Meet the Team

Sharon Thandi

I am currently Chair of Governors at Guiseley School, I joined the Governing Body as a Parent Governor in 2011 when I had a child in school. I have just started new 4 year term.

I have over 10 years experience in school governance, and I am also Vice Chair at another local school. I live and work locally, and during my employment in the public sector I have acquired a range of transferrable skills which I bring to the role of Governor.

My background is in Financial Services, having worked for Barclays and both the Skipton and Yorkshire Building Society Groups over a period of more than 30 years. My career has primarily focused on developing effective and controlled Operational Management practices and managing and developing large teams and I therefore bring experience of financial, people and performance management to my role at Guiseley School.

As a Governor I enjoy the experience of continuing to learn as an adult and my involvement in nurturing our students’ pathways in the ever changing realm of education.

Yasmina Gallagher

I joined the Governing body at Guiseley School as a Local Authority Governor on 29th March, for a 4-year term. 

My professional qualifications lie in Geography, Geology and Environmental Management, although I also have Qualified Teacher Status.  During my career I have gained strong project management and organisational skills; working collaboratively with teams internally and externally, to develop a best practice approach including appraisals/cost benefit analysis, making strategic and justifiable investment decisions to identify the most sustainable solutions and manage integration into relevant regulations.   

My current role, as Yorkshire Water’s Lead Environmental Advisor on Water Resources, sees me influencing regulators at regional and national levels to accept/approve plans and strategies through a variety of means.  A key aspect of my role requires me to assess regulatory changes in legislation or national guidance; and provide advice to the business on impacts from these changes. I have the ability to negotiate and reach compromise solutions.  I see these skills as being completely transferable and feel they could be put to good use in an educational setting.  

I live locally and both my children attend Guiseley School, so I’m extremely committed to making a real difference to how well the school is run for the benefit of the local community and future generations. Although I’m new to governance in school I understand first-hand how an effective team of governors alongside a strong leadership team makes a huge difference to how well a school is run and how standards can be raised.

Jason Kenneally

I have worked with and continue to working with local governing bodies in both the local authority and academies sector of secondary education. I therefore am able to bring this knowledge and experience to support Guiseley High School Governing Body.

Sarah Montet

I joined the Governing Body as a Parent Governor in 2019 when I had one child in school; I now have a daughter in year 7 and another in year 10. I sit on the Personnel Committee. I live close to school and as a former pupil who now has two children attending school I have a long-running and vested interest in Guiseley School, its pupils and staff.  

Although this is my first experience as a Governor I have been a Police Officer with West Yorkshire Police for over 26 years and during this time have developed a wide range of public sector skills that I bring to the role of Governor. I currently work on the Neighbourhood Policing Team for the local area, managing a team of officers and building relationships with local partners as well as focussing on priority local issues. Becoming a Governor has enabled me to broaden my horizons and learn about the education system while also supporting the school.  

Abi Howgego

I am a local GP and have recently joined the governing board as a parent governor. I have responsibility for safeguarding, and I am link for PSHE and RE. I have children in Year 7 and 11.

I have experience of both undergraduate and postgraduate education over many years. I also bring HR and my safeguarding experience in healthcare to the role.

I enjoy the opportunity of being able to shape and positively influence the education of all children at Guiseley School. I am keen to ensure the mental wellbeing of our young people is a priority as well as ensuring children with SEND get the support they deserve.

Anna Sarjantson

I joined the Governing Body at Guiseley in March 2022 as a Parent Governor and sit on the Curriculum Standards and Effectiveness Committee. I am passionate about all children receiving the best education and experience at Guiseley School as possible.  I have a daughter in Year 8 and another child who will join in a couple of years and therefore a vested interest in the school achieving its full potential for many years to come.

I worked in recruitment and training for many years, latterly as a co-owner of a business employing 10 people, focusing on HR and Finance, which has given me a solid understanding of business financials, planning and people processes to support the school. I developed and led presentations and workshops in Diversity and Inclusion training for larger businesses nationally navigating difficult and emotive topics in challenging environments.

I am a volunteer coach for 'Yes Futures' a charity working with Year 7&8 children across several schools, to build confidence, resilience and communication skills and currently run my own business focussed on Digital Safety for Children. I enjoy working with the rest of the Governing Body and Guiseley School to support their efforts for continuous improvement of what is already a fantastic school. 

Amy Cilia La Corte 

As both an educator and parent, I am keen to combine my knowledge, experience and skills within the role of parent governor. As a family we have long standing links with Guiseley School; currently my eldest son and two nephews are in attendance, and extended family members have attended through the years. I am a teaching fellow at the University of Leeds where I teach on an apprenticeship programme for healthcare workers, helping them achieve a foundation degree to further their career opportunities. In addition to teaching, I act as an intermediary between our students, the University, and their employer which should stand me in good stead for representing the interests of the parents, pupils, and the school. I am passionate about education, and I believe that every child should be able to thrive in the school environment, regardless of ability or background. I am eager to take the opportunity to help the school in any way I can, and believe my knowledge of educational practice, interpersonal skills and commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for all children.

Alison Hodrien 

I joined Guiseley School as a part-time teacher in the Science department in September 2013. Physics is my specialism, so I teach this subject up to A Level, and additionally cover Biology and Chemistry at KS3 and KS4. I've also previously delivered Enrichment and EPQ to the sixth form, and particularly enjoy working with these young people who are on the brink of adulthood, looking to make key decisions about their post-18 lives.

I was elected to the governing body in December 2020. I saw it as an opportunity to develop my understanding of how the school works beyond what happens in the classroom, and also as a chance to contribute back to the wider school community.

Prior to teaching at Guiseley, I taught for seven years at another local high school where at various times I acted as Gifted & Talented Co-ordinator, KS3 Science Co-ordinator, and Head of Physics.

 My time thus far as a governor has been very interesting, and I have learned much about the functioning of the school, and the vital supportive role that the governing body plays. By sharing my experiences as a staff member with the other governors, I feel that I have been able to help put into context things that might not be immediately obvious to non-teachers.

Graham Brookfield

I joined the Governing Body as a Foundation Governor in 2021 for a four-year term. I am currently a member of the Resources Committee. I have children at the school and once the opportunity came along, I was keen to get involved in supporting the school as it improves both through its academic provision and improved learning environment.

After a brief early experience learning and working within the Education Sector, I have worked within the planning and development sector for over 20 years, most recently in the public sector on affordable housing provision and overseeing the remediation of high-rise residential developments across the country, post Grenfell. 

I have always retained an interest in the Education Sector so a Governor I enjoy the experience of learning about and supporting teaching colleagues in their ambition to continually seek improvement in education provision at Guiseley School. I bring my extensive experience and knowledge of the development sector and project management skills to my role as a Governor at Guiseley school.

Daniel Western

I left Guiseley School after my A-levels in 2016 and I’m now a chartered legal executive specialising in commercial property-related matters at law firm Gordons.  

It is a privilege to become a governor of any school, but to become one for a school you attended is particularly special. 

As a former pupil I experienced first-hand the education that Guiseley School can offer. This created the opportunity for me to pursue a career in the law. My apprenticeship at Gordons gave me the confidence to accept this role and developed my acumen as an adviser, which are both key to being a good governor. I will be working hard to ensure the school continues to develop young people both academically and personally to enable them to make the most of any opportunities in life. 

After leaving Guiseley School I completed a legal apprenticeship at Gordons. During my apprenticeship, I experienced working full time whilst studying to become a fully qualified lawyer. The hands-on training helped to develop me both professionally and personally. This has proved instrumental in providing me with the confidence and skills to become a school governor. I look forward to bringing my energy, enthusiasm and insight to the role and helping further develop Guiseley School for the benefit of its pupils, parents, carers and the community it serves. 

Lorna Bradford

I am delighted to have joined the Governing Board at Guiseley School as a Co-opted Governor.

I strive to use my extensive experience of secondary education to support Guiseley School on its continued path to providing exceptional education to our local young people. I am a former Teacher and Head of Geography with 14 years of classroom experience. I was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society 2015 in recognition of commitment to the highest standards of teaching and leadership in Geography. 

As both an Assistant and Deputy Headteacher in two Leeds schools, I gleaned whole school and Multi Academy Trust level leadership experience in Teaching and Learning, Safeguarding, Behaviour and Attendance, staff CPD, ECT induction, Student Experience and HR. In 2015 I won the National Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School Award and was honoured to join the judging team for the Teaching Awards Trust as a lead judge in 2017.

My current role involves supporting tutors nationwide to develop their professional practice to ensure students receive the best possible academic intervention. In addition, I am currently working on the launch of a nationwide programme to provide mentors specifically focussed on providing social, emotional, and mental health support to children and young people.

I live locally and have a keen interest in our community. I am delighted to be working alongside the Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body to sustain the standards of education and pastoral support offered by Guiseley School for the benefit of young people in our area.