; it has been inspiring to see so many people.

I am very excited to be given the opportunity to be a founding governor at Trinity MAT Leeds, I am a little bit out of my comfort zone but really looking forward to the role ensuring that the young people at the school receive the very best support and education which inspires them to #ReachHigher #SeeFurther #ShineBrighter.

The new Leeds Trinity Academy came to my attention a short time ago. It is an exciting prospect to join the Governing Body at this time in order to help, in a small way, the school progress and develop.

I have lived in Leeds for most of my life and grew up on the Gipton Estate, which is less than one mile from the school. I attended Coldcotes Primary and then progressed to Foxwood Comprehensive School in Seacroft. It was here that, as well as academic studies my love of sport and outdoor activities was nurtured by fantastic staff and a great school ethos.

I left school at 16 in order to take up an apprenticeship in Building Services Engineering Design and Project Management. I worked for the same Pudsey-based company for 37 years eventually becoming Chairman and owner. In addition I sat on various regional and national committees to ensure and promote excellent recruitment and training for the industry. I was also involved in working closely with our industry body on finance matters and national pay awards.

Through my sporting interests I have also volunteered with people with disabilities or who are disadvantaged and taught them to sail. These participants came from a range of schools and organisations around Leeds. I also represented the sailing Governing Body (RYA) to increase participation of sailing in Yorkshire and the North East through their Sailability Scheme.

I am looking forward to working with staff and other governors helping the school develop for students of all abilities and needs. It is important that we enable every student to reach their full potential through academia and additional experiences.

I am delighted to be joining the governing body at this exciting time of the school's history. As a local primary assistant headteacher, I am passionate about the standards of the city's schools so that they can provide the best education possible for the children of Leeds. Since qualifying as a primary teacher nearly ten years ago, I have become even more convinced that a child's education is the gateway to achieving their dreams. I strongly believe that high expectations in all aspects of school life - from curriculum to behaviour to teaching and learning - underpin school effectiveness. I am delighted to be able to work with the brilliant team at Trinity Academy Leeds in supporting them to deliver an exceptional educational experience within the local community.

From the moment I was introduced to the school, I was amazed by what it has managed to achieve in such a short space of time, and hugely inspired by the ambition to serve the local community and unlock so much potential. Having spent some time with Yr 7 students exploring environmental issues, it is crystal clear that the school is full on incredibly bright, caring and engaged students and I can’t wait to see the school help mould them in to successful young adults.

I currently work as the Managing Director for the Energy Strategy team at KPMG in Leeds and London. Having spent the majority of my career working on the decarbonisation agenda in the public and private sector, and more recently in consulting, I’m really keen to bring my experience to the team and support the school fulfil its incredible potential.

I come from a family of public servants in the Nort East of England, many of whom work in childcare or education be it in primary and secondary education, or the DfE. I currently live in North Yorkshire with my wife.

I am a RS/PSHE teacher & Head of Training at Trinity Academy Cathedral. I am very proud to be part of our MAT and see this role as an opportunity to contribute in it's vision for education beyond TAC. I am very passionate about the development of the whole child to help them become active citizens. I am also a member of our teaching and learning board to ensure high standards and support the QA of the impact of our curriculum, and lead on professional development for ITTs and ECTs. As a new member of the Governing Body, I am excited to support our young people to 'reach higher, see further, shine brighter' and support the community in this venture.

Over the past decade I have held various jobs ranging from a shop assistant to investigating offshore tax fraud for HM Revenue and Customs. The best professional decision I have made in this time has been retraining as a teacher in 2018. Since qualifying, I have worked in several schools in West Yorkshire and across the country. My experience in the education sector has taught me that an excellent school can play a significant role in shaping its students as individuals and the wider community more generally. As a local resident who is passionate about education, Trinity Academy Leeds' ethos of striving for academic excellence for all and providing incomparable extracurricular opportunities to all students inspired me to get involved by becoming a governor.

Trinity Academy Leeds is a fantastic opportunity to help children unlock their potential, access opportunities and make sure their talents and hard work are rewarded.

I’ve worked in a variety of financial services roles over a 25-year career and have experience of leading large teams and complex businesses. I’m currently a director in the Insurance & Wealth division of Lloyds Banking Group and an active member of a range of industry bodies. I hope to be able to put some of these skills and experiences to good use.

I know first hand, the impact that a positive school environment can have on a child and the wider role it can play in shaping young people and their communities. I share the ambition that Trinity Academy Leeds has for its pupils and the community it serves.

I live in Leeds have and 4 children in full time education from Reception Class to University.

I applied to become a school governor at TAL for an array of reasons, my son becoming a proud pupil, me as a proud parent and being interested at what happens behind the scenes!

Additionally, I loved what I saw as a parent when we were choosing our secondary school. I felt a sense of warmth, collaboration and passion from all whom I spoke with. I instantly knew that this was my school of choice for Luca, especially from Mrs Cafferky, Mr Gouland and the leadership team.

Prior to my visit, I had seen pupils of Year 7 (now Year 8) out in the surrounding area, and one word that could describe them is impeccable, a word that has been repeated at the open events.

I get a great sense of gratitude by giving back to the community, and for me, becoming a parent governor fills me with immense pleasure. I look forward to working with the school in such a capacity, and hope that my contribution will make a tangible difference.

Finally, the My Own Child mantra resonated with me and continues to do so on a daily basis. I have adopted this because I am an assistant football coach!