Governor Profiles

Laraine Jones

Certificate of Education, Bachelor of Education Hons, NPQH

I worked as a teacher in  Nursery Schools in the city for 35 years, the last 10 years as the Headteacher of Thomas Boughey Nursery School in Shelton, until my early retirement in December 2013. During the early years of my career, I also worked in Youth clubs and with Vietnamese refugees teaching English as an additional language, whilst towards the end of my career I supported the LA during a period of transition in the Children Centre, by working in an interim role as Children Centre Manager alongside my substantive post. During this time I also began a childcare company in the Children’s Centre offering places both funded and private for children 0 to 5. I am still a Director of this company which was set up as a charitable organisation.  I have loved working in the Shelton area which has such a rich and diverse community.

I have a wealth of knowledge and expertise particularly in Early Years and have also been a Foundation Governor at St Marks CE Primary School in Shelton for 18 years and a Governor at Etruscan Primary School in Etruria for 8 years.  I am currently a Co Chair for the Governing Body and a Link Governor for SEN/ Inclusion and Pupil Premium, and sit on the Curriculum and Standards, St Marks and Finance committees. In 2020 I also joined the Governing Body at St Johns CE Primary School ,again as a Foundation Governor , and am currently Co Chair and have Link Governor responsibility for EYFS, Phonics and English. During my years as a Governor of these schools I have received all updated training for the role of the Governor, Safeguarding etc and have taken a full part in the Governors role, interviews, observations, supporting staff with change, reading documents and scrutinising data, sitting on both dismissal and Appeals committees and the Performance Management panel for the Executive Headteacher. I endeavour to keep up to date with current local and national initiatives through attendance on Governor forum’s and termly Directors meetings.

I am passionate about improving outcomes and aspirations for children in our city and  this can only be achieved by striving for excellent standards in education in our cities schools.

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Julie Thompson

I have always had connections to the Shelton and Etruria area as I grew up there and attended St. Mark’s CE Primary School. I worked at Shelton Nursery School for 30 happy years as a Senior Early Years Practitioner until taking early retirement in 2007. I then became a Governor at Thomas Boughey Nursery which enabled me to use my expertise to continue to actively contribute to the school and the community. As a Governor for both St. Mark’s and Etruscan Primary Schools, I am committed to ensuring quality education and high standards in a safe and nurturing environment to improve outcomes for all pupils. I am also a trustee at Thomas Boughey Kindergarten which is a PVI with charitable status for 0-5 year olds. In 2015, it was judged to be outstanding by Ofsted.

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Alex Wolvers

My family are originally from Shelton and I spent my early years in and around Stoke on Trent – my first teaching post was in Leek. After I married we moved out to live in China and then later we moved to Sri Lanka. When we returned back to this area I wanted to serve the local community and especially the schools. My main job is working for a Christian charity in the schools department but I am also an RE advisor for the Diocese of Lichfield.

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Sarah Goodwin

I have worked in education for the last 15 years and have had the opportunity to work across the different primary key stages. Having worked at St Mark’s Primary School for the past seven years, as the KS1 leader and both English and Mathematics Leader, it is a privilege to work with a supportive and dedicated team that are focused on making a difference for the children and families in the Shelton and Etruria community. Becoming part of the governing body for the Shelton and Etruria Federation means that I can further support the school and represent the teachers of St Mark’s Primary in my new role as Staff Governor.

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Laura Tranter

For the past 10 years I have worked in education, teaching all year groups from Year 1 to Year 6. I have been at Etruscan Primary School for the past 7 years and as well as being a Year 6 teacher, I am currently the leader for Assessment, Curriculum and History. I feel lucky to be part of such a wonderful community, not only in Etruria and Etruscan Primary School, but also across the Federation. It is a privilege to be able to represent the views of the staff as part of the Governing Body.

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Samayah Bukhari

I was born and raised in the Shelton and Etruria area for a large part of my life and attended St. Mark’s CE Primary School as a child. I have great memories of the school. I have worked as a Teacher of Science in secondary schools in Kidsgrove for the last four years and as a parent to a Year 1 child currently attending Etruscan Primary and an almost 2-year old who will attend in the future, I applied to become the parent governor for Etruscan Primary. As a new governor, I am hoping to gain a real understanding of how both schools are working to improve outcomes for children. So far, I am thoroughly impressed by the efforts of the governing body and with time, I hope to positively contribute to an already hardworking governing body.

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Anthony Moran

I have worked in Education as a primary school teacher for almost thirty years, predominantly in Sheffield and Stoke. I am currently Vice Principal at Packmoor Ormiston Academy, and, prior to that, I was a deputy head at another local school in Stoke on Trent. Throughout my career, I have always tried to ensure that all children receive the highest quality education but also are given every opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities to enhance their own experiences. I believe passionately that a good education, provided by a caring and committed school is the key to a successful future. With this in mind, I feel privileged to be Foundation Governor for both St Mark’s CE Primary School and Etruscan Primary School and to serve its’ pupils and community.

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Michaela Hill

I have worked in education, both in primary and high schools, for 31 years. I started my career in Staffordshire, moving over to Stoke on Trent City Council in April 2002. I am currently an Education Welfare Officer with responsibility for 3 of the schools within the Orchard Community Trust, amongst others that I support within the City. My early career was based within special schools and Conductive Education where I was predominately classroom based, with a focus also on transition into mainstream schools. I have enjoyed working within the Hanley, Cobridge, Shelton and Etruria communities for many years within my current role and so becoming a Governor at Etruscan Primary is an opportunity to serve the community further, which is a privilege and an honour to do.

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