Governors Information

Droylsden Academy – Local Governing Body:

Chair of Governors - Mr John Rogers

John is a retired primary school teacher and headteacher. He enjoyed 25 Years of Tameside based headteacher service, with 22 of them at Greenside Primary School in Droylsden - where he formed long and ongoing local community contacts and friendships. John worked at national, regional and local levels in the areas of integrated leadership, multi-agency service provision and Every Child Matters. His work with the National College in the areas of “Early Years” and “Sure Start” national programmes was recognised. John has been a Governor at Droylsden Academy since the formation of the Governing Body and serves to support both the school and local community in thriving for, and enjoying success in the highest and widest areas of achievement.

Headteacher (Principal and Accounting Officer) - Mr P Wilson

Mr Wilson read Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Leeds and then completed a Post Graduate Certificate of Education. He has gained over 20 years’ experience teaching Religious Studies and History including middle leadership roles in various schools across the Greater Manchester region.

Following completion of the nationally accredited Future Leaders programme, he held a number of senior leadership positions in different schools before being appointed Headteacher at Droylsden Academy in May 2015. Mr Wilson has visited some of the very best state and independent schools in this country and the United States to research outstanding teaching and learning pedagogy and school culture. He has two daughters of primary school age who keep him extremely busy in his time away from the Academy.

Governor   Kerry Mitchell

Kerry has lived in Tameside all her life. She went to primary, secondary and high school in Tameside then studied at Manchester Metropolitan University where she graduated with a B.Ed (Hons).  Since graduating, Kerry has worked at Greenside Primary as a teacher. During her time there, Kerry has progressed and is now Assistant Head Teacher.  In addition to this, Kerry also works for the Local Authority as a Year 6 moderator.  In her spare time, she enjoys supporting her local amateur swimming club that her two children attend where she is the Welfare Officer.  She can also often be found on poolside supporting the children with their swimming.

Parent - Governor - Kerry Edwards

Kerry was born, bred and educated in Tameside before going on to get her teaching degree at Lancaster University, in the Lake District. She is a passionate educator who has worked at Greenside Primary for 22 years. For the first 17 years she taught in the classroom and has, for the past five, changed roles to specialise in children’s nurture, emotional wellbeing and mental health. This includes being the handler for the school’s therapy dog. 
Kerry relishes the challenge of working to support and encourage all of the children through their individual journeys at Droylsden Academy in her role as Governor. Her most important role in life, however, is that of proud mum to three children who are all in secondary or further education in Tameside. During her spare time she enjoys reading, listening to music and walking her puppy.

Governor - Thomas Galvin

Tom grew up in Tameside and attended Longdendale High School and Ashton Sixth Form College. He has worked in Education for the last 10 years and has experience of UK and international assessment and now works for Oxford University Press developing International Qualifications for students in the Middle East, the Far East and China. Tom is very happy to be a Governor at Droylsden Academy, supporting a school in the local community where he grew up. In his spare time Tom enjoys running, cycling and swimming and regularly participates in marathons and triathlons.

Governor - Leszek Iwaskow

Leszek has 22 years teaching experience spanning both primary and secondary schools.  Subsequent roles included a chief examiner for GCSE Geography and a local government adviser with responsibility for the full range of humanities subjects and had special responsibility for school improvement and supporting schools causing concern.  He was an HMI and National Adviser for Geography from 2001 until retirement in 2016.
Leszek currently supports a number of schools as an educational consultant and provides support and advice on geography nationally as a consultant for the Geographical Association.  He is looking forward to using his wide experience to support Droylsden Academy at this exciting time in its ongoing development.

Staff Governor    Mr S Jackson

The Droylsden community is very much at the centre of who Stephen is professionally. He has worked at the Academy for a long time and, with his immediate family coming from the town, Droylsden has been in his heart and soul for many years. As the Staff Governor, Stephen is part of a highly committed staff and a leadership team who are dedicated to improving the life chances of the young people of the community but, equally, governance gives him the opportunity to challenge the Academy’s senior leaders in their joint pursuit of excellence for the local community.

Staff Governor - Mrs C Ormrod

Droylsden is Colette’s home town and joining the Academy in 2022 after two decades working in the optical industry was a welcome change. Her new roles as Academy Librarian and Support Staff Governor play well to her strengths of organisation and ability to think analytically. She understands the importance and impact that a highly effective Governing Body can have within a school. She is committed to learning from, challenging, and serving the Local Governing Body and the wider school community.

Colette has volunteered with the Scouting Association at a local group for over 20 years and is familiar with lots of families from the area. She is a proud wife and mother (of both a boy and a Shih Tzu). She is also a keen reader and avid film fan.

Jane Bell - Parent Governor

Kelly Hutchinson - Parent Governor

Clerk to the Governing Body -Mr N Elgar

Nils has been the Clerk at Droylsden Academy since shortly after it opened in 2009.  He also has significant governance experience through clerking at further education corporations and is currently the Clerk to the Corporation at Tameside College, the Academy’s Principal Sponsor.  Nils has lived in Tameside since 2005 and is pleased to be working in his local community.  Nils was brought up and educated in New Zealand.  Outside of work Nils is active with a local club and in the company of his children in various outdoor pursuits including hiking and rock climbing.

TRET Members:

Tameside College (Corporate Member)

Karen James - OBE

Karen was appointed Member in January 2022.

Karen is currently Chief Executive of Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and Chief Executive of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, and is also an Executive Reviewer for the Care Quality Commission. Karen has previously held a number of Executive Board position in healthcare over a period of twelve years and has significant experience in managing large scale change across health economies and has been successful in the delivery of improvements in organisational performance.

As one of the largest employers in the borough of Tameside, Karen is passionate about developing relationships with schools and colleges to provide opportunities for students to learn and gain experience in a wealth of careers they could pursue within a health and social care setting.

Karen is also a Governor of Tameside College.

John Lyne (Corporate Member)

John has been a local resident in Tameside for over 38 years.  He has recently retired from the NHS after 42 years of service, where he worked in Sheffield, Tameside Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Bury PCT, Bury CCG and General Practice.  The last 15 years have been in General Practice management in Bury and Tameside.  His career has been predominantly led by finance and management, including financial accounting, management accounting, capital accounting, charity accounting, governance, performance management, risk management and change management.  He has worked on various workstreams for the NHS at local, regional and national level.

Jackie Moores

Jackie has lived, studied and worked in Tameside and Greater Manchester all her life. She was a pupil at Fairfield High School from 1978 to 1982 and attended Tameside College between the ages of 16 and 19. She is now the Principal of Tameside College and Clarendon Sixth Form College. Jackie has worked within education for many years within Greater Manchester previously working at Salford City College and City College Manchester. She also works as an Ofsted inspector, inspecting other colleges and providers throughout England. As a previous director of an Academy Trust in Salford and Vice Chair of Governors at a Salford primary school, Jackie was very keen to continue work and is delighted to be a Governor at Droylsden Academy.

Geoff Stevenson

Geoff has lived in the North West since 2005. Following a PhD at the University of Manchester he moved into education and worked for 10 years in project management, programme delivery and partnerships in education charities. Geoff is currently Regional Director of Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, where he is establishing a new hub for the college in the North West. Ada’s mission is to educate and empower the next generation of diverse digital talent, and they deliver short courses and digital apprenticeships in the region. Before joining Ada he was Area Director for the Lancs and West Yorkshire region at Ambition Institute, a leading provider of teaching and leadership training in schools.

Geoff is also a school governor and a trustee for St. James and Emmanual multi-academy trust in south Manchester. He lives in south Manchester with his wife and two children and loves to get out for a run, walk or cycle. 

David Wootton

TRET Trustees:

Leon Dowd (Chair)

Leon has worked in education within Greater Manchester for many years. As well as being a successful senior leader with education, he has held governance roles within primary and secondary schools. In addition, Leon was previously the Chair of Board for a Multi-Academy Trust which successfully oversaw the improvement of two primary and two secondary schools. Leon is a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) and has been awarded Chartered Manager and Chartered Quality Professional status. He was presented with the national Quality Leader Award by the CQI in 2009. Leon is pleased to have become a Governor at Droylsden Academy at this exciting phase in the school’s development.

Drew Duncan (Chief Executive Officer)

Mr Duncan began his teaching career in 1986 in Norwich, as an English and History teacher. In 1989-1992 he was the Deputy Leader of an English and Expressive Arts Faculty in a very challenging and exciting context in Hull. Between 1992 and 2002 he worked as Head of English, Senior Teacher (Pastoral & Discipline), Deputy Headteacher (T&L, Curriculum & Timetable) and then Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral Care and Discipline) at an urban school in Greater Manchester.

Since 2008, Mr Duncan has been a Leadership Coach to aspiring Headteachers (in the North West, as part of the Future Leaders’ Programme in the Ambition School Leadership Trust), many of whom are now in substantive posts as Headteachers and Principals. Mr Duncan has also forged a partnership with some of the strongest schools in the United Kingdom to support the launch of a new national teacher and leadership training organisation, as part of the North West Campus.

Between 2002 and 2015, Mr Duncan was the Headteacher at Mossley Hollins High School in Tameside, Greater Manchester which was the top similar school in England for Pupil Progress and Achievement in 2014. The school was rated Outstanding by Ofsted on two successive occasions. It is now a lead Teaching School, supporting other schools and the training of teachers and leaders within and beyond school, leading an Alliance of school partners.

Mr Duncan is the Chair of two primary partnership groups, working with the primary schools of Mossley, Carrbrook (in the MCSP) and Droylsden (the DSP) and their communities to help to secure strong educational and extra-curricular provision for pupils aged 3-16.

Mr Duncan is now the Executive Headteacher of Mossley Hollins High School and Droylsden Academy, leading with the Headteachers and Chairs of Governors in each school. In that time one school has remained outstanding and the other has moved quickly from the Ofsted Category of Serious Weaknesses to Good in each educational category, and overall. This has been due to the dedication of students, staff, parents, governors and partners. Both schools work together on implementing best practice.

As an NLE, Mr Duncan has provided support and coaching on leadership and school improvement in a number of North West Schools.

Jean Beaumont

Paul Houghton 

Idu Miah

Dominic Walsh

David Warhurst

Bernadette Wilde 

Bernadette worked in public service for Tameside Council for over 41 years, after joining the organisation from school as a Junior Entrant.  The most part of her career specialised in human resource and change management, progressing to a senior leadership level.  Her knowledge and experience also lies in corporate governance, financial management, performance management, risk management, business planning and continuity.  Following her retirement from public service Bernadette is keen to continue working with public sector organisations and is excited to be working with Droylsden Academy and the Tame River Educational Trust.

On Bernadette’s photo that has been posted – is there any chance you could crop (to head and shoulders) and blow this up a bit to make it more similar to other posted photos (without having too much pixelation) – it just looks a little out of place at the moment.

Finally, at the bottom of this section there is an out of date ‘Summary Register of Trustees’ Interests 2020/21’.  Can this be removed please.  A ‘Summary Register of Interests 2021/22’ already appears here on the website.   I am hoping to get a 2022/23 version to you in the near future.