Welcome from the Principal

Governor Info

Mrs I Gilhooley (Chair)

I have been a governor at Peters Hill for approximately 30 years and Chair of Governors for approximately 12 years. I began as a parent governor but as my youngest child is now 27 I am now a Co-opted governor.

I am a retired secondary school Assistant Headteacher, originally PE trained, then working with children with additional needs. My interests lie with PE/sports and children who face barriers to their learning.

My hobbies are golf, badminton, all types of crafts but particularly sewing and DIY. I am also a member of the U3A doing conversational French.

I believe Peters Hill is a great school, with great children and families. I loved it when my children were there and I still love it now. I believe I am lucky to be part of a great team of governors and staff and hope to continue serving as a governor for some time yet  

 Mrs J Belcher

I have had the pleasure of being a governor at Peters Hill for over 30 years. Originally appointed as a Local Authority Governor, I am now a Co-opted Governor. As a long serving governor I have seen many changes and developments none so much as there have been over the last few years which have brought about many challenges for staff, children, and parents. It is very rewarding to work with Mr Duncan and his dedicated staff to support them in delivering the quality of education and support for families.

Following my retirement in 2019, from working within the education section in Dudley, it has meant I have been able to give more time to visit school to experience the many opportunities that are on offer at Peters Hill and to support a variety of aspects of school life.

I am in my second term of office as Vice Chair of Governors as well as chairing the People and Finance committee. Peters Hill is lucky, in my view, to have a strong governing body led by our chair, Mrs Gilhooley and I feel very privileged to be part of that team who work hard to put children at the forefront of the sometimes complex decisions which have to be made. Through being a governor at Peters Hill, I was elected to Schools Forum and have held the post of Chair for just over two years.

Whilst I am officially retired, I try and keep involved the national educational issues through being a member of the Association of School and College Leaders. I support them in a number of ways including their consultancy service for appointments and supporting new members of staff when they accept an appointment, being an elected member of the Associates committee and sitting on working parties when required. I see these links as an important way of keeping myself abreast with national educational issues which I believe supports my role as a governor.

Continuing my passion for Business leadership in schools, I also chair the Dudley Business Managers group which provides me with an excellent insight to the various challenges facing Dudley Schools and the influence that the Local Authority and National issues have on our schools.

My other passion in life is swimming, and I am a National Tutor for Swim England and UK Coaching delivering a range of training courses, including school swimming, and safeguarding within sport.

Peters Hill is a wonderful school and I feel very privileged to be a part of its community.

I look forward to being able to support the pupils, parents, staff, and all stakeholders as the school continues to develop and prosper and contribute to an environment and culture that enables everyone to be safe, happy and secure.

Miss L Baker

My name is Louise Baker and I’m the Staff Governor at Peters Hill Primary School. I’ve worked at the school for the past fourteen years and during that time I’ve held both teaching and non-teaching positions. Currently, I’m the school’s Speech and Language Teaching Assistant, a member of the Pastoral Team and the Site Team, so I’m lucky enough to be able to work with children, staff and parents across every year group in the school.

Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family as well as exercising, reading and gardening.

I hope that my experience and insight into the school will help support the Governing Body in continuing the school’s progress and development.

 

Mrs S Bletcher

I joined Peters Hill as a co opted governor in October 2023.

My career has been in the education sector ,having trained initially as a secondary school PE teacher.  During my career I have worked in Shropshire, Dudley and Worcestershire.  I have mainly worked in the secondary school phase with responsibility for PE, Special Educational Needs, Year groups and Primary/Secondary transition .

Three years were spent working as a local authority Inclusion Officer/Advisor in the areas of Teaching, Learning and Behaviour supporting primary and secondary specialising in Nurture and Inclusion groups alongside Special Schools and Pupil Referral Units.

As a Deputy Headteacher and Acting Headteacher of a secondary school I have fifteen years experience of Leadership and Management, gaining the National Headteacher qualification.

Prior to early retirement, I thoroughly enjoyed working at Worcester University as a part-time lecturer inspiring and developing the next generation of teachers.  Now fully retired my days are spent playing tennis and golf, enjoying exercise classes and socialising with friends and family.

I am looking forward to complementing the Governing Body and supporting the school's development where pupils fulfil their potential and thrive.

Mr N Foley

My name is Nick Foley and I am a co-opted Governor for Peters Hill Primary School in Stourbridge.

I became aware of Peters Hill Primary School when my wife and I were looking for a school to place our son into a few years ago. I was impressed with the school, the prefects and the progressive approach of the Headteacher (together with the IT and Music provision). Later I learned that the Head was moving on and also that there was a Parent Governor vacancy. I saw this as an opportunity to help the recruitment process, help shape the school life of my 2 children and help in whatever way I can to move the School up to an OFSTED Outstanding School.

I was lucky enough to be voted in as Parent Governor in October 2012 and have to this day continued to contribute heavily to the Governing body and School. I am now a co-opted governor with over 6 year service to the school. I am the ICT and PHSE lead Governor and also the vice-chair of the People, Premises and Finance committee as well as sitting on various other functional committees within the body. 

In my day job I am the Head of IT Infrastructure at a local University and I am hoping that some of the skills that I have gained in IT, Projects and Programmes management, HR and Education can help in some way to shape the future of the school.

Mrs S Garratt

My name is Sarah Garratt and I am one of Peters Hill’s parent governors. My family moved to Amblecote when I was 5 years old and that year I started at Peters Hill.  I have always lived in the local area, so when my two children were born, Peters Hill was our first choice of school for them and it became part of their lives too. 

I am currently a Headteacher in a mainstream primary school.  Over the past 24 years, I have taught in schools in Birmingham, Dudley and Sandwell and while my experience spans both KS1 and KS2, my real passion has always been teaching in Early Years.  Working with children is a real privilege, they have a way of teaching us the most important things about life that we tend to forget as we get older which is why I appreciate being part of a school community. 

Outside of school, I love spending time with my family and friends, I enjoy days out exploring new places and anything Disney! 

I am really looking forward to working alongside the governors at Peters Hill and to be able to contribute to the future of a school that has played such an important part in my family’s life.   

Mrs Z Meese 

I am delighted to have been appointed in March 2023 as a parent Governor at Peters Hill Primary School. 

My son attends Peters Hill and I have always been impressed with the school’s values, fantastic facilities and committed staff; all of which makes for a fun, fulfilling and inclusive environment for our children to learn and develop.  It is a real privilege to have the opportunity to help shape the future of the school and to be part of such a wonderful community. 

In my day job I am a Senior Project Manager for a large Bank, and I have worked in Financial Services for over 24 years. I am an advocate for helping children develop healthy financial habits at a young age, and I am lucky enough to work for an employer who, through volunteering, provides meaningful financial skills education in schools across the UK.  I am committed to utilising my personal and professional skills and experience to help overcome challenges and influence positive change. 

Outside of work I love nothing more than spending quality time with my family and friends and enjoying family holidays!

I am really looking forward to being part of the Governing Body and working closely with staff and families to ensure that Peters Hill continues to be a truly great place for children to reach their full potential.

Mrs P Roe

I joined this Governing Body in December 2022 as a local authority Governor. Prior to this, I was a Teacher Governor at a local secondary school for 25 years.

I was a teacher of English and a Head of Year 10 with a further responsibility for gifted and talented pupils. I recently worked as a National Negotiating Official for a teachers’ organisation liaising with the DfE and national academy groups which kept me informed of national government education policies.

Now retired, I am looking forward to having the time and opportunity to visit the school, supporting staff, pupils and parents at Peters Hill and to being part of this community as it continues to develop and progress. I enjoy walking Netball, swimming, reading and travelling. I look forward to working as part of the Governing Body and with all the staff at Peters Hill.

 

Mrs R Steedman

I am Rose Steedman and was co-opted in December 2018 and have responsibilities for Inclusion and the Early Years Foundation Stage.

My decision to become a Governor has been inspired by my passion to be aspirational for all children. Having spent 32 years working in the public sector in a diverse and challenging environment I learned to manage a wide variety of situations and engaged with people on all levels and obtained an understanding of the challenges faced by our children, their families and the wider community. 

Through my contact with disability groups I have an understanding of the issues faced by children with special needs and am qualified to level 3 in British sign language.

As an energetic and enthusiastic individual I thrive on new challenges and welcome the opportunity to work with the staff, parents, carers, partners and stakeholders at Peters Hill to enable our children to learn, thrive and be nurtured in a safe and secure environment, to ensure they are happy individuals that reach their full potential in life.

Miss L Ward

I am a year four class teacher and year group leader here at Peters Hill. I was the staff governor for four years and was delighted to be elected as a co-opted governor. I really enjoy my job and love being involved in every aspect of school life. I am passionate about teaching and enjoy making a difference, however big or small, to the wonderful young people I meet every day.  

I am proud to be a member of the Premises and Curriculum committees. My specialist subject is English, and I am proud to be part of the reading team in school.

Outside of school, I enjoy long walks, discovering new places and reading a good book. I am very close to my family and enjoy spending time with them whenever I can.  

Peters Hill is a great school, and I am incredibly proud to work with such lovely pupils and their families, and a fantastic team of staff. 

Mrs C Ludwig (Clark)