Gary recently retired from education as a Teacher of English at Castleford Academy, a position he held for twenty years, with a specialism in Literacy both in the classroom and across the whole school. He also had experience of working in a Primary setting and brought expertise in the Key Stage 2 curriculum and how this translated into the Secondary setting. Gary is also a Senior Marker for the Key Stage 2 SATS, specializing in Spelling, punctuation and grammar and has held this position for 10 years.

Prior to entering education, Gary worked as an Area Manager for a dry-cleaning company and was heavily involved in staff training – both at Customer Service level and dry-cleaning operator level. He was also responsible for budgets for the branches that he covered and has financial experience in profit and loss accounting, wages and budgets. Gary has a wealth of experience of interview techniques and staff welfare. He was responsible for attendance, Health and Safety and staff well-being.  Gary also brings experience of working with and liaising with suppliers and contractors to ensure that deadlines were met on new openings and that these all came in at or under budget.

Gary is Castleford born and educated and is passionate about making a real difference to future generations within Castleford and its surrounding areas. He served as Staff Governor at Castleford Academy for eighteen years and was keen to carry on his governor duties once retired, being elected as a community governor and Chair of Governors.

 He was elected as a community governor at Airedale Academy in October 2025 and subsequently as Chair of Governors in April 2026. Gary feels privileged to be given such an important role, ensuring that Governors both support the academy and provide challenge when necessary. He hopes to bring both his knowledge and expertise of education and his business acumen together to lead the governing body into the future.

Alistair (Ali) has over 20 years leadership experience in private, youth and community settings and currently serves as Head of Community Engagement for a local charity.

Having worked alongside young people, Ali is passionate about supporting young people and ensuring they get the best education they can whilst also ensuring any barriers are removed. Having recently stepped down from the role of chair after 6 years he brings a deep understanding of Airedale, the community and the school. 

Ali is link governor for Safeguarding.

Sam has worked in Project & Programme management for over 13 years and currently serves as Programme Manager for a social housing organisation across multiple regions. Sam has experience working in public and private sectors working with Local Authorities, NHS and social housing.

Sam has lived in the Airedale area for most of his life, having attended Airedale High School, leaving in 2010, Sam is passionate about supporting education and helping young people get the best start in life so they can fulfil their longer term goals and ambitions. His professional expertise helps the Governing Body provide effective challenge and oversight in areas of finance, resource management, strategic planning and leadership.

Sam currently serves on the Airedale board of governors and is the link governor for Careers.

Tim joined Crofton Academy as a Governor over seven years ago and, during that time, has gained a wealth of knowledge about how the school operates and functions. He has found the role both engaging and highly rewarding. Tim has served as Chair of the Finance Committee for over five years and, in 2018, was appointed Vice Chair of the Governing Body, a position he was proud to hold.

Tim retired from a successful career in retail management just over eighteen months ago. Over a period of thirty-four years, he held a variety of roles, primarily working as a Store Manager for a leading food retailer. During this time, he had the opportunity to lead teams of up to five hundred colleagues across Lancashire, West Yorkshire and the North East of England, with his final posting being in South Yorkshire.

Tim has been married to his wife, Alison, for 35 years. Alison is soon to retire from a career in teaching, having specialised in Special Educational Needs and Dyslexia. Together they have two children: Hannah, who is a teacher in central London, and Ben, who is a professional Rugby Union player. They are also eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first grandchild and are looking forward to the joy this new addition will bring to their family.

Jess is the Team Manager for Wakefield Council's Early Intervention and Prevention Service, overseeing the Youth Hubs across the district. Since 2004, she has worked with vulnerable adults and with children and families in a range of roles, and since 2021 has been supporting the Airedale community.

Jess is passionate about creating opportunities for all children and young people to thrive. She has a particular interest in SEND, inclusion, safeguarding and early intervention & prevention, believing that recognising when support is needed and putting the right help in place as early as possible can make a lasting difference to a child's future.

As both a professional working alongside families and a mum of two, Jess understands that every child is different and deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.

She became a governor because she believes every child deserves someone in their corner -someone who will ask the right questions, champion inclusion, and support the school's continued commitment to providing the very best opportunities for all children.

Jess hopes to use both her professional experience and personal perspective to provide constructive challenge, support the leadership team and contribute to the school's ongoing success.

Kathryn has been a governor of Castleford Academy (formerly Castleford High School) for nearly 30 years, and has also been a governor at Park Junior School, now Park Junior Academy. Kathryn’s extensive experience as a governor, together with her established career working for the council, render’s Kathryn’s expertise invaluable to the Castleford Academy governing body, with substantial, effective challenge and direction.

As a proud parent of one daughter and two sons, all of whom have attended both Park Junior and Castleford Academy, Kathryn has a vested interest in the education, development and betterment of pupils in the Castleford area. All of Kathryn’s children proceeded to attend college, with two furthering their education at University.

Kathryn works extensively within the local community and is part of the Airedale Baby and Children’s Bank, and the Airedale Food Bank, supporting families in the local community who are in dire need of food and baby goods.  Kathryn is a well-respected and valued member of the local community who works tirelessly to support the district.

Jo has proudly worked at Castleford Academy for nearly 20 years, reaching this milestone in October 2025. Over the years she has held a variety of roles from across the school, including cleaning, administration and first aid. The majority of her time has been spent as a Learning Support Assistant, supporting pupils with a range of needs, including those with disabilities. In 2020, Jo transitioned into her current role as behaviour mentor within internal exclusion, now in her 6th year.

Outside of work, Jo enjoys reading, jogging, swimming and early morning walks. She is a proud Mum of twin boys, both who attended Castleford Academy. Her daughter went on to study at Loughborough College and later at Leeds University. Jo’s son attended New College, completed an apprentice and is now in full time employment.

Jo is passionate about helping pupils achieve their full potential. She believes with all have strengths and weaknesses and with the right support, every pupil can achieve success.

Jo was born and raised in Castleford where she has seen both the town and Castleford Academy (former pupil) go through many changes and challenges and she is committed to being a part of its continued growth and success.

Will is passionate about helping every student at Airedale Academy succeed and enjoy learning. Teaching Music has shown Will how important a broad and balanced curriculum is for our students. Creative subjects like Music play a vital role in building confidence, resilience, and communication. 

Will cares deeply about safeguarding, school culture and staff wellbeing—all  essential for creating the safe, supportive environment that Airedale is known for. During Will’s time at the academy, and in his previous roles, he contributed to curriculum development, supported and set up extracurricular activities, and worked closely with colleagues on collaborative projects. These experiences have strengthened his communication and problem-solving skills, which he brings to the governing board.

Will believes staff voices should be heard in shaping decisions that affect our school and school community. By combining his understanding of the arts’ role in education with a strong focus on safeguarding and wellbeing, he aim’s to help Airedale Academy continue to provide an environment where every student and member of staff can flourish.

Abigail has worked in education for over 20 years and is currently the Deputy Headteacher at Castleford Academy. She is passionate about the use of education to empower young people to become independent adults, through the ability to make informed decisions and become financially stable. Abigail became a governor in 2026 to support the school in its journey to achieving excellence for all.

Alix began her teacher training at Airedale Academy in 2013 as a School's Direct ITT and was quickly recruited as a Teacher of English.  Alix supported the department with curriculum development from early in her career before supporting in a temporary role as Second in English which became permanent the following academic year.  This involved leading the Key Stage 3 curriculum, managing staff and budgets.  In January 2018, Alix became Head of English leading the team through curriculum changes, the pandemic and joining Castleford Academy Trust.  Alix has also been seconded to SLT with a focus on Literacy and Numeracy whole school in the academic year 2018-19.

Before joining teaching, Alix completed a degree in English Literature at Kingston University London.  She then worked in the insurance sector in London before relocating to Leeds to work in the banking sector.  Upon hearing about the School Direct teaching route, she returned to the University of Leeds to complete a PGCE in English Teaching.