Members
Suzanne Meacham
Member
Suzanne has worked as a teacher for 33 years specialising in Early Years. Having graduated in psychology and criminology, she completed a post graduate certificate in education and returned home to Blackpool where she taught at a large primary school, eventually becoming the Foundation Stage manager. She has also been an associate tutor with Lancaster University and was responsible for mentoring students in school. Suzanne has a passion for interiors with a particular interest in Mid Century furniture. She enjoys football and travel and has combined the two when watching matches in Sweden, Germany and Argentina. She has visited several South American countries and has particularly enjoyed the wine regions of Argentina and Chile.
Paul Johnson
Member
Paul began his teaching career in a junior school in Leyland, Lancashire in 1982. Over the following 28 years he was class teacher to classes of children across the whole primary school range from year R to year 6. In addition to his class teaching role, he had responsibility for a number of curriculum areas and became a deputy headteacher and then in 1997, a primary Head teacher in Hampshire. In this role for 13 years, his effectiveness led to him being asked to lead and develop adult training for teachers, managers and head teachers focusing particularly on his school’s innovative approaches to learning. He became a National College of School Leadership associate leader and as well as undertaking training in this role, he also did so on behalf of Hampshire County and for private consultancy groups. In 2010, Paul took his adult training expertise to Southampton University where he became Associate Programme Leader and Partnership manager for the PGCE Primary teaching degree there. In 2012, he moved to the University of Cumbria, where he has worked since. He began as a senior lecturer on the PGCE Primary ITT programme but his expertise has led him to take on the role of University Programme Leader for a number of Schools Direct Alliances, including Tor View. He has found working with Tor View particularly exciting as, whilst a headteacher, he was involved in developing Hampshire's specialist provision for deaf children. The inclusion of all children, especially those with profound needs, has always been a passion for Paul and his involvement with The Sea View Multi Academy Trust provides an avenue for this.
Sarah Threlfall
Member
Having studied business and finance at Blackpool and Fylde College, Sarah joined Barclays Bank, working for fifteen years as a business and personal banker on the Fylde Coast and North East. Whilst having time away from work to raise her two children, she took on the role as accounts/business administrator for her husband’s new business, which is now very successful. Looking for a new direction, she completed child education/development qualifications and joined the (then) Park School in Blackpool as a Special Support Assistant where she worked for twelve years. With the rewards and challenges that the role brought, she enjoyed her time there immensely. Two years ago Sarah took ‘early retirement’, enabling her to enjoy travelling, to project manage the total refurbishment of a Victorian house which is now her beautiful home and to enjoy her hobbies of learning to ballroom dance and play the piano. She became a Trust Member in 2018; this role enables her to still have an involvement in the education of local children, which she cares deeply about.
Mark Grayson
Member
Mark began his teaching career in 1987. He has a particular specialism in Maths and Science although his degree was in Physical Education. Between 1989 and 1995 he spent time in Japan teaching English as a Foreign Language, and in Abu Dhabi as a primary school teacher. He returned to the UK in 1996, to primary teaching in Blackpool, before becoming the Deputy Headteacher of a school in Lancaster. During his 17 years as Deputy Head he was also a school governor, an Associate Tutor for the University of Cumbria and a member of their qualifications committee. Since leaving his Deputy Head post, Mark has worked back in Blackpool as a primary “booster” teacher.
Hilary Wood
Member
Hilary has enjoyed spending a large part of her career serving the people of Blackpool, with 21 years at Blackpool Council, of which 17 were in roles leading on school finance and funding. As such, she has seen the introduction of the Dedicated Schools Grant, and a number of subsequent reforms thereafter, including the implementation of the National Funding Formula for schools, and the development of systems for funding the education of pupils with SEND. Her work has involved close working with schools and academy trusts, supporting them to ensure that funding is fairly distributed and effectively spent. She has been a member of the Department for Education’s Schools and Academies Funding Group, and also the Association of Directors of Children’s Services Resources and Sustainability Committee. Hilary is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and holds a Master in Business Administration. Her spare time is taken up walking her dog, trying to (slowly) improve her golfing game, and spending as much time as she can in the sun on the Costa del Sol. Her family also keeps her busy, with elderly parents living on the Fylde Cost, and four grown children all close by in Manchester.
Lidia Gardner
Member
Lidia is currently the Headteacher at Crosshill School which is a secondary 11 to 19 special school co-located with BCHS, a mainstream secondary school within Blackburn. She has worked for most of her career in the field of Special Education, specialising in inclusion and successful collaboration with stakeholders to ensure the child is at the heart of all decisions made. She has a wide range of local, national and international experience and perspective in the field of SEN across all phases within mainstream and specialist provisions, championing that school to school support and working together is the key to successful SEND provision at all levels.