Our Governors
Heckmondwike Grammar School committee membership and structure.
Full Governing Body
Michele Brooke
Nick Cockerill
Derek Cross – Chair
David Hall
Mohamed Hans
Jonathan Hodgson – Vice Chair
Ross Oxby
Matthew Pinder
Peter Roberts – Headteacher
Lalit Suryawanshi
Mark Tweedle
Keith Wilson
Finance & Risk Committee
Nick Cockerill
Derek Cross
David Hall
Jonathan Hodgson – Chair
Matthew Pinder
Lalit Suryawanshi
Keith Wilson
Curriculum & Staffing Committee
Michele Brooke
Derek Cross
Mohamed Hans
Ross Oxby
Mark Tweedle
Keith Wilson – Chair
Register of Interests 2025/26
Heckmondwike Grammar School Academy Trust – Register of Interests 2025/26
About our Governors
Michele Brooke
Michelle is a former HGS student 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 chair. She has a genuine desire to make a positive contribution to Heckmondwike Grammar School and the outcomes for its students.
Nick Cockerill
Nick’s passion for the continued success of selective grammar school education stems from his own experience at the Crossley Heath School in Halifax. He has 15 years of experience leading product, design and technology teams, primarily in sports tech and iGaming. He currently serves on the board at Betfred as Chief Product Officer, and has previously held leadership roles in high growth venture capital backed businesses in the UK and US.
Derek Cross (Chair)
Derek joined the governing body in 1999, initially being elected as a parent governor but later becoming a trustee on the transition to Academy in 2010. His son, Ben, studied at HGS and subsequently embarked 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 in October 2022.
David Hall
David is a former student of HGS 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
Mohamed is a highly experienced commercial solicitor currently working for a leading professional accountancy body in the UK. He advises organisations on how 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 four years. He was also a parent governor at a local primary school.
Jonathan Hodgson (Vice Chair)
Jonathan is a former student of HGS 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 2000, he has a vast experience of supporting NHS Boards and Audit Committees to help improve their financial control and governance arrangements. Jonathan aims to bring his experience and expertise to his role and continue to help contribute to the ongoing success of Heckmondwike Grammar School.
Ross Oxby
Ross 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 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
Matthew joined the governing body in October 2022. A former student of HGS with a BSC in Computing, Matthew is now Managing Director of an engineering firm based in Bradford. He has a strong passion for engineering and IT vocations. In a separate role, Matthew has been a school governor since 2013 and chair since 2016.
Peter Roberts
Peter joined Heckmondwike Grammar School as deputy head in 2010 and went on to become the eleventh headteacher of the school in January 2019. Peter is a former HGS student having attended in the 1980s, and has a long family allegiance to the school with four generations of his family having attended the school.
He 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 to the profession, as does his son, who is an academic at the University of Cambridge. In his spare time, Peter enjoys keeping fit, often taking part in local park runs, and is in the process of renovating his rather old house with the help of his energetic cocker spaniel.
Lalit Suryawanshi
Lalit was elected to the governing body in December 2022 as a parent governor. He 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. With extensive previous experience as a parent governor at a local primary school, Lalit also holds board positions in Healthwatch Leeds, Morley Town Deal board, and Morley Fairtrade committee, as well as being 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
Mark 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
Keith 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]