Norton College Committee
Samuel Stones - Head of School (Ex-Officio)
Sam is immensely proud to be Head of School at Norton College. He has worked at Norton College since 2015 and in his role as Head of School, now has overall responsibility for the organisation and day-to-day running of the school.
Sam has worked in a variety of roles and settings within education, including as a PGCE Lecturer and as a National Subject Leader where he led subject improvement works across 40 secondary schools. Sam is passionate about high standards and inclusive and equitable education and this drives all that he does as a school leader.
Aside from his active roles in Education, Samuel is a final year PhD researcher and a very keen smallholder. When not invested in education, Sam can often be found in the Moors with his cows, sheep, turkeys and chickens!
Educational Ethos:
‘I am passionate about high standards as without high standards young people's life chances are diminished significantly. The role of education is to educate others but also to show others how to educate themselves. Only when that is accomplished is a young person ready for the life ahead of them.’
Favourite Quote:
There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” – Michael Phelps
Samuel Moore - Trust Appointed Governor (Term of Office: 1 April 2024 to 9 June 2025)
Sam has been a governor/trustee since 2020. He is a Chartered Tax Advisor who spent much of his career working in financial consultancy with PwC, including over 10 years spent in Sydney, Australia.
He currently runs his own consultancy based near Malton. Sam grew up near York and on his return to Yorkshire from Australia was very keen to get involved with education-based volunteer work.
Although he has no previous links to Norton College, he is delighted to be part of the governance team.
Caitlin Mackinder (Chair) - Trust Appointed Governor (Term of Office: 1 April 2024 to 9 June 2025)
Caitlin currently works for the Education Endowment Foundation leading their evidence mobilisation and school partnership work in Yorkshire and the North East of England.
Prior to this she worked for the Institute for Effective Education at the University of York, and for Teach for America where she led a large teacher preparation programme. Caitlin has also been a teacher and Head of English and has taught in schools with high proportions of disadvantaged pupils both in the UK and the USA. She is particularly interested in how schools use evidence to support disadvantaged and SEND students to overcome barriers to learning, and she is delighted to have the opportunity to champion these, and other groups, on the Norton College School Committee.
Dinah Keal - Trust Appointed Governor (Term of Office: 1 April 2024 to 24 October 2027)
Bio to follow
Helen Robinson - Parent Governor (Term of Office: 1 April 2024 to 3 December 2024)
Bio to follow
Nick O'Keeffe - Trust Appointed Governor (Term of Office: 18 July 2024 to 17 July 2028)
I am keen to use the broad set of skills and experiences I have gathered in business and through working for a secondary school for the benefit of my local schools.
I was a governor at a primary school as it emerged from a period of poor outcomes and fractured leadership with a new governing body and super new head to its current position as part of a trust and delivering for its community.
I worked for seven years at David Young Academy in Seacroft, Leeds which was one of the original tranche of academies designed to bring new infrastructure and hope to urban areas with historically poor educational outcomes. I developed links with businesses across Leeds to support raising aspirations and bring the curriculum to life, I assisted students to write CV’s and apply for apprenticeships, I became a member of the 6th form leadership team, a form tutor and I taught an IB Business course in 6th form. I was also the client liaison for a community hub and teaching extension building we secured funds to erect onsite.
I work for M&S in store based roles across North Yorkshire and am about to take up a new role as regional learning & development manager based at the York Vangarde store.
Representatives who have left within the last 12 months
Craig Shepherdson - Parent Governor, stepped down 10 July 2024
Martin Stone - Staff Governor, term ended 7 September 2024
