Who are the Gayton Governors?

  • Mrs Jennie McAleny

    Head Teacher

    Declarations of Interest: None

    I have been the Headteacher at Gayton since September 2019. I have taught in four different schools across four different local authorities. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be the Headteacher of Gayton. There is no doubt that Gayton is a very special place to be with dedicated teachers, governors, parents and pupils who are a true delight to be around. I am really passionate about us providing the best educational experience for our children whilst they are at the school so that they leave Gayton well equipped for the next stage of their education.

    In my spare time, I love to spend time with my family and friends and love going on walks together. I also love to read and think it is a wonderful way to switch off!

  • Mrs Ruth Such

    Staff Governor

    Term of Office: 1st January 2023 - 31st December 2027
    Declarations of Interest: None

    I am the teacher governor, having started my term in January, 2019. Although I have been a teacher at Gayton Primary school now for many years, this is my first time providing a teachers perspective for the governing body.

    I have taught in most of the year groups, though the majority of my teaching profession has been in the Foundation years, I have also during my teaching career, been on the Early Years moderation team for the LA. As a teacher Governor, I hope I can provide the Governors a staff perspective and viewpoint,
    having an understanding of the school’s ethos and culture. I find it a wonderful place to work in with an amazing team of people and I wish to support the school further.

    When away from school, I enjoy spending time with my two grown up sons, meeting up with family and friends, working in the garden and spending time with my horse, where I enjoy riding out, in the peace and quiet of the countryside.

  • Mr Will Clark

    Co-opted Governor

    Term of Office: 9th December 2019 - 8th December 2023
    Declarations of Interest: None

    I have acted as a co-opted governor since 2015 and am the Chair of the Finance Committee. I work for Mercia Asset Management PLC and am the Managing Director of its Regional Venture Fund activity. With three contracts in the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North-East and an office in Manchester, it’s always nice to be heading back home to the Wirral where I have lived for the last fifteen years.

    My wife Liz is a former pupil of Gayton Primary School and our two girls Charlotte and Emma have followed in their Mum’s footsteps, enjoying its very happy atmosphere and ethos. Regrettably, neither of them will wear their brown uniform as they have both now progressed to senior school – how time flies! Notwithstanding this, I’m still keen to continue in my role as governor as the school plays an important role in the community despite the challenges of ever shrinking budgets.

    Like most, downtime is spent running a franchise of the Dad’s taxi service (typically to the local swimming clubs), with cricket, photography, hill walking and motorsport providing ample variety for recharging the batteries.

  • Mrs Catrin Rees

    Co-opted Governor

    Term of Office: 3rd December 2020 - 2nd December 2024
    Declarations of Interest: None

    I was delighted to become a co-opted governor for Gayton Primary School in September 2021. In my professional life, I work for the Charity Commission in Liverpool as a solicitor advising on charity and information law having previously worked for the Welsh Government as a commercial lawyer.

    I am looking forward to using my skills to support Gayton Primary School. The Wirral/Cheshire is still relatively new to me, I moved to Neston in 2018 from Cardiff and I am enjoying getting to know the area. In my personal life, my almost 2 year old daughter keeps me incredibly busy but when I do have some time to myself I enjoy reading, walking the Welsh hills, keeping fit, small sewing projects and trying out new recipes.

  • Mr William Holt

    Co-opted Governor

    Term of Office: 1st January 2023 - 31st December 2027
    Declarations of Interest: None

    I am excited to start my role as a co-opted governor for Gayton Primary. I grew up in Heswall and studied at Liverpool University before moving to London for further studies and work. The family returned to Heswall in 2016 and since then, our eldest has commenced reception earlier this year. We were keen for our children to attend a school with a strong community spirit and a warm positive learning environment. I am pleased to be part of, and have the opportunity to grow, the school community in this role.

    I’ve been a fund manager for 20 years and ran my own company which has given me a wide experience in finance, business, programming/IT and capital raising. I am keen to develop my role, as well as utilise my skills, to support the governing body and the school.

    Outside of work I enjoy spending time with the family as well as tackling the garden and playing the guitar.

  • Ms Daisy Dale

    Parent Governor

    Term of Office: 1st January 2023 - 31st December 2027
    Declarations of Interest: None

    I am very excited to be joining the governing body here at Gayton Primary
    School, and am looking forward to learning all that the role entails, and assist in
    any way that I can.
    Chris and I relocated to Wirral in December 2020 and our priority has been
    ensuring that our 2 children settle, find friends and enjoy school. I am pleased to
    say this has been a success, and a big part of that is due to us joining the
    community here at Gayton.
    My days are filled with looking after my household and working part-time as a
    tutor, mentor and examiner within the field of dentistry. In my spare time I love
    to catch up with friends for coffee or food,. I also enjoy running and reading, and
    our Labrador Honey is a great distraction!

  • Mrs Lindsay Cowan

    Chair (Co-opted)

    Term of Office: 22nd March 2021 - 21st March 2025
    Declarations of Interest: None

    I am incredibly proud to be Co-Chair of Governors at Gayton Primary School. I have been part of the governing board at Gayton since February 2017 and prior to being co-opted in 2021, I was a parent governor for four years.

    As well as co-chairing, where I work closely with the full governing board, I oversee the Curriculum and Standards strand and sit on the safeguarding, finance, and appraisal committees.

    With a background in education, having worked as a teacher for many years and through a variety of leadership roles, I have a passion for promoting education for all. I am a lecturer of chemistry at a
    sixth form college and my current research interests are in curriculum policy and design and the development of meaningful teaching, learning and assessment opportunities that promote positive
    pupil progress and improve outcomes.

    I have a wealth of governor experience, amassed from the diverse governor committees that I have sat on and from the many training opportunities that I am fortunate enough to have had in both my day job and through local and national governor networks.

    My family and I moved to Gayton in 2013 and since then, both of my children have started their Gayton Primary journey. It is such a fantastic school and my children love the warmth that exudes from the positive learning environment that the wonderful staff create.

    Away from work and governor duties, I enjoy taking long beach walks with my family to blow away the cobwebs and I can often be found checking out the nearest coffee shops on my days off! I also like to
    bake cakes, dig up weeds and enjoy portrait and landscape photography.

  • Mrs Claire Boyd

    Parent Governor

    Term of Office: 9th September 2021 - 8th September 2025
    Declarations of Interest: None

    I am Claire Boyd, a parent governor and in my professional life I am a teacher of children with Special Educational Needs. This is my first, four year term as a governor so my experience is minimal at the moment but I am hoping to use my experiences within the education sector to help support the Gayton Primary School.

    My family and I moved to Gayton relatively recently and absolutely love where we have come to live and so I jumped at the opportunity to both use and develop my existing skills in a way which supports my local primary school.

    In terms of hobbies I wish there were time for more! I love to cook and spend a lot of time reading about, shopping for, and making food. Exercise is an important part of my life and I try to get outside every day whether for a family dog walk, a jog, or to do some gardening. Beyond that, I spend a significant portion of my non-working time ferrying my children to various extra-curricular activities.

  • Mr Tomos Peters

    Parent Governor (Vice Chair)

    Term of Office - 9th December 2019 - 8th December 2023
    Declarations of Interest: None

    I am Tomos Peters and in my professional life I am Director of Transformation and Project Management Office at Astra Zeneca. I spent my childhood in Heswall before moving away for education and work, returning with my wife and three children to Heswall to live in the summer of 2018 when all three of my children enrolled to attend Gayton.

    When I have the opportunity I love to spend time exercising, watching football and, where my knees comply, playing football. I enjoy food, cooking and especially eating.

  • Mrs Jenny Young

    Parent Governor

    Term of Office: 1st January 2023 - 31st December 2027
    Declarations of Interest: None

    I started my role as a parent governor here at Gayton in January 2023.
    I have two children at the School, with my eldest having joined in 2000 and my youngest in 2022.
    Prior to joining the governing board, I have been a keen supporter of the School through my involvement in the PTA and in the School’s OPAL initiative, for which I am the parent representative. I am really pleased to have been given the opportunity to serve as a parent governor and I am looking forward to using and developing my skills and experience to extend my support in this new capacity, acting as a critical friend to the School to help to ensure that it is the very best it can be.

    My work experience is mostly in Higher Education, initially in teaching and pastoral roles, and more recently in Professional Services Management and Student Experience.

    Away from work, I enjoy spending time with my family. We like to try to get outside as much as we can and we are big fans of walks in the countryside and trips to the beach.

  • Mrs Rachael Oomen

    Staff Governor

    Term of Office: 17th March 2023- 16th March 2027
    Declaration of Interest: None