Governors at Bradfield Dungworth

The Role of the Governing Board

Including Mr. Mitchell (the Head teacher) there are eight governors, who come from a variety of walks of life. Photographs of us are displayed in the school entrance.

We meet, as a full group, at least once each term and, more regularly, within specialist groups. Governors are one of the largest volunteer groups in the country and have an important part in raising school standards. The role of the governing board is key to the effectiveness of the school.

We provide strategic leadership and accountability in the school. We are responsible for the appointment of the head teacher and assistant head teacher. We also hold the main responsibility for the finance of the school and, it is governors who make the tough decisions about balancing resources.

Each individual governor is a member of the governing board, which is established in law as a corporate body. Individually, we may not act independently of the rest of the governing board; decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing board.

The role of the governing board is a strategic one and, its six key elements are; -

Strategic Leadership
Accountability for School and Financial performance
People
Structures
Compliance
Evaluation

When you do see us in the school, we may be meeting with Mrs Adams or carrying out what are known as “learning walks”. Whilst we’re in the school, we do not make judgements on pupil’s work, or members of staff. The purpose of a Governor’s learning walk is to support the Governing board in carrying out its key responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school.

We also have specialist Governors who are responsible for such areas as; health and safety, safeguarding issues and special educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

If you do see us in the school and, you have an enquiry or issue you would like to be listened to, please do feel able to talk to us or contact the Chair of Governors via the school office or by email a.beckerman@bradfielddungworth.sheffield.sch.uk.

Name	Term commenced	Term finishes	Background on being a Governor
Andrew Beckerman Chair of Governors Co-opted Governor	11/05/2020	10/05/2026	I am a Professor in Evolutionary Ecology at the University of Sheffield in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences. Both my children have attended Bradfield Dungworth and are now at the local secondary school. In addition to 20 years of research and teaching in higher education, I have two years of experience in outdoor/experiential education for primary aged students (5-10-year-olds). I also have several years of experience in undergraduate student recruitment and curriculum development in biological sciences. My work involves teaching, mentoring, and research which provides skills in project, people and financial management, data analysis and visualization, and IT and IT-based learning. I also have prior experience as a Trustee for a large charity in the higher education sector. I chaired a large committee, coordinated a team of 15 trustees, co-opted members and charity staff, and was responsible for a substantial budget and strategic direction of a programme of events and activities. In this position, I also contributed to the development and implementation of two five-year strategic plans, leading to refined vision, ethos and objectives, growth and expansion of activities, as well as to increased efficiency. I have been Chair of the Governing Board since August 2018.
Melanie Smart Co-opted Governor	17/10/19	16/10/26	I became a governor in 1978 and in 1981 was part of the Action Group which saved the school from closure, and then saw the amalgamation of Bradfield and Dungworth schools to create Bradfield Dungworth School. Threat of closure loomed again in 1993 and again I took a leading part in the Action Group that won the case to stay open. I was then instrumental in the plans to build an extension to create more capacity (and sustainability) for the school. In 2008 OFSTED criticised the school’s PE provision (PE lessons were held in the Village Hall) and the lack of library space. We were the only school in Sheffield without a school hall (dinners were eaten in the classrooms). I helped to pursue planning permission and grants to build a school hall, which opened in 2011. I am secretary of Dungworth Village Hall and an active committee member of the volunteer-run Stannington Library. I also puppy walk, fundraise, and speak for Guide Dogs for the Blind.Now retired I have worked as a commercial artist, an estate agent, as non-teaching staff at Loxley School, as a parish clerk and as an IT Help Desk advisor. My three children attended Bradfield Dungworth School and I have four grandchildren aged from 8 - 18. I am on the Standards and Curriculum Committee, am part of the team which undertakes the Performance Management of the Head Teacher and the link Governor for the School Council..
Alex Beagle Staff Governor	01/09/2023	01/09/2026	Having been a teacher at Bradfield Dungworth since 2015, I am taking on the role of staff governor from September 2023. During my time at Bradfield Dungworth, I have predominately taught Years 5 and 6 and have led on the development of maths and PE within our school. I am originally from Wolverhampton and came to Sheffield in 2005 to study Accounting and Finance and Business Studies at Sheffield Unviersity. After graduating in 2008, I spent a year working for the UK Border Agency and another year working for the NHS before returning to the Midlands to complete a PGCE at the University of Worcester. Once my PGCE was completed, I returned to Sheffield in 2011 for my first teaching job at what was then named Firs Hill Primary School (now Abbeyfield Primary Academy) in Burngreave. I attend the Standards and Curriculum Committee.
Jessica Gilbert Co-opted Governor	17/10/2019	16/10/2025	I have two children in school - one who is currently in Y4 and one who is in Y1. I have over twenty years experience of working for a major financial institution. My most recent position was Branch Manager and this involved the day to day running of the branch as well as performance management, risk control, handling budgets and strategic planning. I also completed a qualification in Business Management during my employment. As branch manager, I played an important role in merging with another bank, which gave me great experience in change management and supporting collaborative working. A couple of years ago, I took the decision to take redundancy and spend more time with my children. I have retrained and now work as a Teaching Assistant in an inner city school in Sheffield I am the Chair of the Finance, Personnel and Premises Committee and Link Governor for Finance and Resources and Early Years.
Blake Foster Parent Governor Safeguarding Governor.	24/4/2023	23/4/2025	I have recently been appointed as the Business Manager of a Secondary School in Sheffield, where I am responsible for all aspects of school support services including, Human Resources, Finance and Facilities Management. Previous to this I had 14 years’ experience in General Practice Management, and a further 6 years in leadership roles within Primary Care Organisations. In my previous role I was responsible for the overall strategic management and development of the Practice. This included responsibility for Human Resources, Finance, Facilities Management, Safeguarding, Operational Planning, Quality Improvement and Patient/ Public Engagement. In addition to my substantive role, I also held extended roles working with NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Workforce and Training Hub. I was also a Quality Improvement Coach, facilitating system development within Sheffield NHS organisations. I sit on the Standards and Curriculum Committee, and I’m the appointed Safeguarding Governor
Mike Taylor Co-opted Governor	24/4/2023	23/4/2025	I am a retired secondary school teacher having spent 20 years teaching science in Kirklees and Barnsley. My last school was the resource provision for Kirklees for hearing impaired and physically disabled students which allowed me an insight into the challenges of teaching SEND students. I have spent 17 years as a teacher governor at my school and while my own children were attending Wisewood secondary I was a governor and had 2 years as Chair of Governors. After I retired I was interested in continuing my links with education and as my granddaughter is in her third year at Bradfield Dungworth it was an opportunity to give my time and experience to the governing board. My current activities are based around St John’s Anglican Church on Penistone Road where I am a church warden. The buildings are my responsibility on a day to day basis, looking after the maintenance and overseeing the cleaning and grounds. I sit on the Standards and Curriculum, Parents and Community Committee and am the link Governor for SEND pupils.
Andrew Lockley Co-opted Governor	2/5/2023	1/5/2025	I have lived in the school’s catchment area for over 20 years, and have had a number of family connections with the school - children and grandchildren as pupils, sister-in-law a governor and chair for a while,In a community as stable as this, the quality of education at the school has a direct impact on the health of our local economy, and the school gives pupils a grounding which will stand them in good stead whatever they do as adults. By profession, I am a solicitor, and my last full-time job was as national Head of Public Law at the Sheffield-based law firm, Irwin Mitchell. Education Law has been one of my areas of practice, and that has included advising panels hearing cases about teachers’ conduct. Since retiring from Irwin Mitchell in 2013, I have had both local and national roles. I chair panels on policing ethics and the policing of protests for the South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner, and have done six years as a non-executive board member for an agency in the Ministry of Justice. A particular interest is special educational needs. In the community, I am on the parochial church council for Christ Church Stannington, and help to edit its community magazine Stannington, which is distributed to 5000 homes and businesses. I sit on the Finance, Personnel and Premises Committee and am the link Governor for Behaviour and Attitudes.
Josie Taylor Co-Opted Governor	01/09/23	01/09/25	Information Incoming!

Governor Voting :

All co-opted, parent, and staff governors are eligible to vote in all governor meetings. Associate governors are not eligible to vote in any governor meeting.

Governor Register of Business Interests

Name	Governor	Relevant Business Interests / Personal Interests	Any other Educational Establishments Governed	Relationships with the School Staff inc Spouses, partners or relatives	Date Form Completed
Mr Liam Mitchell	Headteacher	None	None	None	01/09/2024
Mr Andrew Beckerman	Co-opted	None	None	None	01/09/2024
Mr Alex Beagle	Staff	None	None	None	01/09/2024
Mr Blake Foster	Parent	None	None	None	01/09/2024
Mrs Jessica Gilbert	Co-opted	None	None	None	01/09/2024
Mr Andrew Lockley	Co-opted	None	None	None	01/09/2024
Mrs Melanie Smart	Co-opted	None	None	None	01/09/2024
Mr Mike Taylor	Co-opted	None	None	None	01/09/2024
Josie Taylor	Co-opted	None	None	None	01/09/2024

Bradfield Dungworth Primary School

Governors at Bradfield Dungworth

The Role of the Governing Board

Governor

Contact Us