Our Governors
Heckmondwike Grammar School Committee Membership and Structure
Full Governing Body
Michelle Brooke
Derek Cross – Chair
Sue Doubell
David Hall
Mohamed Hans
Jonathan Hodgson – Vice Chair
Ross Oxby
Matthew Pinder
Peter Roberts – Headteacher
Nicky Stokoe
Lalit Suryawanshi
Mark Tweedle
Keith Wilson
Finance & Risk Committee
Derek Cross
David Hall
Jonathan Hodgson – Chair
Matthew Pinder
Lalit Suryawanshi
Keith Wilson
Curriculum & Staffing Committee
Michele Brooke
Derek Cross
Sue Doubell
Mohamed Hans
Ross Oxby
Nick Stokoe
Mark Tweedle
Keith Wilson – Chair
Register of Interests 2024/25
Heckmondwike Grammar School Academy Trust – Register of Interests 2024/25
About our Governors
Michele Brooke – is a former pupil of the school and was elected to the Governing Body in December 2022 as a parent governor. Michele gained a BA (Hons) in History and a Masters in American History before obtaining Post Graduate Diplomas in Law and Legal Practice. She trained as a solicitor (now non-practising) and later worked in legal compliance for the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Michele has extensive previous experience as a parent governor at a local primary school, having acted first as Vice Chair and then as the Chair of Governors. She has a genuine desire to make a positive contribution to Heckmondwike Grammar School and the outcomes for its students.
Derek Cross (Chair) joined the governing body in 1999, initially elected as a parent governor but later becoming a trustee on the transition to Academy in 2010. His son, Ben, studied at HGS, achieving good grades at GCSE and A Level, subsequently embarking on a career in Architecture. As a retired director of a local IT support company, he has always enjoyed being an active member of the governing body. Derek was elected Chair of Governors in October 2022.
Sue Doubell is our SEN and Safeguarding Governor. Sue has a long association with the school -beginning her involvement as a Parents Association member in 2005, and later joining the Governing Body. Graduating in Creative Arts and specialising in Textile Design, Sue has over 30 years of experience of working in Higher Education as a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of Faculty, a role which included developing high profile EU funding initiatives. In more recent years Sue became freelance, continuing with her own design work and also specialising in Assessing for Disabled Students Allowances at HE level. Her extensive experience in Dyslexia and Disability Support also allows her to advise the school in relation to SEN and Safeguarding.
David Hall is a former pupil of the school and recipient of the Robert Reid Memorial Prize. As a member of the peripatetic music staff, he has taught singing at the school since 2014. David has been a councillor for the Liversedge & Gomersal ward of Kirklees council since 2004, during that time serving on the Fire & Rescue Authority and the Police Authority, and as Cabinet Member for Finance for two years. He is currently Leader of the Conservative Group.
Mohamed Hans is a highly experienced commercial solicitor currently working for a leading professional accountancy body in the UK. He advises organisations to implement better procurement and contracts, as well as authoring practitioner books, toolkits and other publications. He currently has a child attending Heckmondwike Grammar School, and prior to being co-opted by the board in January 2023, he was as a parent governor for 4 years. He was also a parent governor at a local primary school.
Jonathan Hodgson (Vice Chair) is a former pupil and has sat on the Governing Body since early 2013. Having worked within the NHS since graduating from the University of York with a Mathematics degree in 2001, he has a vast experience of supporting NHS Boards and Audit Committees to help improve financial control and governance arrangements. Jonathan aims to bring his wide finance experience and expertise to his recent role as Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee and help contribute to the ongoing success of Heckmondwike Grammar School.
Ross Oxby is a staff governor, elected in October 2023. He is a teacher of History and Politics and has spent his entire career at Heckmondwike Grammar School, joining as a Newly Qualified Teacher in 2008. During his time working at the school, he has performed many roles and has particular experience of matters relating to sixth form, careers and post-18 progression. He has also lived in the local area since 2015, and maintains a strong interest in the school’s place in the wider communities of Heckmondwike and the Spen valley.
Matthew Pinder joined the governing body in October 2022. A former pupil of HGS with a BSC in Computing Matthew is now Managing Director of an engineering firm based in Bradford and has a strong passion for engineering and IT vocations. In a separate role Matthew has been a school Governor since 2013 and Chair of Governors since 2016.
Peter Roberts joined Heckmondwike Grammar School as Deputy Headteacher in 2010 and went on to become the 11th Headteacher of the school in January 2019. Peter is an old scholar of the school having attended in the 1980’s and has a long family allegiance to the school with 4 generations of his family having attended the school, including his grandmother, father, his own siblings and his 2 children attending in recent years. Peter initially trained in accountancy, before following his father’s footsteps in to education. Peter’s specialist subjects are Economics and Business, though he has taught Geography on many occasions which is a passion of his. Peter’s daughter is a qualified dentist and supports current HGS students applying in to the profession, as does his son, who is an academic at the University of Cambridge. In his spare time, Peter enjoys keeping fit, with local park runs and is in the process of renovating his rather old house with the help of his energetic Cocker Spaniel.
Nick Stokoe, third-generation alumnus, joined the governing body as staff governor in October 2023. Prior to the education sector, he enjoyed nearly a decade of experience in the field of digital marketing, working with esteemed global brands such as Coca Cola. Seeking a new challenge, Nick became a qualified teacher in 2017. He is currently the subject leader for Design & Technology and responsible for initial teacher training (ITT) and early career teacher (ECT) as programme coordinator. He recently completed a national professional qualification in senior leadership (NPQSL) and fosters an interest in curriculum design and implementation.
Lalit Suryawanshi was elected to the Governing Body in December 2022 as a parent governor. Lalit gained a BE(Hons) in Computer Science from VJTI, India and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from INSEAD in France. Lalit is a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and cofounder of Itecho Health, a Leeds based digital health company. Lalit has extensive previous experience as a parent governor at a local primary school. He holds board positions in Healthwatch Leeds, Morley Town Deal board, Morley Fairtrade committee, founder of Morley Indians and other charities. With his extensive experience in technology, and other areas of running a business he would like to make a positive contribution to the school.
Mark Tweedle was headteacher of HGS for 20 years and during this time his three daughters all – attended the school. Following his retirement in 2010 Mark worked as a school improvement partner for three local authorities supporting the work of over 20 secondary schools and academies. In and amongst his teaching work Mark found time to be Chair of Examiners for Edexcel A-level Physics and to be a regular contributor to an education column for the Times newspaper.
Keith Wilson is a former student of Heckmondwike, former deputy headteacher of the school and ex-clerk to the governors. To say he knows the school inside out would be an understatement! He has been involved in work with young people as an educator for forty years, and for the last thirty or so years as a manager in schools. When he retired from his role as clerk, he was asked to join the Governing Body.
Governors can be contacted via the Governance Professional/Clerk on [email protected]