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Lindley CE Infant School

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Meet the Governors

	Name & Appointment	Pen Portrait
	Mrs Cathryn Goddard Headteacher Ex Officio	To follow
	Mrs Natalie Thompson Deputy Headteacher	Prior to teaching, Natalie worked as an Early Years Advisor for Calderdale Council, working with schools, nurseries, childminders and out of school clubs. It was Natalie’s love of children’s early years of development and learning that led her to train as a teacher. Natalie has worked in a variety of schools across Bradford and Calderdale as a teacher in Reception, Nursery and KS1, EYFS lead and Assistant Headteacher before coming to Lindley Infant School in January 2021 as Deputy Headteacher. She also spent 7 years as Chairperson for Triangle Pre-school, when her children attended and beyond. Natalie has also spent the last few years supporting and developing new teachers through her work with Teamworks SCITT and East Manchester Teaching Hub. In her spare time, Natalie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, travelling, walking and paddle boarding. Natalie has been a Governor at Lindley Infant School since February 2021 and feels privileged to work with the children, staff and families of this amazing community. Natalie is passionate about ensuring that all children receive a high-quality education in a safe and nurturing space that supports them to shine as individuals.
	Chair of Governors Mrs Sophie Conaghan	Sophie and her family live in Lindley and her children attend Lindley Infant School. Sophie's working career has been in finance and accounting where she works with small, early-stage businesses supporting them with their financial planning. In addition to her employed work, she runs her own business providing education workshops in financial literacy to business owners. Community volunteering has always been part of Sophie's life, stemming from seeing her own mother in many voluntary roles alongside her own teaching career. Having moved around between cities (and countries), Sophie has always had a voluntary role in the place she lives and brings this commitment now to Lindley. She is committed to encouraging a joined-up community where children can grow and thrive by feeling the support of their community around them.
	The Reverend Abbie Palmer Ex Officio	Revd. Abbie has been Priest-in-Charge of St Stephen’s Church, Lindley since April 2021. Her role as Lindley Infant School Governor is part of that role, linking the church and school together. She had not been a school governor previously so has been learning the role since arriving. She really enjoys being a part of the school community and being a part of shaping the future of the school. Prior to being in ministry, she was a secondary music teacher and enjoys singing at any opportunity. She also worked in a number of administrative and training roles at the University of Leeds. She also enjoys walking, crochet and baking.
	Mrs Sarah Croisdale Staff Governor	Sarah joined Lindley CE Infant School in September 2025 as Acting Deputy Headteacher and has been made to feel very welcome by the Lindley school community. She feels privileged to be part of Lindley’s journey and is excited to contribute to its continued success. After completing her A-Levels, Sarah spent time volunteering at a local primary school and taking part in a voluntary programme supporting refugees in schools. It was through these experiences that she discovered her passion for teaching and the difference education can make in children’s lives. After qualifying as a teacher with an Early Years specialism, Sarah taught across Key Stage 1. When her previous school expanded into a through-primary school in 2022, she played a key role in developing the new Key Stage 2 provision and led on curriculum development across Years 3 to 6. Sarah is passionate about ensuring every child receives a high-quality education and is supported to achieve their very best. She believes that all children should be encouraged, inspired, and challenged to reach their full potential. Outside of school, Sarah enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking, travelling, dining out, and cooking.
	Mrs Jan Balmforth Staff Governor	Jan has worked at Lindley CE Infant School for over 20 years and for the majority of that time as a staff governor. She first started working with SEND children and a lot of her work involved both supporting the parents and their children to achieve their full potential. Over the years her teaching commitments have increased and now teaches full time across KS1. One of her greatest passions is reading and she formed a community reading group ‘Reading Friends’, over 15 years ago which still continues today. Governors and members of the community come into school every week to encourage, support and inspire children to have a love of reading. She has been a member of the Standards & Effectiveness Committee and she works hard to make sure that all children gain for getting a high-quality education where they feel safe and nurtured and are able to achieve both academically and personally. Jan is also very passionate about mental health and well-being, both for staff and children. She is a member of the staff well-being team and also involved in other initiatives to support children’s mental health. In her spare time, she loves walking, reading, baking and meeting up with friends and family. Both her children were lucky to start their educational journey at Lindley so she knows how important a high-quality education can be. She loves being a part of the Lindley family and is happy to be able to give something back.
	Dr Emma Dryden Foundation Governor
	Miss Vicky Golding Foundation Governor	Vicky recently joined the governing board as a co-opted Governor, this is her first governor role however she has an extensive background working in management accounts and finance (currently working with the NHS) and feels that her skills and expertise will be a great asset to the school. She is a member of St Stephen’s church and her daughter has just joined Lindley infants in the reception year. She is passionate in supporting the school and the local community. In her spare time, Vicky spends a lot of time away with the family in their caravan visiting different sites of the UK. She also enjoys reading, cooking, walking and watching films with the family.
	Mr Matthew Bradbury Parent Governor	Matthew is one of our parent governors with his child recently starting in Reception at Lindley CE Infant School. Matthew is a Deputy Headteacher and SENCO at another local church school and is passionate about ensuring that all children receive a good, well balanced curriculum to help them flourish. Matthew is keen to work with the governing body to help shape the strategic development of the school and bring his background of working in schools to the governing board. Matthew and his family are keen travellers, both within the UK and further afield and enjoys spending time as a family exploring new places.
	Mr Alok Krishnan Governor	Alok strongly believes that schools play a pivotal role in shaping the society as much as the futures of young individuals. Serving as a school governor provides a unique opportunity for the community to contribute to this mission. Alok and his family have been Lindley residents for over 8 years, and their children attend Lindley Infant School. Many of his friends and colleagues are also part of the Lindley school community. A Chartered Mechanical Engineer by profession, Alok is employed locally in Huddersfield as a Program Leader, where he also leads the site Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. Passionate about education and continuous development, he has volunteered as a STEM ambassador for over 15 years, including at Lindley Infant School. Prior to joining as a trustee at Lindley CE Infant School, Alok has previously served as a Governor with safeguarding responsibilities at a High School. He is excited to offer his experience in planning, resource management, and decision-making to support effective governance, with the ultimate goal of maximising the development of the young minds we serve.
	Mr Josh Hill Parent Governor	Josh joined the governing body at Lindley CE Infant School as a parent governor, with his eldest son starting at the school in the last year. As a parent, Josh is passionate about supporting the school community and contributing to an environment where children feel safe, valued, and inspired to learn. Professionally, Josh is an Operations Director for an education provider and has extensive experience working across the education sector. His role involves strategic leadership, organisational development, and ensuring high-quality provision, and he is keen to bring these skills to the governing board to support the continued growth and success of the school. Josh strongly believes that strong early educational foundations play a crucial role in shaping children’s confidence, wellbeing, and future opportunities. Outside of his professional life, Josh has a longstanding involvement in sport and music, with an extensive background in both playing and coaching rugby union and is currently an active musician in several projects. Through sport and music, he has developed a strong commitment to teamwork, resilience, and personal development, values he believes closely align with those promoted within the school environment and something he is keen to foster support for. Josh is committed to working collaboratively with staff, governors, and families to support the school’s vision and ensure that every child at Lindley CE Infant School can thrive both academically and personally.
	Mr Mohammed Usman Governor	To follow

Name & Appointment

Pen Portrait

Mrs Cathryn Goddard

Headteacher

Ex Officio

To follow

Mrs Natalie Thompson

Deputy Headteacher

Prior to teaching, Natalie worked as an Early Years Advisor for Calderdale Council, working with schools, nurseries, childminders and out of school clubs. It was Natalie’s love of children’s early years of development and learning that led her to train as a teacher. Natalie has worked in a variety of schools across Bradford and Calderdale as a teacher in Reception, Nursery and KS1, EYFS lead and Assistant Headteacher before coming to Lindley Infant School in January 2021 as Deputy Headteacher. She also spent 7 years as Chairperson for Triangle Pre-school, when her children attended and beyond. Natalie has also spent the last few years supporting and developing new teachers through her work with Teamworks SCITT and East Manchester Teaching Hub.

In her spare time, Natalie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, travelling, walking and paddle boarding.

Natalie has been a Governor at Lindley Infant School since February 2021 and feels privileged to work with the children, staff and families of this amazing community. Natalie is passionate about ensuring that all children receive a high-quality education in a safe and nurturing space that supports them to shine as individuals.

Chair of Governors

Mrs Sophie Conaghan

Sophie and her family live in Lindley and her children attend Lindley Infant School. Sophie's working career has been in finance and accounting where she works with small, early-stage businesses supporting them with their financial planning. In addition to her employed work, she runs her own business providing education workshops in financial literacy to business owners.

Community volunteering has always been part of Sophie's life, stemming from seeing her own mother in many voluntary roles alongside her own teaching career. Having moved around between cities (and countries), Sophie has always had a voluntary role in the place she lives and brings this commitment now to Lindley. She is committed to encouraging a joined-up community where children can grow and thrive by feeling the support of their community around them.

The Reverend Abbie Palmer

Ex Officio

Revd. Abbie has been Priest-in-Charge of St Stephen’s Church, Lindley since April 2021. Her role as Lindley Infant School Governor is part of that role, linking the church and school together. She had not been a school governor previously so has been learning the role since arriving. She really enjoys being a part of the school community and being a part of shaping the future of the school. Prior to being in ministry, she was a secondary music teacher and enjoys singing at any opportunity. She also worked in a number of administrative and training roles at the University of Leeds. She also enjoys walking, crochet and baking.

Mrs Sarah Croisdale

Staff Governor

Sarah joined Lindley CE Infant School in September 2025 as Acting Deputy Headteacher and has been made to feel very welcome by the Lindley school community. She feels privileged to be part of Lindley’s journey and is excited to contribute to its continued success.

After completing her A-Levels, Sarah spent time volunteering at a local primary school and taking part in a voluntary programme supporting refugees in schools. It was through these experiences that she discovered her passion for teaching and the difference education can make in children’s lives.

After qualifying as a teacher with an Early Years specialism, Sarah taught across Key Stage 1. When her previous school expanded into a through-primary school in 2022, she played a key role in developing the new Key Stage 2 provision and led on curriculum development across Years 3 to 6.

Sarah is passionate about ensuring every child receives a high-quality education and is supported to achieve their very best. She believes that all children should be encouraged, inspired, and challenged to reach their full potential.

Outside of school, Sarah enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking, travelling, dining out, and cooking.

Mrs Jan Balmforth

Staff Governor

Jan has worked at Lindley CE Infant School for over 20 years and for the majority of that time as a staff governor. She first started working with SEND children and a lot of her work involved both supporting the parents and their children to achieve their full potential. Over the years her teaching commitments have increased and now teaches full time across KS1. One of her greatest passions is reading and she formed a community reading group ‘Reading Friends’, over 15 years ago which still continues today. Governors and members of the community come into school every week to encourage, support and inspire children to have a love of reading.

She has been a member of the Standards & Effectiveness Committee and she works hard to make sure that all children gain for getting a high-quality education where they feel safe and nurtured and are able to achieve both academically and personally. Jan is also very passionate about mental health and well-being, both for staff and children. She is a member of the staff well-being team and also involved in other initiatives to support children’s mental health.

In her spare time, she loves walking, reading, baking and meeting up with friends and family. Both her children were lucky to start their educational journey at Lindley so she knows how important a high-quality education can be. She loves being a part of the Lindley family and is happy to be able to give something back.

Dr Emma Dryden

Foundation Governor

Miss Vicky Golding

Foundation Governor

Vicky recently joined the governing board as a co-opted Governor, this is her first governor role however she has an extensive background working in management accounts and finance (currently working with the NHS) and feels that her skills and expertise will be a great asset to the school.

She is a member of St Stephen’s church and her daughter has just joined Lindley infants in the reception year. She is passionate in supporting the school and the local community.

In her spare time, Vicky spends a lot of time away with the family in their caravan visiting different sites of the UK. She also enjoys reading, cooking, walking and watching films with the family.

Mr Matthew Bradbury

Parent Governor

Matthew is one of our parent governors with his child recently starting in Reception at Lindley CE Infant School. Matthew is a Deputy Headteacher and SENCO at another local church school and is passionate about ensuring that all children receive a good, well balanced curriculum to help them flourish. Matthew is keen to work with the governing body to help shape the strategic development of the school and bring his background of working in schools to the governing board. Matthew and his family are keen travellers, both within the UK and further afield and enjoys spending time as a family exploring new places.

Mr Alok Krishnan

Governor

Alok strongly believes that schools play a pivotal role in shaping the society as much as the futures of young individuals. Serving as a school governor provides a unique opportunity for the community to contribute to this mission. Alok and his family have been Lindley residents for over 8 years, and their children attend Lindley Infant School. Many of his friends and colleagues are also part of the Lindley school community.

A Chartered Mechanical Engineer by profession, Alok is employed locally in Huddersfield as a Program Leader, where he also leads the site Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. Passionate about education and continuous development, he has volunteered as a STEM ambassador for over 15 years, including at Lindley Infant School.

Prior to joining as a trustee at Lindley CE Infant School, Alok has previously served as a Governor with safeguarding responsibilities at a High School. He is excited to offer his experience in planning, resource management, and decision-making to support effective governance, with the ultimate goal of maximising the development of the young minds we serve.

Mr Josh Hill

Parent Governor

Josh joined the governing body at Lindley CE Infant School as a parent governor, with his eldest son starting at the school in the last year. As a parent, Josh is passionate about supporting the school community and contributing to an environment where children feel safe, valued, and inspired to learn.

Professionally, Josh is an Operations Director for an education provider and has extensive experience working across the education sector. His role involves strategic leadership, organisational development, and ensuring high-quality provision, and he is keen to bring these skills to the governing board to support the continued growth and success of the school. Josh strongly believes that strong early educational foundations play a crucial role in shaping children’s confidence, wellbeing, and future opportunities.

Outside of his professional life, Josh has a longstanding involvement in sport and music, with an extensive background in both playing and coaching rugby union and is currently an active musician in several projects. Through sport and music, he has developed a strong commitment to teamwork, resilience, and personal development, values he believes closely align with those promoted within the school environment and something he is keen to foster support for.

Josh is committed to working collaboratively with staff, governors, and families to support the school’s vision and ensure that every child at Lindley CE Infant School can thrive both academically and personally.