Joanne Feltham – Chair of Governors

I have been involved in education for nearly 20 years, working in various roles and gaining valuable experience along the way. As a former pupil of St Michael’s, it holds a special place in my heart - I even completed part of my teacher training there, and all four of my children have attended the school.

Over the years, I’ve been an active member of the PTFA, contributing to the school community before joining the governing body six years ago. This is now my third year as Chair of Governors. Alongside my governance role, I work full-time as a teacher, which keeps me closely connected to the world of education.

As a member of the local community, I am deeply invested in the success of our school and its role within the area. I am passionate about creating a nurturing environment where children can thrive, and I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with the fantastic team at St Michael’s to ensure it remains a warm and welcoming place for both children and their families.

 

Juliette Craven – Vice Chair of Governors and Year 2 Link Governor

My name is Juliette Craven and I am proud to be the Vice Chair of Governors.

With over 18 years of experience in education, I bring a wealth of knowledge and insight to my role. My career has been dedicated to improving schools in need, where I have successfully led initiatives that foster growth and development for both pupils and staff. 

This deep understanding of the education sector informs my contributions as a governor, enabling me to advocate effectively for the needs of our community at St Michael’s.

In addition to my work in education, I currently operate my own procurement business, collaborating with several well-known companies across the UK. This venture allows me to leverage my expertise in strategic planning and resource management, further enhancing my ability to support my role as a Governor. 

Outside of my professional life, I am happily married and the proud mum of Emilie and Oliver. Our family is completed with our two gorgeous dogs.

I love to travel, spend time with my friends & family and more importantly laugh!

I am passionate about my role as Vice Chair at St Michael’s; a school I truly love!

 

Glenda Raistrick - Pre-School Link Governor

Hello, I am Glenda Raistrick and this year I am thrilled to become the Pre-School Link Governor after my previous cohort finished their journey through St Michaels and finished in Year 6 in July.  

I visited my new group for the first time this half term to meet the children and spend some time getting to know them.  I really enjoyed my visit and found the high amount effort and care that goes into taking care of the children is so evident. I look forward to popping in regularly to see their progress.

 

Janet Hallows – Foundation Governor and Year 1 Link Governor

I am one of the two Foundation Governors, which means a governor appointed by the PCC of St Michael's Church, this being a church school. I cannot claim a background in teaching other than by way of  both my parents being in the profession, so I grew up with those who were. However, I am closely involved with children's work within the church from the toddler group to Sunday Club and Open the Book, a scheme where we go into school assemblies and enact Bible stories. Having gone right through the education system myself up to university level, I realise just how much a good education opens up opportunities in life. I want all our children to enjoy learning, to see their time at school as a positive experience and to feel safe and comfortable here. However, for me, it's not just about academic achievement. I want all children to reach their full potential but also to acquire the skills and values which will help them to live a happy and rewarding life.

Lisa Lamin - Parent Governor and Year 3 Link Governor

I am Lisa Lamin, a passionate Parent Governor and the Year 3 Link Governor, dedicated to creating an enriching learning atmosphere for our children. I recently had a lovely visit with Year 3 where the children shared with me the interesting topics they have been learning about this half term. I was able to observe a PE lesson in which the children were learning gymnastics. This half term the children have learnt how to do a forwards roll, backwards roll and side roll. The children also expressed a joy for mathematics, with many of the children choosing this as their favourite subject, where they have been learning subtraction and increasing their knowledge of the times tables.

Foluso Enwerem - Foundation Governor ex officio and Year 4 Link Governor

Hi, I’m Rev. Foluso Enwerem – I moved from the West Midlands to West Yorkshire and am glad to be here in Shelf serving the local community as part of the team at St Michael’s Church.

I enjoy being involved with children’s learning and want to help see that every child is able to thrive at our church school, drawing upon our Christian ethos. As a child, I loved reading and was very happy as an adult when I got to work for a children's publisher! I’m part of 'Open The Book', a simple, fun interactive way of introducing primary-school aged children to some of the stories in the Bible during their assemblies.

When we moved to the area, my youngest child joined St Michael’s in Year 5 and was made to feel very welcome – I want to see our school continue to be a nurturing place where children enjoy learning and show that everyone matters.

Chris Armitage - Finance Governor and Year 5 Link Governor

Hi, I’m Chris Armitage, a Parent Governor and the Link Governor for Year 5. I’ve been attached to this cohort since Year 3, and I’m looking forward to another year supporting them. I also support the Governing Body as the Finance Governor.

I attended the curriculum afternoon session at the start of term, and learnt about the subjects and topics Year 5 will be covering this year. As part of my role, I’ll be monitoring and reviewing the progress all the children are making towards their end-of-year expected skills and feeding back to the Governing Body. Personally, I’m looking forward to the science and computing curriculum.

 

Kate Lambert – Year 6 Link Governor

I joined the St Michael's Governing Body in September 2024, when my son started in Reception.

I began my career as a primary teacher, teaching in North Yorkshire, Leeds and Calderdale, and I have been a Calderdale Headteacher since 2015. As a class teacher, I was also the staff governor at my school for many years and found the role of a school governor to be really interesting and rewarding. As a Head, I work closely with my own governing body on the strategic leadership of my school. I am also an active member of our local cluster of schools and the Calderdale Primary Headteachers Association and this year I have been giving additional leadership support to a school where their headteacher was absent. When I had my little boy, I knew I would like the opportunity to join the governing body of his future school and was delighted when a position became available!

Compared to some of the other members of the governing body, I am fairly new to Shelf itself having only lived here for 8 years, but the school's values and vision really stood out for me when choosing a school and visiting St Michael’s: Our school is a caring community, based on Christian values, where the needs of the pupils are at the heart of everything the school does. I like to champion St Michael's in our village: sharing social media posts and events and talking to other parents, so that everyone knows all the wonderful things that go on and why they should choose it for their children too.

As a member of the governing body, it is a pleasure to bring my experience and knowledge of education and leadership to the board to ensure that we give our children the best possible education and opportunities.