Governors

Gill Haslam (Chair of Governors)

I am currently retired, but prior to this spent 38 years teaching in 3 local secondary schools, originally as a teacher of Modern Foreign languages and for the last 22 years as Deputy Headteacher at SHS. I have experience in both academic and pastoral systems. During my career, I have been Course Director of European Studies, Child Protection Coordinator, SENco and the Advocate for Looked After Children. I have organised and delivered whole-school in-service training for SHS and other schools and worked as an associate member of the Local Authority to evaluate the provision of summer schools for Gifted and Talented students. I have also worked with local universities to coordinate the provision for trainee teachers and I have been responsible for school finance. I have experience working with employers as part of careers provision in school and gained the awards of Investors in People and Career Mark for SHS. I represented the school in different community groups. As part of senior leadership, I gained a wealth of experience in the use of data, strategic planning, quality assurance, performance management, site management and Health and Safety. I am a Member of the Two Counties Trust. I am Chair of the SHS Governing Body with Safeguarding and Pupil Premium oversight. 

Elaine Jeffery

I have been a Governor at the school for almost 30 years, with a short break in the middle of my tenure. I was also a Governor at Holly Hill Primary School for 16 years where I was Chair of the Finance Committee. As I live in the village all 3 of my children and 2 of my grandchildren have attended Selston High School. My special areas of interest are Special Educational Needs and Disability as well as Finance. I was employed at Ashfield School as a Senior Teaching Assistant with HLTA status and have also worked as a Management Accountant and Company Secretary since the 1970s. I retired at the end of 2013, which has given me a greater opportunity to visit the school on a regular basis and be a more “hands-on” Governor. In 2015 I also become a Governor at Fountaindale Special School where I was appointed Chair of Governors in 2019. In 2020 the school joined the Evolve Trust which does not have local governing bodies. I have oversight of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Looked After Children, Finance, GDPR and pupil’s voice.

I have a sincere interest in the education of our younger generation and strive to get the best for them. As part of my responsibilities, I have attended some of the School Council meetings and met with many of the students at SHS, which has been a great pleasure. Students are confident and articulate and I feel proud to report back to the Governing Body on these meetings and on the fantastic behaviour and attitude to learning of students I have seen in lessons.

Deborah Weaver

I am a serving Headteacher in a larger-than-average inner-city primary school. Having 20 years of primary teaching in my background, I am passionate about helping young people achieve their potential through education, and ensuring that they have the best opportunities to succeed whilst growing into responsible and caring individuals. As a mum of three wonderful daughters, one of whom attended SHS, I appreciate the pressures on parents to support their children on this journey and how pressures have changed in this modern-day society. In addition, having been a resident of Selston for 15 years, I understand the local community and have built great relationships with fellow residents. 

Matthew Gull

I have two daughters at SHS and as a newly appointed Parent Governor, look forwards to contributing towards the school’s strategic decision-making.
I was educated at Nottingham High School and studied German & Business at the University of Leeds.
After 8 years of living and working close to Stuttgart, Germany, I moved back to the UK in 2016.
Since then, I have been working in EdTech sales where I am required to demonstrate skills such as strategic planning, organisation and negotiation on a daily basis.

The roles have also instilled in me a passion for positively influencing learning outcomes. As a father, I want to ensure that all SHS students thrive and that their education sets them up well for their future; both in an academic and extra-curricular sense.

Richard Combes

I am a recent migrant to Selston, having moved here to be closer to my job, with my family approximately 5 years ago from Yorkshire. My career has seen me working in various roles from retail to education, property management to IT, it has always been those roles connected to education that has brought me the most satisfaction.  Via a brief stint working delivering adult education and further education, I quickly identified that I was not destined to be a teacher, and adjusted my sights to finding the right fit of role where I was able to support education rather than be directly delivering it.

Working as a manager within the IT Function at a local university, and as a parent of two children – one of whom has transitioned to Selston High School this year, the other being at a local primary school – I was delighted to be able to join the Governing Body of the school. As a Selston local and advocate for the importance of a strong education my aspiration on the governing body is to look with a fresh pair of eyes and to make sure that not only are the academic needs of our younger residents being met, but also the social and personal aspects of our children’s development. As a dyslexic that has gained undergraduate and postgraduate certifications, I can fully appreciate the difference that a supportive school, with strong Special Educational Needs provision can make to a child and the importance of a well-structured programme of study that offers opportunities for the future.

As a new Governor this year, I hope to bring fresh eyes and a willingness to ask the basic questions as well as the uncomfortable ones. Whilst my area of focus on the Governing Body is Health And Safety, my breadth of interest is wide. I am particularly keen on seeing gender diversity within the IT Sector, and I am keen to see this transformation begin during students’ school education.