I look forward to being able to continue using this knowledge to support and promote the success of the school as well as the safety and wellbeing of the children who attend Alfriston School at one of the most important and influential stages of their life.
Mrs Linda Young: Co-opted Governor
I have worked in Education for many, many years and I am now enjoying my retirement. I play a lot of Golf (still not very good though!!) and enjoy visiting my daughters in Australia. I am also a member of a local Rotary Club and volunteer for Chestnut Tree House and The Sussex Wildlife Trust.
My first role was as a PE teacher in Hove and then as Head of Department in a Secondary School in Chailey. After that I moved into the Primary sector and taught at Cradle Hill Primary School before becoming an Advisory Teacher in East Sussex. I was lucky enough then to be offered a job at Bangkok Patana School in Thailand where I worked for an exciting 8 years. On returning to England I took up post at Chiddingly Primary School becoming the Acting Head for one year and then finished my teaching legacy at Moira House Girls School in Eastbourne as Head of the Junior School.
I was very pleased to be invited to be a Governor at Alfriston Primary School and I have enjoyed becoming involved in the day to day life of the school.
Mr John Windsor: Chair of Governors (Co-opted Governor)
I started as a volunteer helper at Alfriston School in 2008. Initially I listened to readers and led booster maths groups before I was fortunate enough to be employed as an Individual Needs Assistant and Teaching Assistant at the school in the autumn of 2009. Since then I have qualified as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant and regularly used to cover Key Stage 2 classes before retiring in December 2018. I have always found the school staff, pupils and parents to be very welcoming and friendly, fully encompassing the school vision, Fair, Friendly, Fulfilling and Fun. Previously I worked for 30 years in Wealth and Corporate Finance and currently serve the community as a member of Seaford Martello Rotary Club. I have been a governor of the school for a number of years prior to currently serving as the Chair of the Governing Board and hope that I can use my experience to work together with my fellow governors to maintain and develop the high standard of this exceptional school.
Ivor Fabb: Co-opted Governor
I first became a School Governor in 2006 at a local school where I lived in Hove, and remained so until I moved out of the area in 2012. A further move brought me to Seaford and I am pleased to have been able to join the governing body for Alfriston. I enjoy working within a dedicated team whose aims and goals are to edify our children, helping each of them develop their own potential. Most of my career has been as a Police Officer but along the way I have also been self-employed managing my own business. Since retirement I have been able to follow my own agenda and spend the winters skiing and the summers travelling, as well as becoming more involved in the community. To that end I am delighted in being member of the governing body.
Michele Owens – Co-opted Governor
I am delighted to be part of the Board of Governors and look forward to working alongside my fellow Governors to ensure the school continues to maintain and build on its great work and can successfully meet future challenges.
As a governor I will be drawing on the knowledge and skills sets I’ve gained through 40+ years’ experience working in senior leadership roles in Human Resources and business management. I have particular expertise in learning & development, ED&I (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion), organisation effectiveness, vision, values and culture change, executive recruitment, coaching and mentoring and creating high performing boards and teams. I’ve worked with some unique and challenging business environments, including the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games where I was the Head of HR & Organisation Effectiveness at the Olympic Delivery Authority, and the Restoration & Renewal of the Palace of Westminster Programme as their HR & Organisation Effectiveness Consultant. Other companies I’ve had the pleasure of working with include the Civil Aviation Authority, University of East London (UEL), Goodenough College to name but a few. I also set up and managed my own HR consultancy business too. I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (FCIPD).
I’ve recently retired from work but not from life! I love challenging myself and want to continue to develop and to acquire new skills and share knowledge. Being a Governor at this wonderful school is a terrific opportunity to do just that, particularly as I am not an education expert! But I do have six young grandchildren and that gives me some great insights into the world of education that I might have otherwise missed! Finally, as a ‘people’ person and governor I will fully embrace and demonstrate the school’s vision “Fair, Friendly, Fulfilling and Fun!”
Pam Follett: Co-opted Governor
My work career started in the late 1970s when I started work for Lewes District Council. In the mid 1980s I moved to employment at East Sussex County Council and my work was heavily involved in School Admissions, Home to School Transport and School Meals/Pupil Premium until I took early retirement recently. I now feel ready for another challenge and feel I will gain greatly in working as a School Governor alongside such a motivated and dedicated team. I feel very fortunate that I have been offered this position.
Mrs Tanya Fitzgerald: Staff Governor
I have worked at Alfriston School for a number of years and was thrilled to be elected Staff Governor in March 2020.
I am able to bring to the Governing Board the perspective of the staff and hope that my experience working in education enables me to contribute to the direction of the school and to our Fair, Friendly, Fulfilling and Fun vision.
Yvette Aeberhard: Local Authority Governor
I spent my youth in the warmer climate of Australia before moving to the UK in 2000. I have now been teaching Art and Design + Technology in Sussex secondary schools for over 20 years. I am currently Assistant Head of the Visual Arts department at Seahaven Academy and have an MA in Teaching and Arts Practice. Recently, I completed my Forest School training as I see the benefits of a broad range of approaches to nurturing our young people and I hope to combine my commitment to education with my love of the outdoor environment.
Marcus Fairhurst
I was pleased to join the board of governors in 2022. I greatly look forward to getting more involved with this wonderful school. Our experience as parents having two children currently there has been very positive and as a passionate believer in the importance of education, I am keen to help in any way that I can.
Professionally, I manage global hiring and participate in various other management initiatives for an investment firm based in London. I studied Law at undergraduate level and then a Masters in Human Rights. Around this time I was fortunate enough to travel to and live in some interesting places and had stints teaching children English in Hong Kong and New Delhi. I also spent a summer as a children’s soccer coach in America and have been involved with various charities helping young people over the last 15 years.