Simon Devonald: I moved to Grantham in 2010. I am a director in a local family manufacturing business. I am a member of Grantham Round Table and through that I am involved in local charity work. My elder son, Henry started at Belton Lane School in 2018 and my younger son started in 2021. When my wife and I were looking at schools in the area, Belton Lane stood out in terms of both educational atmosphere and the aim to produce ‘all-round’ children. I joined the governing body in 2018 and am looking forward to helping the school continue its excellent progress.

Amy Cussell-Smith: I have been working in education since 2004 and have worked in a variety of different schools before Belton Lane. I spent 12 years working in inner London in the borough of Islington where I was deputy headteacher of a large multi-cultural school serving a diverse community. I have had experience of leading on curriculum development, assessment, quality of teaching and learning and safeguarding and child protection. 

It is a privilege to work at Belton Lane and be part of its growing community.

Laura Burchett: I have two children, William and Alfie.  Both joined the school from Reception, with Alfie still attending the school and William now in Secondary School.  I also attended the school when I moved to Grantham from Essex in 1996 and as much as I enjoyed attending, I can see the vast improvements that have been made since.  I am Head of Business & Executive Support for an executive search and recruitment firm who delivers senior leadership and board appointments across the education and not-for-profit sectors.  I joined the governing body in 2020 to contribute towards helping the schools' continuous growth and positive progress.

Dr Jo Barkham: My home has been in Lincolnshire since childhood. I studied psychology as an undergraduate student in Bristol, after which I trained as a nursery/infant teacher.  In a long career, I have taught in primary schools in Peterborough, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, which included working in Special schools and, for four years, in the secondary sector.

I became a Literacy Consultant for Lincolnshire County Council after the “New Labour” government came into power, and in 2001, I returned to Bristol where I came to lead one of the largest primary teacher training programmes in the South West. During this time, I studied for a PhD, which examined the way in which the Literacy Strategy was implemented.

With imminent retirement in mind, I returned to my home county of Lincolnshire, working at Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln, becoming acting Head of School of Teacher Development in my final year. However, I continued to work for the university on a part time basis, visiting and supporting trainee teachers and their mentors in schools.

Now fully retired, and relocating to be nearer my family, I have begun to volunteer at Belton Lane Primary School as a ‘school reader’. Schoolreaders is a charity which matches volunteers with schools, and it is a delight to hear and support early readers on a weekly basis.

I have had experience of governance, having previously served on the governing board of a primary school, and having been a Trustee of a multi-academy trust, Voyage Education Partnership, of which I still remain as a ‘Member’.

Becky Jones: As a proud parent to two children currently attending Belton Lane Primary School, I am delighted to have been elected to serve as a new school governor. With 17 years experience in education, primarily in Early Years, and my current role as a SENDCo at a local Lincolnshire school, I bring a wealth of knowledge to this position. I’m also a qualified sleep practitioner, which adds another layer to my understanding of the challenges our students might face.

I’m deeply passionate about education and committed to supporting our students and staff. My goal is to support the school in continuing to create an environment where every child can thrive and where their unique needs are met. By working together with children. staff, parents, and the broader community, I’m eager to contribute to the school’s success and ensure we provide the best possible learning experience for all our children.

I’m excited about the chance to make a positive impact at Belton Lane and to help make our school a fantastic place for every child to grow and learn.

Katie Done:  My two boys attend Belton Lane School and I am always keen to help out when I can whether that be school trips, discos and any other request through the friends of Belton Lane group. When I saw the position to become a parent governor had opened, I was quick to put myself forward. 

I run two self-employed businesses as an online fabric retailer and keepsake creator. I am sure my creative skills and imagination will help me in my position. My previous background is varied including delivering dementia awareness training around Lincolnshire to large and small organisations, including within primary schools to pupils. I also delivered one to one coaching and feedback in a debt management company as well as group training with groups of 2-50 people. All of this has given me a great skill set working with a variety of personalities that I don’t get to make the most of while working for myself. I am looking forward to having a proactive part within the school community.