Trust Advisory Group – NCP
Name: Anthony Dee
Chair of the NCLT Advisory Group
For most of my career I have worked as a manager for bus and tourist companies. I am currently Commercial Manager for Stanley Gath Travel, a small bus company based near Junction 32.
I am a governor at Larks Hill Junior and Infants School in Pontefract. I am a member of the Carleton Community High School Parent, Teacher and Friends Association as well as a member of the committee of the Wakefield Association of School Governors. I also serve on the Land Use and Transportation Committee of Pontefract Civic Society.
My two daughters attended New College, Pontefract and I am pleased to be given the opportunity to repay my gratitude by giving my services to the College.
Name: Karen Sykes
Karen is a Chartered member of the CIPD with over 30 years’ experience in Human Resources and Organisational Development; her mission is to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive in their workplace and believes post-16 education is key to this. She has held a number of senior Human Resources positions across the public sector including with Leeds Education Authority, the National Probation Service and is currently Executive Director HR & OD at Wakefield College.
Karen has also held a range of voluntary and elected roles including Chair of Governors at Stanley Peter’s C of E Primary School between September 2011 and September 2015 and she is currently a member of the Independent Remuneration Panel for members at WDMC.
Outside work her interests centre around her family, she enjoys walking, cycling and anything outdoors!
Name: Neil Kaiper-Holmes
Neil is a multi-skilled doctor and businessman with a record of managing diverse businesses in the health and communications sectors. He also has had an interest in a beef and dairy farm in Estonia! He is an experienced Chairman of both business and not-for profit organisations and a respected communicator with wide media experience.
As a previous Deputy Chair of Governors at Tadcaster Grammar School whose wife is a Director of the University of Hull, he has a keen interest in, and knowledge of, the education sector.
He is very involved with Charitable work, especially the Leeds Rugby Foundation, and a lover of all sports. The father of 4 daughters, his youngest is currently a student at NCP.
Name: Peter Thompson
Following a full career as a Warfare Officer in the Royal Navy during which he saw much of the world (especially the Gulf and West Indies) and gained a Master’s degree in Defence Studies, Peter Thompson took early retirement in 1999 and moved to Yorkshire to become the Bursar at Bingley Grammar School, a large 11-18 Comprehensive school with some 400 in the Sixth Form. In 2007 he left there to take up the post of Bursar at a small co-educational all-through Independent day and boarding school in North Yorkshire prior to joining Woodhouse Grove School as Operations Director in 2012.
He left Woodhouse Grove to join the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust as Director of Operations in November 2015. The Trust is now home to 13 schools – four secondary, nine primary, and is growing to about 20 schools by 2020. Peter’s role is providing operations leadership and support across the Trust in many areas such as regulation and compliance, data protection, Safeguarding, Health and Safety, procurement, value for money, HR, insurance and many other areas!
Peter’s expertise is in making business decisions to provide the best value support to staff and pupils to give every pupil the opportunity to achieve their full potential. He has delivered a number of high value projects involving new build and refurbishment programmes on time and on budget. As an HR Generalist, he provides advice and support to the management teams and enjoys building and shaping teams of people to meet the ever changing needs of schools.
Peter is Chair of Trustees and Member of a small Multi- Academy Trust in Bradford with a co-located Special School and secondary school.
Name: Linda Maxwell-Smart
I am currently a retiree. During the last academic year I worked on a temporary, part-time basis at John Leggott sixth form college as a Consultant. Prior to that, I worked at New College Pontefract for 24 years, performing a number of management roles, including Senior Manager Teaching, Learning & Assessment, Senior Manager Data, Standards, Quality & Implementation, Director of Teaching & Learning, Faculty Manager & Head of English/Media Studies.
I began my teaching career in Manchester, where I worked in challenging high schools.
In the 1980s I was a governor in a high school in Stockport.
I have two sons who both achieved excellent results at NEW College and went on to become successful research scientists. I spend my leisure hours meeting my many friends for lunch, visiting the cinema & the theatre, shopping and walking around museums and stately homes.
Name: Susannah Lewis
I have worked within administration in the Health Care sector in various large NHS Hospitals in the North and South of England. Having trained later to become a Technology Teacher I have worked predominantly in one institution (Minsthorpe Community College) since qualifying where I have assumed a variety of roles ranging from full time Textiles Teacher, Assistant Head of Year, Head of Year, Head of Design & Technology and am now currently part of the college Senior Leadership Team as Assistant Principal for Post 16 Achievement and Progression.
I live in Pontefract with my husband and two children, one of whom currently attends PNC and one who will be joining the college next year (hopefully). I particularly enjoy creative pursuits such as making textile products, re-purposing furniture and textiles and decorating, and am partial to good food, white wine and the company of good friends in my spare time.
