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 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.

 Rebecca Sleightholm - Parent Governor (Term of Office: 16 January 2025 to 15 January 2029)

Bio to follow

 Laura Adamson - Parent Governor (Term of Office: 17 January 2025 to 16 January 2029)

Bio to follow

Helen Marshall - Staff Governor (Term of Office: 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2029)

Bio to follow

 Jill Hodges - Trust Appointed Governor (Term of Office: 3 April 2025 to 2 April 2029)

Jill has worked in education for over forty years in a variety of roles and positions.  She graduated from Exeter University in 1979 and the followed this up with an MA in Education in 1999.  She taught in Somerset and Suffolk before moving to North Yorkshire in 1997.

Jill was previously Headteacher at Norton College and other roles include Assistant Director for Education and Skills in both York and North Yorkshire as well as being the Director of Education with CfBT in Lincolnshire.

Jill has had a variety of governance roles since 2017 including being a governor and Trustee at Norton College.  She was Vice Chair of the Trust Board at South Bank Multi-Academy Trust in York and also Chair of Governors at Norton College.  She was a Trustee at Ryedale Leaning Trust and is currently a Member at Excel Learning Trust in York.

Outside education, Jill enjoys reading, family history, tennis, football and sewing, as well as looking after her little grandchildren.

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.

Kelly Reppold- Trust Appointed Governor (Term of Office: 23 June 2025 to 22 June 2029)

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

Helen Robinson - Parent Governor, term ended 3 December 2024

Dinah Keal - Trust Appointed Governor, stepped down 28 February 2025