Governing Body
The staff and Governors at Westgate work very closely together. Any of them can be contacted through the school office. Several of them are also parents of pupils and are often around at the beginning and end of the school day.
A summary of our declaration of interests for the current academic year can be found at the bottom of this page.
Chris Short (Headteacher; no fixed term of office) I have been head teacher since 2011, my first headship was at a one-form entry primary school in Warrington. I joined Westgate in January 2025 and found the school to be a big part of the community that works hard to support all the children in its care. I hope to be able to build on the great work that has already taken place and continue to move the school forward. As head at Westgate, I attend all governor meetings. I enjoy meeting with Governors as they represent a good cross-section of the local community. Also, working with Governors helps us on the Leadership Team step back from day-to-day issues and allows us to look carefully at all our decisions. The most important part of working with governors is that, together, we continually look for ways of making things better for the children at Westgate.
Laura Boddy (Parent Governor & chair of the curriculum committee; 30/09/2023 - 30/09/2027) I’m an experienced Secondary English teacher, holding varied roles within three very different schools in my 14 year career. I was previously a lead teacher with responsibility for Teaching and Learning at a school in central Bradford working with a high percentage of students with varied educational and social needs. I am currently responsible for developing a broad and balanced school curriculum, which means I have taught and worked with students across a huge range of abilities and needs. I feel I bring a fresh perspective and additional expertise in the field of learning to the governing body.
Laura Bibby (Parent Governor, 27/03/2024- 27/03/2028)
am a qualified teacher and have worked in the education sector since graduating from university. I began by working across sport development initiatives with The FA and Sport England, developing and promoting opportunities to get more students active. Now, I am working in a national role at a membership organisation for colleges, championing and influencing education policy. I take a lead on further education projects, which involves preparing staff for curriculum and education reform and informing and upskilling teachers and practitioners, ensuring learning and teaching is more meaningful and effective. Both of my children attend Westgate Primary School; I hope my varied experience and understanding of the education landscape helps the school to be the best it can possibly be.
Susie Day (Co-Opted Governor 02/03/2023 - 02/03/2027) I have lived in Otley for over 7 years. I have over 20 years of experience working in business; primarily in Digital, Data and Technology with experience in both the health and finance sectors. I hope to be able to bring many of the skills to my role as Governor to best support the school and the wider community. Becoming a governor gave me the opportunity to give back to the community and I was keen to get involved as I have many friends and neighbours who have children who attend Westgate Primary School. I have enjoyed getting to know the school and am very proud to be part of the governing body.
Matthew Fortune (Co-opted Governor, online safety governor; 02/03/2023 - 02/03/2027)
m.fortune@westgateprimary.co.uk
Helen Hooper (Assistant Headteacher; Staff Governor 01/01/2024- 01/01/2028) I've been a teacher at Westgate since 2007 and was very happy and proud to become Assistant Headteacher in January 2024. I've been PE subject leader for 15 years, and have also taken on leadership of English as part of my new role. It's a real pleasure to be back on the Westgate Governing Body, to share in the strategic planning and decision-making that underpins the day-to-day running of the school, and to bring a teacher's perspective to the group.
Victoria Mirfield (Safeguarding & Children Looked After Governor/ Parent Governor & chair of the pupil support committee; 04/10/21 - 04/10/25) My children have both been very happy at Westgate since nursery. I have always aimed to be interested in and supportive of the school, including acting as secretary of Friends of Westgate for several years. I am a GP in a neighbouring town and recently moved to working part- rather than full-time so now have time and skills that I could bring to being a school governor. One of my roles at work is safeguarding lead with regular training and updates, which is a key aspect of the responsibility of the governing body. In my spare time, I volunteer as a judge with young people in the City of Leeds synchronised swimming club. I hope to give something back to Westgate as my children have always loved the school and I am proud to be part of the team.
v.mirfield@westgateprimary.co.uk
Andrew Ross (Pupil Premium Governor/ Sport & PE Governor/ Parent Governor & chair of the governing body; 04/10/2021 - 07/10/2025) With three children in the school, I recognise and appreciate the excellent work Westgate School does and I wanted to give something back to help maintain those high standards. Since my eldest daughter started at Westgate I have sought to support the school, through participating and helping at Friends of Westgate events, as co-treasurer of FoW and through coming in to talk to various year groups as part of Aspirations week. Working in Higher Education I fully appreciate the importance of a good education. From my day job I can bring to the job of governor not only my experience of the education sector, but also leadership and management experience. Above all, as a parent myself, I am there to represent the views of all parents and to help ensure Westgate continues to offer the very best for all our children.
Louise Shackleton (Parent Governor, SEND governor; 13/10/2020 - 07/10/2024) I have over 20 years of experience in the NHS working as a Nurse currently working as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner as a part of a National Service in Haematology based at St James’s Hospital. As a parent I am interested to the school being a happy and fun place to learn and grow for all and as a governor want to play an active role in school life. From my experience as a nursing team leader for the last 11 years I bring skills in being able to listen and team building to work together to get the best outcomes for all children and staff in school. Working in a multidisciplinary team I am used to critical thinking whilst being confident to ask the challenging questions ensuring the parent voice is heard. Being available to listen to parents and pupils, bringing different skills from my work life and caring about the welfare of all involved at Westgate school are the key qualities I believe a Parent Governor must possess. Above all, I want to make a positive contribution to the school.
l.shackleton@westgateprimary.co.uk
- Resources Committee (including the Pay Committee)
- Teaching, Learning & Assessment (Curriculum) Committee
- Pupil Support Committee