Meet the Local Governing Body

I graduated from Charlotte Mason College in 1998 with a BA Honours degree in Environmental Science and Outdoor Studies in Primary Studies. I gained my first position as an NQT at Eaglesfield Paddle CE Primary School where I quickly took on different roles with in the school.

In the year 2000 I was honoured with the title of Most Outstanding New Teacher in the North East and Cumbria. I continued my journey at Eaglesfield becoming Deputy head and also acting headteacher.  I then took on the role as acting head at Lazonby CE School in January 2016. In September 2016, after interview I was delighted to accept the role of Headteacher.

I believe that the children should be at the heart of what we do here in school and that the decisions we make are based around those children in our care. Using the outdoor environment, our local community, and church to learn are important in the way that we teach children. It is of utmost importance that we help our children to Dream, Believe and Achieve as well as helping them to live life in all its fullness. 

In my spare time I love to get out biking both on road and off road, riding the trails and mountains in the Lake district. During my holidays you can find me fishing at Neist point on the Isle of Skye or on Loch Dunvegan. Weekends are always family time walking, cycling and geo-caching. 

Hello, I started moving back to Cumbria 8 years ago when my husband and I bought and renovated an old farmhouse in Great Salkeld.  I grew up in Keswick, studied in Birmingham and worked as an Optometrist in the North East until I retired at the end of 2019.

I worked in the Hospital Eye Service specialising in children’s vision and our own independent practice.  I was a primary school governor in the 1990’s at the school my 3 children attended.  I have been a member of Hartlepool clinical commissioning group and Tees local optometric committee.

I look forward to being able to support the school as I learn more about the role of a governor in the 2020s.

Shortly after moving to the area in 2016, our family came along to Lazonby School’s Autumn Show and immediately felt the warmth and enthusiasm that continues to impress me throughout the school community. My daughter joined the school's nursery the following Autumn and her happiness and growth from then on - she is now in year 1 - is a constant pleasure to observe. The opportunity to help in any small way to support those involved in making the school such a special place to learn, work and visit is why I am thrilled to be part of the local governing body.

My background is mostly in secondary education though I hope my experiences across a wide range of educational institutions will feed into my role here. I studied at the University of St Andrews for my Masters in English and Modern History and went on to complete a PGCE in English at the University of Oxford. I have visited and worked at a number of schools both in the UK and overseas, including America, China and Japan. Amongst my happiest of memories in any school were the four years I spent teaching at the International School of Seychelles, an independent school for children aged 3-19. It took the birth of our daughter to tear us away from one paradise and bring us home to the UK, thankfully leading our family to another paradise here in the Eden Valley! We have lived in Great Salkeld since 2016. 

It is my belief that the best education comes in settings that make individuals - that is staff, pupils and parents - feel happy, valued and safe as they explore who they are and who they want to be. Nowhere and nobody is perfect but a supportive environment that learns from imperfection is even better in my view. I hope that my passion for this kind of education and setting can feed into the amazing work that goes into this school. 

I look forward to many years of connection to Lazonby C of E School with my son soon to start too. 

I graduated from St Martin’s College in 2007 with a BA Hons degree in Primary Education and Advanced Study of Early Years. I gained a position at Lazonby School in the October of 2007. I completed my NQT year here and I have continued to develop and complete my NPQSL for senior leadership in more recent years. During my time at Lazonby I have had classroom responsibility from Nursery up to year 3 children. Most of my time has been spent with the Early Years and lower KS1, including being the Foundation Stage and KS1 leader.

I really enjoy working with children in the Early Years and scaffolding their learning through play. I’m always striving for ways to improve the continuous provision that they have both indoors and outdoors. I have taught PE through the school since 2008, when I took on PE Co-ordinator. During this time, I have worked closely with Eden Valley School Sport and the primary link teachers, as well as attending ACPEN meetings in our local cluster. In 2013 I took on the role as maths co-ordinator. I remember many friends who have bad memories of maths from their education. I want to make sure that all children at Lazonby are becoming confident mathematicians and aren’t afraid of the subject. I also have various other roles within school, including being a mentor for both student teachers and NQT’s.

I believe that children in Lazonby are at the centre of what we do. Children need to be developing a love for learning in an environment where they feel safe and happy. They need to be given the opportunity to excel and celebrate their strengths. A child’s learning journey should be enriched with memories of exciting opportunities that we have given them.

In my spare time I love being in the outdoors with my family, we regularly go for walks up fells and enjoy exploring the natural world.  I am a sports enthusiast and you can find me taking part in fitness classes, running, swimming and biking. I have completed a number of half marathons and I’m always on the lookout for a new challenge. I also enjoy reading books, and having a nice meal out with friends and family.

My wife and I have lived in Lazonby for over thirty years and our three boys all attended Lazonby CE School.

I am currently in my twelfth year at the University of Cumbria, working as a Senior Lecturer in Primary and Early Years Education. There are two main parts to my role. The first part is campus based where I work with Students to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of the Teaching Profession and the second part of my role is as a University Partnership Tutor. The work I do here involves quality assuring the school placement process; i.e. ensuring that the Students and Mentors (school-based colleagues) work effectively and consistently to facilitate both the Students’ and the children’s progress. I am the University Partnership Tutor for Lazonby CE School.

I originally trained as a teacher at the West Sussex Institute of Higher Education, specialising in P.E., and my school teaching experience is spread over twenty two years in three different schools. The last school I worked in as a teacher was a big primary school in Carlisle where I taught children across the entire primary age range, including foundation stage. I had a wide variety of roles and responsibilities within this school, and in 2007 I took on the role of Acting Headteacher. As Acting Head I was able to experience the multi-faceted requirements of managing a large city school on a day-to-day basis and the need to build positive relationships with all members of the school community.

Hi, my name is Hilary and I am delighted to have been an LGB Member at Lazonby C of E School for nearly five years now.

I am a huge believer in the unique benefits that students receive from attending good village schools and consider that rural schools are a very good indicator of the health of their local communities.

My background has mainly been in the public sector, having worked for the Environment Agency and its various predecessor bodies for nearly thirty years in a wide range of jobs before taking early retirement in 2009.  I have been an elected public governor for the Cumbria NHS Partnership Foundation Trust for four years and the County Councillor for Penrith North, which includes Lazonby and Great Salkeld for nine years and so I bring the knowledge and networks gained through these roles with me.  The areas in which I can probably add most value to the governing body are in the relatively ‘dry’ area of corporate governance i.e. the controls that show the school is operating effectively, staffing issues and planning matters.

My aims as an LGB Member are to make a positive contribution to the LGB, to ensure that the school continues to be able to provide an excellent learning environment for our young people, and that it always puts their needs at the heart of everything we do.

A decorated former soldier and highly qualified engineer who retired from the British Army in August 2020, after nearly 24 years to become Assistant Director of People and Organisational Development at UHMBT (University Hospitals of Morecombe Bay NHS Foundation Trust).

A visible, inclusive and collaborative leader, ensuring delivery and a drive for management excellence in all areas.  A technically accomplished engineer who has progressed from Army Apprentice to training apprentices to working nationally to develop Technical Education.  Proven history of delivering in agile and responsive manner in complex environments globally within strict resource constraints, working across international boundaries with multi-agency partners.

A STEM ambassador for Project Bloodhound, having provided military technical engineering support in the development of the project.  Believer in championing and supporting Technical education for all, to increase social mobility through education and skills development.

The chairman for the T Level Employer Advisory Panel for Maintenance, Installation and Repair (MIR) pathway, part of the Engineering and Manufacturing T Level, which guided the Department for Education (DFE) and in Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) on the new port-GCSE qualification.

My husband and I moved to Lazonby in 2016 and have enjoyed the privilege of living near our family. We have also really appreciated living in such a beautiful area, with easy access to the countryside and beautiful local walks.
My working life was spent mainly in the North East, as a GP partner in a busy urban practice. As a GP, I valued the opportunity to be involved in the lives of so many people and the support of good colleagues. Following our move to Cumbria, I worked in more rural practices until my retirement in 2022.
Currently, we are involved in our local church. We help at the T-Break after-school club for children and their families, which has provided us with opportunities to develop new skills and good friendships.
In my spare time, I enjoy walking in the countryside, reading and spending time with family and friends.
As a member of the LGB of Lazonby school, I want to encourage the school in being a supportive and stimulating community for both pupils and staff in their journeys of life-long learning so that all may grow and develop. As a foundation member, I also want to facilitate good links between the school and our local church.