Governors' profiles
Ellesmere College has a Governing Body consisting of the following members:
18th June 2022- 17th June 2026
Term of office: 4 years
Appointed by: Governing Body
Committees: Chair of Personnel/Finance Committee, Health & Safety, Understanding the World
Business/ Pecuniary Interests: none
Any other relationships: None
Other Governance: None
Interested in: finance and teaching and learning
Martin has been a governor at Ellesmere for the last three years. He is Chair of the Finance Committee and also has an interest in the quality of teaching and learning. Martin also sits on the committees for Buildings, Site and Health & Safety and Strategic Development. His background is in education with a special focus on learning disabilities. He taught for almost twenty years at both the University of Leicester and Leicester College. He has worked as the Training Manager at the Volunteer Centre in the City and is currently the Training Manager at LOROS. In his spare time he runs a drama group for adults with learning disabilities.
28th August 2018 (Ex officio)
Committees: All
Business/ Pecuniary Interests: None
Any other relationships: None
Other Governance: None
Steph is the Principal at Ellesmere College and sits on the committees for Finance and Personnel, Buildings, Site and Health & Safety and Strategic Development
20th March 2023- 19th March 2027
Term of Office: 4 years
Appointed by: The Governing Body
Committees: Vice-Chair (all), Chair of Strategic Committee, Creative Arts, Creative Curriculum
Business/ Pecuniary Interests: None
Any other relationships: Board member of Soud Sense Charity, Director of Soft Touch Arts
Other Governance: None
Joe is a father to 3 amazing children and also a Co-Director at Leicester based arts centre, Soft Touch Arts.
Joe has been at Soft Touch Arts for approaching 20 years and has a wealth of experience in running community arts and music projects across the city and beyond. Originally from Leicester Joe has been surrounded by the arts and music his whole life.
After leaving school Joe studied photography and was involved in the local music scene, recording bands and artists and working for recording labels at various studios across the county. At the same time as this Joe also started working as a youth worker, teaching sound and music technology at Leicester College and Judgemeadow Community College. Working at Soft Touch is a combination of all the best bits of Joe's jobs!
1st February 2022- 31st January 2026
Term of office: 4 years
Appointed by: Staff Election
Committees: Personnel/Finance
Business/ Pecuniary Interests: none
Any other relationships: None
Other Governance: None
I have been involved with Ellesmere since 1998 when I used to come from Social Services, to run an Independence group for Post 16 students. I later came as a supply Teaching Assistant and became a permanent Teaching Assistant and Parent Link worker in 2002; in addition to this I started covering Reception after school from 2016. This turned out to be the perfect role for me as it meant that I could interact with the students, staff, parents and visitors. I have been working full time on Reception since January 2020. I have previously been involved with Ellesmere Supporters (Fundraising), we are hoping to relaunch this shortly.
16th February 2024- 15th February 2028
Term of Office: 4 years
Appointed by: Parent Election
Committees: Health and Safety, EYFS
Business / Pecuniary Interests: None
Any other relationships: None
Other Governance: None
Sally is a parent governors for Ellesmere College with a son in the Primary department. Sally works for the NHS111 Service as a Health Advisor where she talks to members of the public, assesses them and sorts out the appropriate healthcare for them. Sally has been with the NHS111 Service for the last three years and thoroughly enjoys the job. Sally’s career history has always been within either the NHS or Social Services, where she worked her way up to being the PA for the Assistant Director of Derby City Social Services.
Sally grew up on the Isle of Wight, but now considers Leicester to be home. Sally enjoys crafting: card making, knitting, sewing and quilting as well as reading. Sally also has an allotment, where she more likely to be found with a cup of tea and nose in a book than with a gardening implement in her hand!
28th Sept 2022 - 27th Sept 2026
Term of office: 4 years
Appointed by: Parent Election
Committees: Personnel/Finance
Business / Pecuniary Interests: None
Any other relationships: None
Other Governance: None
Melissa March is an elected member of Leicester City Council where she representing Knighton ward. She has been the Chief Executive of a local charity working in care homes with older people for nearly 15 years. She trained as a teacher once upon a time and has also served as a trustee of national children's charity The Woodcraft Folk in the past. She is a governor at Avenue Primary School too. Melissa was born in Leicester and has always lived in the city. She is a parent to two children of primary school age and runs a weekly children's group as a volunteer.
22nd June 2023 - 21st June 2027
Term of office: 4 years
Committees: Strategic
Business / Pecuniary Interests: None
Any other relationships: None
Other Governance: None
Pete currently works as the School Strategy Manager at the SDSA. Previously, he taught in Leicester primary schools for over 20 years and much of this time was in a senior management role. He has been working at the SDSA for almost 6 years and has been involved in a number of school improvement initiatives, particularly in the Derby ‘Opportunity Area.’
Pete provides direct school support for maths and is assistant maths hub lead at the East Midlands West Maths Hub. He also sits on the strategic board for the East Midlands South Maths Hub. Pete works closely with local research schools and the EEF to support a number of initiatives in the East Midlands which focus on raising attainment for disadvantaged pupils.
Pete provides strategic input within a number of projects and initiatives designed to support Leicester City schools.
16th February 2024 - 15th February 2028
Term of office: 4 years
Committees: Strategic
Business / Pecuniary Interests: None
Any other relationships: None
Other Governance: None
Heather is a Lecturer in Business at Leicester College as well as being Vice Chair of the Disabled Staff Network and a member of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Heather has over 20 years of teaching experience in secondary (state and independent), FE and HE institutions teaching a wide range of Business courses. During her time in HE Heather became a qualified support tutor working with students with Dyslexia and other learning differences.
Previously Heather serviced ten years as a parent governor, then co-opted governor at a local infant school with link responsibilities for SEND, LAC and vulnerable children. Heather also served for two years on the steering committee of the fostering and adoption Charity Home for Good Leicester.
In her spare time Heather is lead activator for a local All Stars and Dynamos cricket group and a volunteer coach, scorer and umpire for a local cricket club’s junior section. As well is a keen sports fan following Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Leicester Tigers and Leicester Riders.
6th December 2023 – 5th December 2027
Term of office: 4 years
Committees: Health and Safety
Business / Pecuniary Interests: None
Any other relationships: None
Other Governance: None
6th March 2024- 5th March 2028
Term of office: 4 years
Committees: Health and Safety
Business / Pecuniary Interests: None
Any other relationships: None
Other Governance: None
Lisa currently works as a self-employed independent safeguarding reviewer, supporting schools in the UK and globally to ensure their approach to safeguarding aligns with policy and best practice. Previously Lisa was Co-Principal at Ellesmere College having started work there as a teacher in 1997. Since leaving Ellesmere in 2018, Lisa has trained and practiced as a Registered Intermediary- a communication specialist helping vulnerable witnesses and complainants such as children and adults with learning disabilities and/ or autism to give evidence to the police and to the court in criminal trials. She is a founder member of The Intermediary Cooperative.
Lisa also works with colleagues in Leicester City Council’s SEND and Early Help, Social Care and education department on the “Early Help For All” project. She is a Governor and Director of a local Independent school and a member of the steering group for Attenborough Arts Sensory Atelier Project. She is currently completing an MA in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities with the Tizard Centre, a specialist Disability Studies Centre based at the University of Kent.
Lisa enjoys travelling, both in her camper van and by other methods, playing the piano, walking and playing tennis. She is particularly looking forward to rejoining Ellesmere College as a Governor.