Welcome from the Chair of Governors 

Selston High School currently have 8 governors, 4 of whom are new to the Governing Body. As a governing body we are keen to recruit more, and if any of you are interested, please contact the school. Governors work with the Headteacher and the school and make decisions about strategic matters, curriculum, recruitment and staffing. We receive regular reports on all matters affecting the school and we meet as a full Governing Body 5 times a year. In addition to this, we make regular visits to school to see departments in action. This involves visiting lessons and speaking to students and staff. By doing this, Governors are able to keep up to date with what is happening in school and find out how national and Two Counties Trust initiatives impact upon your children’s education. We also attend special evenings and concerts.   

Selston High School Governors -Website Table

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.

Richard Combes

My early career was varied – seeing me try retail, hospitality, property management, teaching and IT. I finally settled into a career in IT, working predominantly across education and public sector organisations. I currently work for a large mental health care provider managing one of their teams of IT Engineers. I qualified in post-14 education and a training and spent a short time delivering teaching and training in further education and adult education centres before realising that I was better suited to supporting those who can provide an excellent education, rather than trying to do it myself. I have completed several training courses and certifications in mental health and neurodiversity, as well as having a special educational need myself.
As a parent of a child at Selston High 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.
I have oversight of Health and Safety and Employability. One of my personal goals is to see an improvement in the gender diversity within the IT Sector, that has to begin during students’ school education.

Michelle Renwick

I am thrilled to have joined the governing body as a Parent Governor. As a parent of a child at Selston High School, I am eager to use my skills and experience to enhance and support the future of the whole school community.
In my previous career of over 24 years, I worked in the clothing manufacturing industry, specialising in garment technology. I have industry-related qualifications from Hull College and De Montfort University. I have gained many skills and I have a broad range of design, commercial, manufacturing and construction experience. I have worked with global brands, factories, clients and suppliers.
After volunteering at my daughter’s primary school, I decided to change career paths into the education sector, retraining as a teaching assistant in 2019. I love spending time with the children and find the role extremely rewarding. Being in the school environment has helped me understand all aspects of the day-to-day running of the school. I have now worked at a local primary school for the past 6 years as a supply teaching assistant and midday supervisor. I am also an avid member of the PTA, helping with fundraisers and events and linking the school to the local community. From designing and building scenery for the school Nativity to serving as a board member of the juniors’ cricket team at Underwood MW Cricket Club.
Becoming a school governor allows me the opportunity to give something back to the community by helping the school succeed and making a positive difference in the children’s lives. My primary focus is for the children to feel safe, enjoy their time at school and reach their full potential.

Having worked for Selston High School for nearly 15 years as the Site Manager, I am pleased to have worked latterly with our Trust to improve the learning environment  for our students. I am proud of the heritage of our buildings and work with my colleagues in the Site Team to address the challenges resulting from the age of the building.  My role is constantly evolving but I take great pride in keeping up with all the changes and the demands of my role.  I believe being a Governor gives me a greater understanding of  the whole school development plan and in return I can offer an insight to the Governing Body of what is required to improve the school learning environment and allow our students to fulfil their potential.

I am a teacher of 27 years experience across 5 secondary schools in the East Midlands. A senior leader in 3 of them over the last 20 years, I am currently Deputy Headteacher at another school within The Two Counties Trust. During my career, I have led on Data, Teaching and Learning, Curriculum, Sixth Form and currently Culture, which I have done for past 5 years. Furthermore, I believe strongly in the power of learning, relatively recently taking a year to complete some research into trauma informed practice, something which moved forward where I became a mentor for another local secondary school in the research programme. Finally, I am currently one of the core officers in Derby and Derbyshire for Safeguarding, working alongside the police, NHS, and the local authority whilst I also co-chair the Derbyshire Education Subgroup for Safeguarding.