Gareth Long – Parent Governor

I currently work in secondary education as a leader, with a particular focus on curriculum development, assessment, and teacher development. My background is in mathematics education, and over the years I’ve taken on a range of leadership roles, supporting individual schools and collaborating across multi-academy trusts to improve outcomes for young people. Much of my work centres on designing and implementing coherent, challenging, and inclusive curricula that give all students the opportunity to succeed.

In addition to my role in school, I work closely with the NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics) where I lead professional development work groups. This involves supporting teachers across a wide range of schools to deepen their subject knowledge, refine their practice, and embed research-informed approaches in the classroom. I have a particular interest in curriculum design, effective assessment, and whole-school approaches to raising attainment—areas where I hope to bring valuable insight to my role as a governor.

Outside of work, I’m a father of three and enjoy spending time with my children. We love being outdoors and often go on long walks as a family. I’m also passionate about sport and strongly believe in its power to build character, teamwork, and resilience in young people. I take an active interest in a range of sports, including football, running, and cycling, and I always look for opportunities to support sports provision in schools, both through enrichment and in the wider curriculum.

As a governor at Higham Lane North Academy, I’m committed to supporting the school’s continued development and its ambition to provide a high-quality education for every student. I’m particularly keen to contribute to discussions around curriculum, staff development, and academic standards, drawing on my professional experience to help the school evaluate what’s working well and where it can go further. I also understand the importance of balancing academic progress with pastoral care and personal development—and I hope to support a culture where students feel known, valued, and well-prepared for their next steps.

I believe that strong governance plays a vital role in a school’s success, and I’m looking forward to working as part of a team that challenges, supports, and celebrates the work of staff and students alike. It’s a real privilege to be part of a school community that is clearly ambitious for its young people, and I’m excited to play a part in helping Higham Lane North Academy continue to thrive.

Many thanks, 

Gareth

Mark Williams – Community Governor

Hello!  I am a community governor at HLNA, and I’m really looking forwards to getting to know the school, staff and pupils over the coming years, and helping to fulfil our vision of championing every pupil and ensuring that no child is left behind.

My career has been spent in the drug development industry, initially running clinical trials in healthy volunteers, before moving on to work with GPs and Hospital Consultants running trials in patients. For the last 15 years I have worked in training, currently as Director of Learning Services in a global clinical research organisation, where I lead a team of learning professionals across the globe (from California to China). As well as leading the department, my role covers working with external clients, and acting as a consultant to key internal areas of the business to identify learning and change management needs. I then lead learning and change management projects to deliver on the identified needs and so ensure that the new system, process, procedure, etc., is implemented effectively and on time. Additionally, I still design, develop and deliver training content via self-led, online materials, zoom-based sessions, and face-to-face. I also have day-to-day oversight of our departmental budget, ensuring that we are being prudent, while still delivering impact for our stakeholders.

Outside of work, I am married with 3 daughters, who I seem to spend most of my time running around after!   When not taking my kids to various places, I enjoy walking, swimming, and reading a good book.  I am also a qualified scuba diver and as my kids are getting older, hope to be able to spend more time under the surface.

I have served as a Governor at Higham Lane School (HLS) since December 2021 and during that time have gained lots of valuable experience. During my time, I have sat on finance and staff & student committees, attended the governor conferences and been involved in multiple behaviour/disciplinary panels. In addition, I have supported the conduct of Year 11 interview practice, and acted as a link governor for PE and 6^th form.

My career has enabled me to develop project, time, and financial management skills, alongside expertise in learning theory, practice and technology. I feel that these skills allow me, as a governor, to be a really strong critical friend, working constructively with other governors to support the head and staff, to ensure that the pupils receive the best possible education. I am not afraid to question decisions and plans, to ensure that they have been fully thought through, and are ultimately in the best interests of the trust, school, staff and pupils.

Amrik Singh – Community Governor

I am currently a qualified Solicitor employed by the Crown Prosecution Service where I can be seen prosecuting some of the most serious criminal cases in the country. My professional background spans over a decade in both criminal law and public law as well as prior experience in family law where I specialised in complex financial disputes, trusts, and children law issues. This has given me a wide range of legal expertise and a strong understanding of decision making in high pressure environments.

Beyond my current role, I am actively involved in mentoring and outreach. I regularly deliver career talks, advocacy training, and workshops on CVs and interview skills to l students and aspiring lawyers.

I bring to the governing body skills in critical thinking, analysis, and communication, alongside experience in leadership, accountability, and safeguarding. My role as a Solicitor means that I bring a wealth of experience in making important decisions in extremely high pressured environments.

I feel truly privileged to be on the Governing body of HLNA. There is a very bright and exciting future ahead for the school and I cannot wait to be part of it.

Many thanks

Amrik Singh