Letter from the Chair

Dear Pupils, Parents, Carers and Staff

In July 2017 I became Chair of Governors at Northgate High School and Dereham 6th Form College. I was very proud and excited to take on the role and to help build on the achievements of the Governing Body led by the previous Chair, Alan Jones. Alan remains a member of the Governing Body and is now the Chair of Trustees at the Unity Education Trust.

We have two children at the school/6th form, but my impression of the school was formed before that when I worked as a Paediatrican in Norfolk. I came into contact with lots of schools and locally, Northgate stood out as a school that looked after the needs of all its pupils.

I volunteered to become a co-opted Governor at the school after being asked to give a presentation speech at a GCSE awards ceremony. During that visit I was struck again by the dedication and enthusiasm of the teaching staff. It was a team that I wanted to be part of.

I have worked in health services for children for many years and have experienced many different sorts of teams. Joining the team here has been a complete pleasure. The role of the Governing Body is to both support the teaching staff’s work but also to challenge and question how the school is run. My experience, shared by the wider Governing Body, is that the teaching staff here always have answers to our questions and they know their school inside out.

Running an ambitious High School such as Northgate is a complex and, at times, challenging task. However, all the decisions taken at the school and college are done so in the best interests of the pupils. Mr Mason’s team is dedicated and focused on ensuring all children and young people at the school and college achieve their full potential.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions about how the school is run or would like to find out more about the Governing Body, I would be very happy to hear from you.

Best wishes

Dr Tim Kinnaird

tkinnaird@ngate6.org