Who's Who

Simon Atkins: Co-opted Governor
 
I am delighted to be a Governor at Alfriston School and continue to look forward to the task and the satisfaction it will bring.
 
14 years’ service in the Royal Navy followed by 20 as a police officer have allowed me to develop a skill set, experiences and qualifications that I hope will combine well with those of my peers on the governing board.  My time as a police officer has included periods of managing a Child Protection Team as well as working with 'Prevent' amongst many other interesting and challenging areas.  
 

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.

Mrs Alison Forshaw: Co-opted Governor

Although I do not have a teaching background, I was Headmaster’s Secretary at a Boarding School for boys for a number of years, where I had contact with parents, staff and pupils in many aspects of school life.  Later I was able to help not only with secretarial tasks but also extra-curricular and sporting activities when my son was at primary school.  Recent years of my working life have been spent in the medico-legal sector as Practice Manager for an Orthopaedic Surgeon, and I am now approaching retirement.  Primary education, is I believe a vital part of preparing young people for life, and I am happy to have been asked to join the Governing Board of Alfriston School, where my great-nephew has just begun his school career.

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.

Linda Salway: Co-opted Governor

I am an arts strategist, project manager, workshop leader and drama teacher. I have an MA in Arts and Cultural Management alongside my teaching qualifications and am presently Head of Partnership and Head of the Arts Award programme at Eastbourne College where I also teaches drama.

I have worked as a theatre education director and young people’s theatre producer. I was arts manager for Waverley Borough Council from 1997- 2005 and the co-ordinator of Arts Partnership Surrey. I am Gold Arts Award assessor, a trustee of Lewes Live Literature, a board member of Culture Shift, a director of the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce and the chair of the Eastbourne Schools Partnership. I have also been an advisor for the Arts Council on young people’s work and a board member of Creative Future.

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 Lindsey Hudson: Headteacher
I am an ‘ex officio’ member of the Governing Board which means I am a member because I hold the post of Headteacher.
I originally came to Alfriston as Deputy Headteacher, being the Class Teacher during this time for both the Year 5/6 class and Year 3/4 class.  I was Acting Headteacher for a year before I had my own children and then became substantive Headteacher in 2015 following the departure of the previous Headteacher.  I am really proud to be the Headteacher of this happy school and it is a pleasure to work with such dedicated staff, governors, parents and children.
I work very closely with several local schools to share good practice and carry out peer reviews in order to build the capacity for school-led improvement and give children the very best start in life.

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.