Governors
Ged McGrath
Chair of Governors
After a career in the hospitality industry Ged moved to Cumbria in 2003 and has been self-employed for most of the time since. After owning and running a local post office and store for a number of years he now currently runs a holiday accommodation business in South Copeland. Ged has been active in local government for a number of years and is currently a Copeland and Town Councilor. Ged holds other community roles; he is Chair of his local primary school and other local charities. In addition to his role at Mayfield he also chairs the South Copeland GDF Community Partnership. Geds interest in special education stems from growing up with a nonverbal autistic sibling and understands the challenges families of the young people who attend Mayfield face in their daily lives. When Ged has the time, he enjoys playing golf, gardening, motorcycling and watching films although exercising his two young border collies takes up a considerable amount of his free time.
Matt Legg
Vice Chair of Governors
Matt works for Sellafield Ltd as a Communications Manager. He joined Mayfield as a Co-opted Governor in 2014. He served as Vice Chair of Governors in 2017/18 and is currently Chair of the Premises, Health, and Safety Committee. Originally from the North East, Matt moved to Cumbria in 2004 to join Cumbrian Newspapers as a reporter for the Times & Star, in Workington. He was business editor for The Cumberland News/News & Star in Carlisle for eight years before joining the nuclear industry. Matt is married with two children and lives in Cockermouth. He is a long-suffering season ticket holder at Middlesbrough Football Club and enjoys fell walking and playing golf (badly).
Grant O'Townson
School Governor
Born in Cumbria, I've lived locally all my life. I qualified as a primary school teacher and worked at Hensingham Primary School between 2007 and 2011, teaching across all KS2. Being so close to Mayfield, and having 2 children in my classes on dual placements, I was fortunate enough to get to work with Mayfield staff and children throughout my time there - including the year the schools linked together to produce a brilliant Rock Challenge performance that I will never forget! In 2011, I gained my NPQH and became a Specialist Leader of Education for the primary curriculum. I then left Hensingham and moved to Northside to be Deputy Head for 8 years (five of those alongside Mrs Kidd) and then eventually became Headteacher. My proudest achievement during that time is helping take the school from Special Measures to Good in all areas and seeing the turn-around in opportunities for pupils and in their attainment. In September 2020, I decided the time was right for a career change and I made the move to GoLearn Education - a global edtech company - as their Head of English Curriculum. I now work from home, which gives me more time to be a Dad and to become more involved in other roles. I'm very proud to be a governor at Mayfield and to witness firsthand the amazing work of the staff and to get to share in the fantastic achievements of the students here. It is a real privilege and I am determined to do all I can to help the school in continuing to provide an excellent standard of education. In addition to this role, I'm also a governor at Cockermouth School too.
Sam French
School Governor
Sam works for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in communications and stakeholder relations. He oversaw the opening of the Campus Whitehaven project in January 2019 as Community Development Manager and joined Mayfield as an associate Governor in November 2019 before becoming a Co-Opted Governor in November 2022. He also sits on the Premises, Health, and Safety Committee, using his knowledge of the campus from his previous role to ensure the safety and wellbeing needs of the Mayfield students are always met thoroughly. Raised and educated in Cockermouth, Sam moved back to Cumbria after university in 2011 to work in marketing and publicity for St Benedict’s Catholic High School, before joining Gen2 as Student Engagement Officer and Marketing Officer. This role ultimately led him back to the Campus Whitehaven project, where he developed an affinity to the students of Mayfield School and became passionate about ensuring they continued to receive the outstanding academic and pastoral care that Mayfield is renowned for. Sam currently lives in Cockermouth and in his spare time enjoys fell walking, paddleboarding, live music and visiting his homeland of Ireland
Jonny Sunter
School Governor
I started my career in education, in Bradford, straight from sixth form, where I started my employment at the school I attended, as a Special Educational Needs teaching assistant. From there I progressed to dealing with whole school pastoral elements, as i became a Head of House. I left Bradford in 2010, to relocate to West Cumbria where I started working at Solway Community School in Silloth, as a Cover Supervisor & Head of House. In 2016 I switched school & took up the role of Pastoral Head of Sixth Form & Pupil Premium mentor at West Lakes Academy in Egremont. In 2018 i switch to working full time supporting the Disadvantaged (Pupil Premium, Looked After & Post Looked After). September 2020 saw me return to Solway Community School, where I am now the Quality of Education Lead for all Pastoral elements (Welfare, Attendance, Safeguarding & Behaviour) across the 2 schools in our federation (Solway & Beacon Hill Community School). I love my work as a co-opted governor for Mayfield and find an absolute privilege to serve the staff, students & parents of Mayfield.
Andrew Wallam
School Governor
Andrew graduated from the University of Southampton with a degree in Geography. He studied for a Post Graduate Diploma in Careers Guidance and for the last 30 years has worked in the field of youth employment. He is the Post 16 Governor for the Mayfield School. He has completed terms of governance in an infant school and a junior school. As well as being a governor at Mayfield School he is also a governor at Cumbria Academy for Autism.
Andrew Wonnacott
LA Governor
Andrew was elected onto Copeland Borough Council in 2003 (Hillcrest Area), he joined Mayfield Governing Body in 2006. In 2010 he took early retirement from Sellafield, in 2011 he started working part time at Cleator Moor Coop. Andrew was elected onto Cumbria County Council in 2011 until April next year. Andrew has a love of live music; he has been a member of the Committed to Rock Choir for 8 years (after taking a break he hopes to get back into it next year). In his spare time Andrew enjoys holidays and eating out.
Steve Williams
Parent Governor
Originally from Cheshire, Steve served as a Prison Officer for 7 years gaining qualifications in Public Services, Custodial Care, and Mental Health. In 2014, he retrained as an Armed Firearms Officer, and relocated to West Cumbria with his wife and two beautiful children, one of which has attended Mayfield since 2019. Due to injury in 2020, Steve has taken a step back from the role as an AFO and have found himself working for Human Resources, specifically on the recruitment team. Despite moving 130 miles North, he remain true to his red roots and attends Liverpool matches regularly. He also love motorbikes and can often be found riding around Cumbria’s extraordinary countryside. Also, even with injury, Steve still has a passion for putting himself through extreme outdoor obstacle races either individually, as part of a team, or with his nine year old daughter Isla. Steve chose to put myself forward as Parent Governor, as he felt that although he can’t do the “regular” father and son activities, he could still indirectly play a big factor in Elijah’s life growing up through his education and learning. Steve is incredibly grateful for the outstanding education, care and opportunities Mayfield offers his son. He feels privileged to be able to be involved in the great work the school does in his role as Parent Governor, and he is thoroughly dedicated to supporting the children, staff and fellow parents.
Susan Oglanby
Parent Governor
Sue was born and bred in West Cumbria and after attending Stainburn Secondary School in Workington she went on to further her skills at West Cumberland Hospital while working on a GNVQ in Care. She started her working life at 18 working in Social Care, after always being interested in supporting individuals with learning disabilities. This was for Cumbria County Council as a Support Worker based in Disability and Mental Health Day Services, supporting adults with learning and physical disabilities, where to date, 26 years later she is still there in the capacity of Senior Support Officer. This role requires a person-centred approach, as well as skills in providing guidance, mentoring, and coaching to the team of support workers, to ensure individualised care and support is delivered in a bespoke way. The day to day running of the centres is essential to enable the people they support who have a learning disability to learn new skills, maintain those skills, socialise and develop friendships, or require support with complex needs. Along the way Sue have had exclusive experience, been on countless training packages whilst gaining qualifications to ensure the best support and care can be delivered, Including becoming a Makaton Tutor. All this a side, Sue is married to Steven and has 2 beautiful children, Luke 13 and Sophie 12 and lives in Dearham. Sophie attends Netherhall Secondary School in Maryport and Luke attends the brilliant Mayfield School!! Where he has been since 2020. When Luke was born, they were given the news that he had Downs Syndrome. From that moment Sue knew she was going to support and guide him to the best ability, enabling him to fulfil and live his life to the best. This has made Sue extremely passionate about individuals having only what they deserve through life, especially their education. Following on, Sue am also a Trustee of our Local Downs Syndrome Support, where they strive for inclusion and promote our wonderful children, whilst having a great time along the way. Sue loves going on family holidays, going to the cinema and spending time with friends and family. She feels very proud and privileged to be a Governor of Mayfield School.
Carol Norman
Staff Governor
Carol was born and bred in Whitehaven where she lived until 3 years ago when she moved to Carlisle. Carol has worked at Mayfield as a Senior Teaching Assistant for over 20 years mostly in the Lakes Department and has represent school staff on the governing body for a number of years. Before working at Mayfield, Carol worked in mainstream school looking after pupils with special needs. Carol enjoys spending time with her family, she has 2 daughters, 3 granddaughters, a grandson and a great granddaughter who takes up a lot of her spare time.
Rosey Richardson
Born in Solihull, Rosey relocated up to Cumbria with her now-husband in 2009 and has since worked in a range of local Nursery and Primary Schools before being a stay-at-home mum to her two children for the past 8 years. Rosey joined the Governing Body at Mayfield in late 2023 after supporting the Governors with the Headteacher Recruitment in 2022/23. Rosey takes on the role of Early Years Governor due to her significant experience in teaching and supporting Early Years settings. Prior to joining Mayfield's Governing Body, Rosey was the Chair of Governors at Frizington Nursery School from 2021-2023. She has always had an interest in the Early Years having trained as an Early Years Teacher at the University of Gloucestershire in 2008 and taught in a variety of schools in the West Midlands before relocating up to Cumbria in 2009. Rosey worked at Frizington Nursery & Preschool from 2010-2014 both as Classroom Teacher in Nursery and a Childcare Worker in Preschool. Now married with two children and living in Arlecdon, Rosey took over Sing and Sign West Cumbria in March '23 and now runs signing courses to local families across the West Cumbria region. In her limited spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, swimming and Co-Chairing her children's school PTA (Friends of Ennerdale & Kinniside School)."