Meet the Governors

  • Frances Millett

    Chair of Governors

    My name is Frances Millett. I have over 20 years experience of school governance. Professionally, I was a Primary School Headteacher for 17 years then an Ofsted Inspector for 4 years. I bring educational understanding and wide experience to the Governing Body. I bring aspects of my professional background to school governance and thoroughly enjoy the role. I am very happily retired and feel privileged to be in a position to support West Heath Primary School on the journey towards excellence.

  • Michelle Hooper

    My name is Michelle Hooper. I graduated as a teacher, with a first-class honours degree, in 2000. I gained a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership in 2019.
    Following completion of the National Primary Qualification for Head teachers, in 2005, I became a Head teacher. West Heath Primary School is my second headship; first school gained ‘Outstanding’ status.

    Since 2013, I have been the Head teacher at West Heath Primary School. Having taken the school out of Special Measures; I am proud to say that it is now a ‘Good’ school.

    I am an advocate for a physical activity, strong moral values and a creative curriculum. I am fully committed to ensuring that the children of West Heath Primary School receive an inspiring education. Enabling children to become successful adults is my priority and this means that our curriculum ensures that we encourage all of our children to ‘Be a Star, Shine Bright!’. Values Education, PE and English are my passion!

  • Lucinda Foster

    My name is Lucinda Foster and I am the Deputy Head Teacher at West Heath Primary. I have been teaching for the past 10 years and have worked in two other schools where I primarily taught in Upper Key Stage Two.

    I joined West Heath in 2013 as the Assistant Head Teacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). In 2014 I became the Deputy Head Teacher and am now responsible for maths and communication in school. I am also currently in the process of completing, along with others in school, my master’s degree where I am specialising in educational leadership.

    I am passionate about education and work hard to ensure that all children achieve their best when at school.

  • Randal Brew

    Governor

    Randal is a retired City Councillor who previously represented the Northfield Ward. Randal attended Kings Norton Boys School and has lived locally all his life. He has a very broad understanding of the local community. Randal is a retired Chartered Accountant and Magistrate. He is also a former Lord Mayor of Birmingham. Randal has many years experience of being a school Governor and has particular strengths in finance and law. He has great enthusiasm for school governance and in particular he enjoys talking to the school councillors at West Heath Primary School.

  • Barry Hunt

    Governor

    My name is Barry Hunt. I have over 50 years of experience working in the construction industry in supervisory and management positions. For the last 20 years I have been employed within Birmingham City Council’s building services initially within the councils Building Control Division and more recently as a manager within Acivico Facilities Management. I am a family man with broad experience of children’s issues gained from interaction with my own children and grandchildren over 4 decades. I became a school governor of West Heath Primary in May 2016 to support the school through the school new build project. I bring a wealth of professional and life skills to the role of governor which I have found to be a highly rewarding, if challenging, experience.

  • Tracey Lawton

    Governor

    My name is Tracey Lawton. I have four children, three are still in full-time education and have attended West Heath Primary School. Currently, I am an Early Years leader in a Birmingham school, and I have worked as an Early Years specialist since graduating in 2000. As a parent governor I will do all that I can to assist the school in its aim to provide the very best education for all children.

  • Sarah Robbins

    Governor

    My professional background is in social work with children and families. After eleven years as a local authority social worker I moved to the voluntary sector. My current professional role is as Chief Executive Officer of the Springfield Project, a community project in Sparkhill providing services to children and adults in an area of high diversity and deprivation, including a Children’s Centre, Nursery and adult wellbeing services. I am part of the strategic leadership board of the ‘Birmingham Forward Steps’ Early Years Health and Wellbeing Service. I have extensive knowledge and experience of safeguarding and child protection, looked after children, family support and early help.
    As a former parent governor of West Heath Primary School I am familiar with the school’s journey over recent years. It was a pleasure to work with the senior leadership team and governing body to support the school through a period of rapid improvement. During my time as a governor I chaired the CSTL committee and I was the safeguarding governor. I took part in a number of visits from Ofsted and sat on the headteacher’s performance review panel.
    My children are now at senior school, and they remember their time at WHPS fondly. I would be delighted to return to support the school as a co-opted governor.

  • Ella Colley

    Governor

    I have experience working in a buying / procurement role within retail, with responsibilities including tendering contracts and finding creative solutions to drive down costs. I have managed sales budgets in excess of £150m and work collaboratively with a number of senior stakeholders to do so.

    My professional life can often be dominated by driving return for shareholders. I hope a Governor position will provide new challenge, putting my skills in to practice in pursuit of the best outcomes for the children of West Heath Primary School.

    In my personal life, I enjoy drawing and painting, finding an outlet in pop-up galleries run by a local charity of which I am a member. When spending time at home, I enjoy cooking with my husband and experimenting with new recipes.

  • Mrs Grace Wight

    Governor

    Grace Wight
    Hello, my name is Grace and I work at the Environment Agency as a Senior Team Leader within flood and coastal risk management.

    I’m motivated to make a difference and get the best out of others. In my career, I’ve held management and leadership positions - I’ve created high performing teams and led teams through change. I have also held project and programme management roles where I managed multi-million pound flood risk management schemes and delivered community engagement programmes across Hampshire, Essex, and the West Midlands.

    I find being a governor at West Heath incredibly rewarding. I love the opportunities to make a valuable contribution to our children, young people, teachers, and school support staff. I’m on the Finance, Facilities, and Personnel committee, and the Safeguard committee.

    I’m enjoying utilising and growing my skill set in another sector, and gaining the foundations and insight required to pursue a career in the education sector in the future.

    Outside of work and governance, I’m a keen runner and traveller.

  • Mr Richard Whitehouse

    Staff Governor

    My name is Richard Whitehouse, I have been at West Heath Primary School for 9 years. I first began here as a PE coach and behavioural support assistant. However, after achieving my QTS, I became a classroom teacher at West Heath in 2015. I have seen great changes at West Heath during my time here and I am extremely proud to have played a small part in this growth. I am now one of the more experienced teachers, taking a lead in: History, Geography, whole-school values, Forest School and British values. I am also an ECT mentor, something I particularly enjoy.

    In my personal life I have a passion for history, particularly British. I am a keen sportsman and enjoy both playing and watching England in a variety of sports. I am a family man who recognises the importance of nurturing and educating children holistically; finding a child’s strengths, whatever it may be, and developing it.

  • Dr Amanda French

    Governor

    Dr Amanda French – Biography

    Over the last 35 years I have taught in higher, further, adult education and the voluntary sector in the West Midlands. I started my career in 1986 as an English and Literacy teacher in further education and over 16 years in FE I worked in partnerships across a wide range of settings and agencies including schools, community centres voluntary and community groups, as well as colleges and universities. I have taught students and trained teachers, tutors and support workers from a variety of organisations, including probation, employment services and the voluntary/ community sector and taught English, Basic Literacy, Education and Early Years. I have also worked in the third sector as a Regional co-ordinator in Skills for Life for national education charities, The Workers Education Association (WEA) and the National Institute of Adult and Continuing Education (NIACE). I have had a long interest in Family learning and was involved in a number of parent –partnership initiatives across the city during my time in FE and the WEA.

    In my current role at Birmingham City College as Head of Department I have developed and managed a suite of Masters in Teaching and Learning and Educational Leadership programmes, which is delivered to NQT’s in schools across the West Midlands. I also manage an International and Taught Masters in Education. The majority of students on the latter route are in-service teachers and managers. I therefore have a good working knowledge of teaching in schools and the challenges faced by many teachers in terms of their practice and professional development .

    On a day to day basis I manage a wide range of staff and work closely with them directly to develop their teaching and professional development and have delivered on BCU policies with regard to staff performance, performance review, reward and recognition that have ensured my team deliver high quality teaching and supportive learning.

    As a Reader in Teaching and Learning, research and scholarship are fundamental to my integrated approach to teaching and learning. Indeed, access to a dynamic, research informed curriculum, is I believe, a basic student/ pupil entitlement as such I am firmly committed to teaching and learning experiences that encourage and facilitate knowledge making rather than knowledge reproduction. I have a particular research interest in child-centred research and have, over the years, carried out a number of projects with teacher and pupils.

    On a more personal note I was a parent governor for several years when my children attended over 20 years ago at Colmore Primary School. I very much enjoyed the experience and have been looking for an opportunity to get involved again in this capacity. My work with the West Heath management team a few years ago convinced me that it is a school reflects with my own interest in equality, diversity and inclusion, social justice and maximising educational possibilities for all children.

  • Mrs Elizabeth Chan

    LEA Governor

    My name is Elizabeth Chan. I am a self-employed Life Coach and Virtual PA. I have previously worked at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital as a PA/Medical Secretary for over 10 years and have worked in London in a more supervisory capacity. I have an interest in project management and have passed PRINCE2 Foundation. I have a young child that attends West Heath Primary School, and I am a Member and Trustee of West Heath PTA. I am also a Member of the Kings Norton Parochial Church Council.

    In my personal life, I love trying new experiences and activities, especially things that are bit outside my comfort zone in order to grow and develop to being the best that I can be. I enjoy singing and used to sing in the Church Choir as well as the staff choir at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. I like doing arts and crafts, as well as visiting the theatre. I enjoy walking, ice skating and swimming.

    I have a keen interest in education for all children to enable them to grow and develop to achieve their highest potential. I believe wellbeing, both physically and mentally, is very important in both children and adults. I also bring business and life skills to the role as Governor.

  • Mr Tom Brett

    Parent Governor

    My name is Thomas Brett. I am a resident of the local area with young children, one of which currently attends West Heath with the second to start in September.
    I have worked as a secondary school PE teacher in Birmingham for the past 14 years holding curriculum, pastoral and teaching and learning roles. I am currently a Pastoral Leader with the responsibility of school attitude, ethos and culture so bring a strong and wide understanding of education to this role.
    As Parent governor I am committed to supporting West Heath Primary in achieving it's aims and ensuring all students achieve their potential.