Governors (ID 1108)

• Jude Hunton
  Executive Headmaster
  Jude Hunton

• Daniel Shoubridge
  Trust Senior Link
  Daniel Shoubridge

  Dan was appointed the Trust Senior Link on 14 January 2019. Being a Governor allows him to have a wider impact in education across the region which he finds extremely rewarding. Not only can he effectively support and challenge the decisions and outcomes at Skegness Grammar School but it also mutually supports the provision offered at Humberston Academy, where he is Principal. He brings to the ASC knowledge and understanding of leading an Ofsted Outstanding graded school with World Class Schools status. He enjoys spending time with his family, travelling and a variety of sports.

• Cllr Jimmy Brookes
  DRET Appointed Governor (Chair)
  Cllr Jimmy Brookes

  Jimmy was appointed a DRET Appointed Governor on 12 January 2021 and has since been elected Chair. He decided to become a governor because he believed in investing in the learning and development of children and young people and thought this is the best way he might be able to help the pupils and academy achieve their aims and goals. He relishes the challenge the role of Chair and governor brings. He is self-employed at a company he started in 2012, selling t-shirts and promotional goods online. He is upbeat, happy and has an outgoing personality. Jimmy has experience of managing meetings, leading a team and he tries to get the best out of the team by understanding what motivates others and delegating tasks to suit their own knowledge and ability. Jimmy is passionate about e-commerce and the challenges it brings daily. He loves problem-solving and finding out why something has happened and then finding a solution to correct it.

• Michael Burke
  DRET Appointed Governor (Vice Chair)
  Michael Burke

  Michael joined the ASC as a DRET Appointed Governor on 11 February 2022. His three children attend the academy, all taking part in many of the available enrichment activities complimenting the academic input. For the past year or so Michael has worked closely with the SEN team at the academy, whose commitment to providing accessible education and activities for all is commendable. Michael is a retired police officer and now currently works as a civilian advising on the preparation of cases for trial. In the Police he held various leadership roles, including managing the training programme for new recruits and leading uniform response teams dealing with fast time incidents. Michael was also a cadet, then adult volunteer, with the RAF Air Cadets, running a Squadron for many years and coordinating Adventurous activities for a 26 Squadrons. The focus is very much on personal development, giving the young people access to activities that foster a spirit of adventure, developing the qualities of leadership and good citizenship. Through a full Police career and over 30 years with RAF Air Cadets Michael has developed skills in Health & Safety, training, personal development, behaviour and welfare, safeguarding and problem solving, all of which will help further improve the academy experience for pupils and staff.

• James Dean
  DRET Appointed Governor
  James Dean

  James joined the ASC as a DRET Appointed Governor on 1 June 2018. However prior to that he used to Chair the Finance Committee on the former Governing Body. James is a Chartered Surveyor, Company Director and Farmer. He brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to the ASC. He is interested in young people, the Countryside and Sport.

• Alex Green
  Staff Governor
  Alex Green

  Alex was appointed a Staff Governor on 8 July 2021. As a member of staff who understands the intricate operation of school-trust relationships, he values the important input each stakeholder makes to the rich life of the academy. Staff are a fundamental part of the school. For the David Ross Trust, Alex is the Subject Lead for Secondary Music and has a proven track record of developing and managing multiple departments across the Trust in a cooperative and collegiate manner. As Director of Music at Skegness Grammar, he has turned around the Music department to become one of the highest performing, high profile departments in the Trust. Throughout his teaching career, spanning over a decade and in a variety of settings from HMP Prisons, single sex schools, challenging comprehensives to Skegness Grammar School, he has found that staff morale, sense of value and voice have made a monumental difference to school performance. Alex is the Chairman of the Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Youth Orchestra, where he has managed a number of overseas high-quality music experiences for a large number of young musicians. At home, he runs a smallholding of sheep, pigs and chickens in the Lincolnshire Wolds and operate extremely high welfare standards, positive environmental impact and actively support wildlife sustainability. He has two young children both of whom love to help out on the farm.

• David Orton
  Staff Governor
  David Orton

  David was elected a Staff Governor on 8 July 2021. Being a governor has given David the opportunity to be part of the direction of Skegness Grammar school and allows him to gain more of the bigger picture. David has been teaching for 23 years and experienced leading, being a boarding houseparent, organising activities week among others and governorship was a new direction for him. David is a Product Design teacher who has a background in the design engineering sector, having been a draughtsman and product designer for Premier Percussion for 10 years, designing percussion instruments and drum kits, before returning to education to gain a degree. David brings his ICT skills, especially in graphical communication, having designed many of the school publications such as the Aenean magazine and school Prospectus documents among others. He is an artist, working in pencil, pen and paint as well as digital design. David is also passionate about Films, from classics to independent cinema and runs the school Film Club.

• Michael Cowley
  Parent Governor
  Michael Cowley

  Michael was appointed a Parent Governor on 20 February 2023. Michael became a governor to support the community and help the academy achieve high pupil outcomes. Michael has been a postman in Skegness for 34 years and has very good local knowledge of the area and the wider community. He is also a kickboxing instructor at the local SFK gym. Michael also enjoys different genres of music and walking his French bulldogs.

• Helen Grunnill
  Parent Governor
  Helen Grunnill

  I wanted to become a Governor in order to contribute to the success of the school in delivering the best quality of educational experience for all students and helping them all to achieve their full individual potential. I currently work as an Employment Coach but have had a varied career working in the higher education sector and also in support roles to vulnerable and excluded groups. I believe I have excellent communication and interpersonal skills along with good planning and organising abilities which I am keen to use as a Governor. I love dogs, baking cakes, grabbing a bargain and all sorts of music.

• Allison Hart
  Clerk
  Allison Hart

  Allison starting working for the Trust in 2021. She is currently the Senior Administrator at Hogsthorpe Primary Academy and started clerking in April 2022. She was originally from London where she worked mainly in leisure, hospitality and also the education sector in both state and independent schools. She is a qualified teacher of English as a foreign language and also a qualified reflexologist, giving treatments in her spare time. Allison enjoys dog walking, darts, baking, crafting and spending time with her partner, friends and family.

• Jodie Evans
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Jodie Evans

  Having led schools internationally for the last 10 years, I wanted to use the experience and skills gained to support schools in my home county. I qualified as a teacher in 2002 and since have worked in a variety of settings in the UK and internationally in British Overseas Territories, the Middle East and China. I have a strong understanding of strategic development in schools, as well as staff development and safeguarding. I am very much interested in social and political sciences and have also volunteered with British Scouting Overseas, and The Girls Scouts of America. I enjoy the challenge learning languages; I speak Mandarin and I am currently learning Arabic.

• Samuel Sleight
  DRET Appointed Governor
  Samuel Sleight